Looking for a fun, unique, and hands-on activity you can enjoy with a group of friends or your significant other? Look no further! Get ready to unleash your creativity at The Brass Dagger, opening in October at 1435 4th Street South.

The make-your-own jewelry shop is the brainchild of owners Brianna Alfaro, who was born and raised in south St. Petersburg, and her husband, Fredo, a tattoo artist who has owned and operated Fredo Ink & Co. in St. Pete for more than a decade.

“I love the south side of St. Pete. I've lived here my entire life and I’ve always hated the stigma,” said Brianna in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “With Brass Dagger, I feel like we're just contributing to its greatness.”

Brianna, a realtor with Dalton Wade Real Estate Group, got into metalwork and ring-making as a hobby and a way to relieve stress and founded The Brass Dagger so she could share the benefits of the practice with others. The name of the company is a tribute the couple’s young daughter, Jett Dagger.

“I do residential real estate full time and have been very successful at it, but I didn’t have any hobbies,” Brianna said. “I started to learn about silversmithing and started making rings to decompress at the end of the day. It turned into something that I thought everyone could enjoy.”

Brianna said she was also inspired by experiential, hands-on business concepts such as Painting With a Twist and Practically Pikasso.

Making a silver ring at The Brass Dagger is not a huge time commitment. According to Brianna, the process takes about two hours and customers are “walked through the entire process, from sizing, cutting, soldering, hammering, and polishing.”

You can choose to make a thin, stackable ring or a thicker men’s ring, a ring with a polished look or a hammered look. Letters or words can also be added to the rings. 

Best of all, no prior experience is necessary. Whether you're a first-time jewelry maker or a seasoned silversmith, The Brass Dagger experience can be enjoyed by anyone.

Head Silversmith Cassandra Wahuhi guides customers through the ring-making process. Wahuhi is the owner of Wahuhi, a jewelry and leatherwork store and workshop that is part of The Brass Dagger’s lobby. 

“She does amazing, intricate silversmithing and leatherwork,” Brianna said. “She’s an old friend.”

Brass Dagger customers can book the space for private events but Brianna encourages people to just drop by the shop. “We use the term ‘experiences,’” she said. “We don’t want to call them classes because we want people to know they can come in anytime.” 

A two-hour ring-making experience costs $120, and special engagement ring-making packages, which include complimentary wine or champagne, velvet ring boxes, and other perks, are available starting from $500.

The “Private Jett” luxury experience costs $1,199 for two people and includes a two-hour ring-making session, candlelit catered dinner, couples “date night” trivia game, complimentary wine or champagne, fruit-infused water, music of your choice, and velvet ring box and notecard for the wedding day.

“Eventually we’re going to morph into different types of jewelry,” Brianna said, mentioning bracelets as a logical addition. She also plans to appeal to men as well as women. “We will probably even wind up doing some knife-making classes.”

Brianna plans to start offering experiences on October 21st, followed by a grand opening on November 11th.

The experiences offered at The Brass Dagger are also suitable for families, Brianna said, adding that her daughter, who’s 11, has made her own rings. The process involves use of a butane torch, so a parent or guardian must be present, but “it’s not dangerous,” she said. “There’s no age limit. It’s at the parents’ discretion. The parent has to be there, of course.”

If you are interested in taking the ring-making experience, walk-ins are encouraged any time during open hours, which are Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Or if you’d like to schedule your experience in advance, The Brass Dagger will offer reserved ring-making sessions at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations can be made online.

For more information and updates, follow The Brass Dagger on Instagram.