Jewellery Workshop in Sri Lanka

Looking for a jewellery workshop in Sri Lanka? Join us in Ahangama and create your own ring, pendant or personalised piece of jewellery from scratch.

Located on Sri Lanka's south coast, our hands-on jewellery workshops are designed for beginners, travellers, couples and creative minds looking for a unique experience beyond the beach.

Choose from a range of jewellery making classes below and create a one-of-a-kind piece to take home from your time in Sri Lanka.

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WHY CHOOSE OLIVE YU?

Our workshops take place inside a real working air-conditioned jewellery studio where every piece is handmade by our team of jewellers. Located directly beside the ocean in Ahangama, the studio overlooks the sea, with turtles often spotted swimming past the windows during class.

We keep our groups small and hands-on, creating a relaxed environment where complete beginners can learn, create and leave with a piece of jewellery they made themselves.

Every workshop includes a traditional Sri Lankan snack platter, tea, coffee and filtered water.

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE ON SRI LANKA'S SOUTH COAST

Most people leave with more than a piece of jewellery. They leave with a story.

A ring made on a honeymoon. A pendant created with friends. A keepsake that means something because you made it yourself.

While many visitors come to Sri Lanka for the beaches and surf, our workshops offer something a little different. A chance to slow down, learn a new skill and create something you'll keep long after your holiday ends.

EASY TO VISIT FROM MIRISSA, WELIGAMA & BEYOND

Our studio is located in Ahangama, just a short drive from Weligama, Mirissa, Hiriketiya, Unawatuna and Galle.

Whether you're staying along the south coast or exploring the region, a jewellery workshop makes an easy half-day activity and one of the most unique things to do in Ahangama.

Before or after your workshop, browse our handmade jewellery collections, discover natural gemstones and watch our jewellers at work in the studio below.

Sand Casting Workshop

Creating a finished ring or pendant in a single session

Our most popular workshop. Design and create a unique piece of jewellery before casting it into solid silver using traditional sand casting techniques.

Time Required

4 - 4.5 Hours

Design Freedom

High (Best for organic and sculptural designs)

Same Day Completion

Usually same day (gemstone setting may occasionally require next-day collection)

Finished silver jewellery
Gemstones can be added
Great for beginners
Organic and textured designs work beautifully
Most popular workshop

Lost Wax Casting Class

Creative travellers wanting maximum design freedom in a shorter session

Create your jewellery by carving and sculpting jeweller's wax using the same process used by professional jewellery designers. Perfect for those wanting maximum design freedom without spending 4-4.5 hours in the studio. Once complete, we'll cast and finish your piece for collection the following day, or you can upgrade to the 2-Day Experience and complete the casting and finishing yourself.

Time Required

2.5 hours

Design Freedom

Very High (Suitable for more complicated and detailed designs)

Same Day Completion

Next day collection

Maximum design freedom
Intricate and detailed designs possible
Fingerprints and textures possible
Shorter workshop time
Great for personalised jewellery
Option to upgrade to the 2-Day Experience

Lost Wax Casting + Finishing Day

Those wanting the complete jewellery-making experience

This option includes everything in the Lost Wax Casting Class, with the opportunity to return the following day and complete the finishing process yourself. After your wax model is professionally cast overnight, you'll work alongside our jewellers to transform a raw silver casting into a finished piece of jewellery through sanding, shaping, polishing and finishing techniques.

Time Required

2 days (2 hours each day)

Design Freedom

Very High (Suitable for more complicated and detailed designs)

Same Day Completion

Completed on the 2nd Day

Includes the full Lost Wax Casting Class
Experience both wax modelling and metalworking
Return the next day to finish your jewellery
Learn professional finishing techniques
Work from a raw silver casting
Finished entirely by you

Fingerprint Jewellery Workshop

Couples, families and meaningful keepsakes

This is a special variation of our Lost Wax Casting Class. You'll create your jewellery in wax before pressing a fingerprint into the surface, preserving every unique detail. After the workshop, we'll cast the piece overnight in solid silver, creating a permanent impression of the original fingerprint that can be collected the following day. If you'd like to experience the metalworking side of the process, you can also upgrade to include a second day and return to finish the piece yourself.

Time Required

2 - 2.5 Hours

Design Freedom

High (but needs to be a design to fit your fingerprint)

Same Day Completion

Create a personalised fingerprint ring or pendant

Create a personalised fingerprint ring or pendant
Fingerprint detail is permanently preserved in silver
Popular with couples and honeymooners
Option to return and finish the piece yourself
Experience both wax modelling and metalworking

Ring Band Making Workshop

Travellers short on time or those wanting to work directly with silver

Create a sterling silver ring from start to finish using traditional jewellery-making techniques. You'll learn to measure, form, solder, shape and finish your ring while working directly with metal throughout the entire process. This workshop is ideal for those wanting a shorter hands-on experience, though design options are more limited than our Sand Casting and Lost Wax workshops.

Time Required

2.5 Hours

Design Freedom

Limited (Best for simple bands and textured finishes)

Same Day Completion

Yes

Work directly with silver from start to finish
Learn traditional jewellery-making techniques
Create a finished ring in a single session
Add hammered and textured finishes
Perfect for travellers with limited time
Great introduction to metalworking

Frequently asked questions

We don't like to toot our own horn, but... HELL YEH!, we think so.

Olive Yu was one of the first studios in Sri Lanka to offer jewellery workshops inside a real working jewellery studio, and over the past four years we've welcomed more than 4,000 students through our doors.

We've spent years refining the experience, learning from mistakes, listening to feedback and constantly improving our workshops. Our team genuinely cares about helping you create something you'll be proud to wear long after your holiday ends.

Unlike most workshops, our classes take place inside an air-conditioned oceanfront jewellery studio overlooking the sea. We provide traditional Sri Lankan snacks, tea, coffee and filtered water throughout the class, and if you're lucky you might even spot turtles swimming past the windows.

We also offer one of the largest selections of natural gemstones available in any jewellery workshop on Sri Lanka's south coast.

Most importantly, we're not a workshop created for tourists. We're a real jewellery studio where every piece is handmade by our team of jewellers, every single day.

We'll be honest. Jewellery making is harder than it looks.

There's a reason professional jewellers spend years learning their craft through apprenticeships. Sawing metal, shaping silver and creating something beautiful with your hands takes patience and practice.

The good news is that our workshops are designed for complete beginners, and our team will guide you every step of the way.

If you're struggling with a particular step, simply ask for help. Whether you need assistance getting started, fixing a mistake or finishing a difficult section, our instructors are there to support you.

And don't worry, if your hand starts getting tired from sawing, you're definitely not the first person to ask for help.

No. Our workshops are designed for complete beginners, and we'll guide you through every step of the process.

Our workshops are best suited to ages 15 and above. The classes are hands-on, require concentration and can run for up to 4.5 hours.

If your teenager is particularly artistic, enjoys crafts and can work independently for extended periods, please get in touch and we'll see if the workshop is suitable.

We limit most workshops to 8 participants to ensure everyone receives individual guidance and assistance throughout the class.

For private groups and special events, we can accommodate up to 14 participants with advance notice.

For larger bookings, we bring in additional staff to ensure everyone receives support. Please note that larger groups can cause the workshop to run longer than usual, so allow extra time.

Absolutely.

Many guests create rings as gifts for partners, friends and family members.

The most important thing you'll need is the correct ring size before the workshop. If you're planning a surprise, we recommend finding out their size in advance.

If you're unsure about sizing, contact us before your workshop and we'll be happy to offer advice.

Not during our beginner workshops.

Gemstone setting is one of the most specialised and technically challenging skills in jewellery making. It takes professional jewellers years of practice to learn how to set stones securely without damaging them.

In a beginner workshop, there simply isn't enough time to teach stone setting properly, and the risk of cracking or damaging a gemstone is quite high.

Leave that part to the professionals. Our jewellers can set gemstones into your finished piece after the workshop, allowing you to focus on the fun parts of the design and making process.

Yes.

You're welcome to bring your own gemstones if you'd like them incorporated into your design.

Before booking, we recommend sending us clear photos and measurements so we can advise whether the stone is suitable for your chosen workshop and design.

Please note that gemstone setting always carries some level of risk. While our jewellers take every precaution and work with the utmost care, we cannot guarantee against damage when setting customer-supplied stones.

Unlike gemstones purchased directly from us, we don't know the history of externally supplied stones. Some gems may have existing fractures, chips, treatments or structural weaknesses that are not visible during a standard inspection.

For this reason, customer-supplied gemstones are set entirely at the owner's risk, and Olive Yu cannot accept responsibility for accidental damage, loss or breakage during the setting process.

Each workshop includes a set amount of silver. If your design exceeds the included allowance, any additional silver will be charged by weight.

Don't worry though, our hosts will help you throughout the design process. We'll calculate estimated weights, explain any additional costs before proceeding, and suggest ways to reduce weight if needed.

If you're working to a specific budget, let us know at the beginning of the workshop and we'll help design a piece that stays within your preferred price range.

Sand Casting is a lot faster and ideal for creating finished jewellery in a single session. It works particularly well for organic shapes, and sculptural forms.

Lost Wax Casting offers greater design freedom and produces a much more accurate replica of your original wax model, making it better suited to intricate details, fingerprints and highly personalised designs. Lost wax is a complicated process that requires creating plaster moulds, hours in the kiln and overnight cooling. Its more complicated and takes a lot longer but the result is much more detailed.

Absolutely. Wedding bands are one of the most popular projects we help guests create.

The best workshop depends on the style of ring you'd like to make. Sand Casting is ideal for organic, handmade wedding bands with natural textures and sculptural forms. The Ring Band Making Workshop is perfect for simple, classic bands made directly from silver. For more intricate designs, personalised details or unique features, we recommend our Lost Wax Casting Class.

If you're planning matching bands, gold wedding rings or have a specific design in mind, feel free to contact us before booking and we'll help you choose the most suitable workshop.

Yes. Gold is available as an upgrade for selected workshops.

As gold prices fluctuate daily, please contact us before booking for current pricing.

Yes. Gold is available as an upgrade for selected workshops.

As gold prices fluctuate daily, please contact us before booking for current pricing.

Approximately 10-15 minutes by tuk tuk or car.

Approximately 20-30 minutes by tuk tuk or car.

All workshops take place at our oceanfront Olive Yu store and studio in Ahangama.

Please do not confuse this with our separate manufacturing workshop and villa, Studio Olive, located on Imaduwa Road.

In the rare event of a power cut during low season, you'll have the option to reschedule your workshop or complete it at our nearby Studio Olive workshop space.

We'll always work with you to find the best solution.

During high season, workshops often sell out days or even weeks in advance, so we strongly recommend booking ahead.

During low season, same-day bookings are sometimes possible if you arrive before midday and space is available. Arriving later in the day may not leave enough time to complete the workshop.