About Us

A Creative Retreat for Jewelry Makers

Located in downtown Ventura, California, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean, The Foundry offers immersive jewelry workshops in lost wax casting, lapidary arts, and cast-in-place stone setting. Alongside our signature intensives, we also welcome guest artists teaching a curated selection of specialty jewelry techniques throughout the year.

The Foundry was created as a place to slow down, work with your hands, and learn alongside other makers. Designed for beginners and experienced jewelers alike, our small-group intensives combine focused technical instruction with personalized guidance in a relaxed, immersive setting. Whether you're learning for personal enjoyment or expanding an existing jewelry business, each workshop is designed to teach practical skills you can continue building on long after class ends.

The Experience

We created The Foundry to be the kind of place we'd want to travel to ourselves: a thoughtfully designed studio where serious learning is balanced with the experience of spending a few days on the California coast. Our workshops are intentionally immersive. Even after a two days workshop, students leave with a technical foundation they can continue refining for years to come. Classes are intentionally small, balancing focused instruction with time to explore, experiment, and make the process your own.

Spend the day making jewelry by hand, then step outside to explore Ventura's cafés, beaches, and coastline. For those traveling with a partner or family, Ventura also offers world-class surfing, hiking, and easy access to Ojai, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles International Airport.

Welcome to The Foundry.

Rooted in Craft

Lost wax casting is one of the world's oldest metalworking techniques. Today it remains one of the most expressive and versatile ways to create heirloom jewelry. Our students range from complete beginners to experienced jewelers looking to incorporate wax carving into their practice. Lost wax casting opens new creative and professional possibilities by supporting sculptural design and small-scale production that can become a valuable part of an existing practice.

In ancient times, lost wax casting was reserved for creating objects of profound significance: ceremonial vessels, religious sculptures, and intricate jewelry that adorned temples and tombs, giving lasting form to one’s most cherished beliefs. Learn the skills to make your own meaningful work.