Eunpyeong ring workshop for a custom cubic setting: Munak

These days, I love hobbies where you can make a real piece of your own, so I definitely recommend ring making as a hobby! Rings, pendants, and more can hold the feeling that is uniquely yours—they are one-of-a-kind jewelry made by you. I heard that a new spot for making those fun, unusual memories had opened in Galhyeon-dong near Yeonsinnae, so I went straight over!

What kind of ring workshop is Munak?

It is a clean workshop with an on-trend interior full of atmospheric charm, where you can carve your own jewelry in wax alongside a friendly studio owner.

Where is Munak, the wax-carving workshop?

Munak offers wax-carving one-day classes, making it a great unusual date course or thing to do near Yeonsinnae. Walk straight down the alley between Cheonggu Seongsim Hospital and Hwalgi Chan Orthopedic Clinic, and you will find it in the building diagonally opposite Galhyeon-dong Catholic Church. The sign is not large across the front, so look for this orange square marker to know that the ring workshop is there.

Head inward on the right side of the building and go up the stairs, and you will arrive at the lovely workshop interior.

What does this unusual Yeonsinnae date workshop look like inside?

The moment you step in, an uncluttered, spacious room opens up. The warm wood-toned display cabinets and restrained accent details make it feel strikingly different from an ordinary workshop.

Because the space is large, you can create quietly and comfortably. And unlike typical ring workshops, you get to try wax carving, which really sets it apart.

There is a display area of finished pieces, so even if you have not planned a design, you can look at the samples and take inspiration from them—or use a basic idea and turn it into something different!

Even if a piece looks similar, adding what you want to engrave turns it into a completely different work. Since you can make something you designed yourself, it feels very different from seeing a sample at another ring workshop and copying it exactly.

One advantage of wax carving is that, if there is an item you would like to keep close, you can order it to be made. These days, you can also ask about memorial pieces for a child's baby teeth or a pet. When I visited, I even saw examples of custom work using an actual dog's nose print to create a pattern for pendants and more!

That is how I got to discover what makes this meaningful Yeonsinnae workshop special!

What if you do not have a design in mind?

If you have a design you want, you can show it right away and discuss it. If not, the process can move forward through plenty of conversation, so feel free to visit without pressure. These days, you can find countless designs with a simple search, after all!

Meeting the carving wax

Wax for ring making comes in a variety of forms, including round blanks and ones with a flat top like this. After a consultation, the wax is cut to suit your ring design before you begin.

You carve the form you want—whether a ring or pendant—from wax, then it goes through casting and finishing to become sterling silver 925. That process lets you try an even wider range of designs!

I picked one of the displayed rings as a sample, then made my final decision to alter it a little further.

First, the wax was cut to the thickness I wanted, and I began by hollowing out the inside to fit my finger size.

Once you feel you have carved away roughly enough by eye, you can measure and check the size as you go, so it is not difficult to get started!

After I finished getting it to my ring size, I learned the next part: the design. I used tools to carve and round the wax according to the design, making grooves as instructed. If you ask for help with the parts you do not know and follow the explanations, you enter a world of total concentration and lose track of time.

The design I chose was one of the workshop pieces, with cubic stones set here and there. I first left out the stones and only made the shape and carved it, but then the instructor mentioned that I could build up rounded details where the cubic stones would go, so I decided to try it. The tools used can differ from person to person depending on the design, so keep that in mind!

I learned how to melt the wax and changed the cubic-stone settings on the spot using this replacement method. The design felt quite different afterward! I became so curious about what it would feel like once it transformed into a silver ring.

After I finished my work, it went through final finishing and casting to become a silver ring. Depending on where you live, you can receive it by courier or collect it in person at the workshop; since I lived nearby, I chose in-person pickup and headed home. When you collect it in person, you receive care instructions and a pouch for storing it! Silver rings can be kept in a small zip bag, and that is the best way to store them, so the care is not difficult at all.

What is the Yeonsinnae workshop opening event?

A workshop event is currently underway. The regular price for the wax-carving one-day class is ₩108,000, but it is available for ₩98,000 through September 30. Additional options for design size, weight, gemstones, plating, engraving, and more may apply, so you can adjust them to the options you want. Anyone can learn, even for the first time, and you will clearly feel how different it is from other ring workshops—there is another world of jewelry out there, with so many things that can be custom-made. Look up this Yeonsinnae workshop when you want an unusual date activity or to place a special order!