Ubud: Silver Jewelry Making Class in Balinese Village

4.98

(162 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We pulled up to Delodsema Village just as the morning was waking up — roosters somewhere, incense curling from doorways, that kind of thing. Our guide, Komang, waved us over with hands already dusted in silver powder. He grew up here, he said, and you could feel it in the way he greeted everyone passing by on their scooters. The place is tiny (he said only about 60 families), but the energy around the workshop felt busy and warm. I’d never held real silver before — it’s heavier than I thought, cool and smooth at first.

Komang showed us trays of rings and bracelets made by his neighbors. He asked if we had ideas for our own piece (I did, but drawing it was another story). We laughed when I tried to say “lion” in Bahasa — not even close. The process itself was slower than I expected; melting the silver took patience, and the smell reminded me a bit of metal shops back home but mixed with clove cigarettes from outside. My hands got shaky during the cutting part, but Komang just nodded and kept guiding me through each step.

By midday, my fingers were blackened and I’d already spilled coffee on my sketch (classic). There was bottled water on hand too, which helped because it got hot fast once the torches started up. A few other guests were working quietly nearby — one woman made earrings for her sister’s birthday and looked so proud when she finished. It’s funny how quickly you get attached to something you make yourself; I still think about that little ring whenever I fidget with my keys now.