The Ancient Art of Filigree with Filipa Oliveira
- Date
- 02 Oct 2023 - 03 Oct 2023 · 10am - 5pm
- Price
- £329 (8 places)
- Venue
- Silversmithing Workshop
- Programme type
- Technical Skills Training
Led by filigree specialist Filipa Oliveira, join our two-day short course, which will cover the skills of this ancient jewellery technique through practical demonstrations, handouts and individual practice.
During this two-day short course, Filipa will show you how to make your own filigree tools and prepare the filigree wire to solder and finish your pieces. Designed for beginners to the technique of filigree and intermediate learners and with a limited number of 8 participants, this course offers you the chance to learn this specialist skill as part of a focused, small group. Get individual guidance suited to your needs.
What will I learn?
- You will make your own filigree tools to take home with you.
- You will learn how to make filigree wire, and how to solder working on up to 3 different filigree designs.
- By the end of the course, you will have completed one piece that you can take home and enjoy.
Our small class size offers you the chance to get group as well as individual guidance and 1:1 time with your tutor, allowing you to receive tailored advice to deepen your knowledge and understanding of this specialist technique.
“This was the best creative course I have been on for a long time and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn with Filipa in the highly professional environment of the Goldsmiths' Centre. It was fascinating and addictively intricate! Filipa was so patient and generous with her time and skills.”
FAQs
- Basic tool kit including saw frame, saw blades, hand file (1/2 round or flat cut 2)
- Different shape needle files
- Ruler
- Steel tweezers x2 (type AA tweezers)
- Small Nails scissors
- Tiny glass container for solder
- Set of pliers
- Soldering paint brush
- Bench brush
Optional:
- Spectacles or head visor (if required) to work on small details
You will be provided with:
- Silver wire in required size and quantity
- Brass sheet and disc as required
- Hard solder in required quantity
- Acrylic square to work on
- Intermediate: Some practical experience and basic understanding of the listed skill required
In order to benefit most from this course, participants should have experience of being in a workshop environment and able to work independently on basic tasks such as piercing, filling and soldering.
Developed approximately 5,000 years ago, the term filigree comes from the Latin word “filum” meaning thread” and “granum” meaning grain, which is a reference to the very fine twisted wire used in this technique.
We believe that talent should not be held back. Here at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, we are open, accessible and inclusive to all. Our Access Grants help anyone to build thriving creative careers, supporting jewellers, silversmiths and allied industry practitioners to access our training courses for free.
If you need help to cover fees for our business and technical skills short courses, please apply for one of our Access Grants. To find out more and read our application criteria, click here
The Access Grants are delivered by the Goldsmiths' Centre and funded by the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity.
Who is the tutor?
Filipa Oliveira is a filigree specialist. She has won many awards for her filigree work, including the New Designers Goldsmiths’ Company Award for Jewellery. She uses this ancient technique in an innovative way to lend detail and heritage to her work. This historical element allows both the past and present to be encompassed within each piece of jewellery and is evocative of different times and cultures.