Brooch Back Design with Daniela Malev
- Date
- 25 Mar 2026 · 9:00AM - 4:30PM
- Price
- £699 (9 places), Bookings close: 5 March 2026, Course level: Beginner/Intermediate
- Venue
- The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1M 5AD
- Programme type
- Technical Skills Training
Presented as a follow-on from Daniela Malev’s Technique in Focus talk, this four-day practical course invites makers to explore one of the most overlooked, yet rewarding aspects of brooch design: the back. Led by Internationally renowned jeweller, teacher and author Daniela Malev, participants will take a holistic approach to brooch construction, where function and form are developed in tandem and where the pin mechanism becomes a central part of the design rather than just an afterthought.
Whether you're new to brooches or looking to deepen your approach, you’ll investigate the technical, visual and conceptual possibilities of pin mechanisms, learning how structure itself can become content. Through demonstrations, hands-on experiments and group discussions, you’ll leave with a set of working pinned models, new approaches to construction, and ideas to continue developing in your own studio practice.
FAQs:
Delivered in person at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, this course will help you to:
- Gain an in-depth understanding of pin and clasp mechanisms and how to apply them in a range of technical and design contexts; expanding your construction skills beyond standard fittings.
- Learn practical approaches to designing brooch backs that strengthen the structural integrity, wearability, and design cohesion of your pieces.
- Build a personal reference library of pinned models and mechanism samples that you can refer to in future commissions or production.
- Enhance the value of your work by integrating function as a visible and intentional part of the design, creating stronger narratives and stand-out pieces for clients or exhibitions.
- Receive tailored feedback and peer input to help refine your design approach and broaden your creative thinking.
You will learn:
- Key types of pin and clasp mechanisms, how they function and how they’re made
- Creative ways to integrate structure and design with intention
- Fabrication techniques using wire, sheet metal, wood, Perspex, and mixed materials
- How to design for wearability without compromising on visual impact
- How to discuss, test and refine your ideas through critique and experimentation
You’ll produce a series of small try-outs during the course and are encouraged to bring any work-in progress pieces or past projects to apply the learning directly.
- Your own basic bench tools (e.g., saw frame, hand files, pliers)
- A few work-in-progress pieces or brooch fragments to develop or analyse
Optional:
- Spectacles or a visor for close work
- Notebook and pen for documentation
You will be provided with:
- Access to workshop tools and equipment
- Copper and/or brass sheet
- Cardboard, thin wood boards or plexiglass offcuts for try-outs
- Shared consumables and workspace
- Handouts and reference material from the tutor
- An overhead camera and screen for visual demonstrations
At the Goldsmiths’ Centre, your safety - and that of all participants and staff - is our highest priority. Everyone attending a technical short course must follow our workshop Health & Safety guidelines. Please ensure you:
- Wear suitable clothing and closed-toe shoes.
- Avoid shorts or skirts, loose or baggy clothing, and any jewellery that could catch on equipment.
- Keep long hair securely tied back at all times.
Our workshops contain specialist tools, hot surfaces, and potentially hazardous materials. For this reason, children and anyone under the age of 16 are not allowed in workshop areas under any circumstances, unless the course is specifically advertised as suitable for this age group.
Beginner and Intermediate
This course is suitable for both beginner and intermediate makers. If you’ve had some time in a workshop and feel comfortable with basic skills like sawing, filing or soldering, you’ll be able to follow along and build confidence. For those with more experience, the course offers a chance to refine techniques, approach tasks with greater accuracy, and explore new ways of working. Whether you’re still getting to grips with tools or looking to push your practice further, the pace and structure will support a range of abilities, with plenty of one-to-one guidance where needed.
We are committed to making our training programmes and events as inclusive and accessible as possible. If you have any access requirements, please inform us as early as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements. While we will do our best to accommodate your needs, advance notice is essential to ensure we can provide appropriate support.
To discuss your requirements when booking tickets for our Goldsmiths’ Centre training programmes, please contact us at boxoffice@goldsmiths-centre.org
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 through modern philanthropic giving, via the Goldsmiths’ Foundation, from members of the Goldsmiths’ Company.
Who is the tutor?
Daniela Malev is an internationally respected jeweller and teacher, known for her deep exploration of brooch design and her focus on integrating function and meaning. Based in Germany, she holds a Master Craftsman’s Certificate and an MFA in Gemstone and Jewellery Design. She has taught workshops across Europe and the Americas and is the author of To the Point – Pin Mechanisms and Brooch Back Design, one of the only publications dedicated to the subject. Daniela’s teaching encourages rigor, experimentation and reflection, helping participants see both sides of their work; quite literally.