jewelry courses in florence

Have you ever considered coming for Florence, Italy, to study the art and craft of making jewelry in metal by hand? This could be the unique experience you add to your travel itinerary, or a gift to someone you know. Inquire about having private jewelry lessons or workshops from one person minimum to 8 maximum. Bespoke courses can vary from 3 hours to 3 months, based on personal needs and requests. No prior experience is needed for beginners. I have been teaching these courses for 15+ years in a studio in the historic center of Florence. Languages spoken: English and Italian. Contact for more information.

3-hour jewelry workshops in Florence, Italy

Even if you are on a short trip to Florence, you can sign up for a 3-hour workshop, with or without any jewelry experience. See some examples of 3-hour+ workshops:

Fleur de lis keychain
Fleur de lis pendant
Convex ring in sterling silver with flower
Convex ring in sterling silver
Oxidized convex ring in sterling silver
Convex ring with bezel stone setting
Convex ring with bezel stone setting 2
Rustic silver ring
Stone inlay pendants
Mixed metal ring composition (4-hour workshop)
Wedding ring workshop (4 hours)
Wedding ring workshop (5 hours)

Jewelry Courses in Florence, Italy: 20-40 hours

Basic and intermediate fabrication (construction) techniques can be taught. See the 20/40 hour course proposal for beginning jewelers below, and an example of a 2-day course, an example of a 10-hour course, an example of a 20-hour course and another example of a 20-hour course, or an example of a 40-hour course.

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN AND FABRICATION METHODS IN METALS: JEWELRY

Course Description/Objective/Pre-requisites

• The course is designed to give basic to intermediate practical experience in the design and fabrication of contemporary and traditional jewelry, and to develop manual and creative skills.
• The course aims to give a solid foundation in workshop practice and to introduce the students to workshop safety, use of tools and materials.
• Emphasis is placed on both design and craftsmanship. Students should know that jewelry-making needs time, patience, attention, precision and a passion for creating new forms.
• There are no pre-requisites for a beginning level course, but drawing, design, and 3-D experience will help.

Means of evaluation – projects are assessed on the basis of:

• Informal discussion and critique of student’s projects.
• Instructor’s evaluation of completed projects.
• Design and creativity, originality, etc.
• Craftsmanship, technical competence in realizing an idea.
• Attendance, effort and development.

20 Hours of Lessons for beginning jewelry students include:

• Exercises in design transfer, cutting, drilling, piercing, filing, sanding, and buffing (polishing).
• A small non-soldered project using the above skills and a rivet (projects may be pendants, key chains, book decorations, etc.).  Will include demo in metal textures and patinas.
• The design and fabrication of a Ring (straight or convex) with a cabochon stone in a bezel setting.

20 Hours of Lessons for intermediate jewelry students include review of basic techniques plus the following:
40 Hours of Lessons for intermediate jewelry students include the above plus the following techniques:

• Crushed stone inlay (scagliola).
• Married metals or simple chain.
• (Optional project to be discussed with Instructor).

40 -192 Hours of Lessons for INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED

The students select their projects in consultation with the instructors. Previous experience in metalwork and jewelry is taken into consideration with the planning of each program. Slides or photographs of work are needed to establish the level of experience and what projects may be excluded from a student’s program.

Other techniques not listed above may be arranged on request with the instructor’s evaluation of the student’s ability. They may include the following:

Instructor: Naomi (Photo by Birgitte Brondsted)

· Metal patinas and surface treatments
· Married metals
· Stone settings:
· » Round or oval stone
· » Triangle or square
· » Bezel on a convex base
· Pulling wire
· Chain
· Hollow box ring
· Concave ring
· Square ring (hollow box construction)
· Tube
· Hinge
· Project with movement
· Box – 3D object:
· » Square
· » Sphere
· » Cone
· » Cylinder
· » Hexagon
· Round ring (hollow box construction)
· Melting metal & making an ingot
· Study of different types of clasps (box & snap)
· Basket settings:
· » Round or oval stone
· » Square, triangle or an irregular shape
· » Boat or drop shape
· » Emerald cut
· Faceted Stone setting
· Casting
· Reticulation
· Etruscan chain
· Indian chain
· Mokume
· Keum boo
· Filigree
· Engraving
· Enameling
· Granulation

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