Filigree Technique with Filipa Oliveira
- Date
- 27 Sep 2027 - 28 Sep 2027 · 9.30am – 4.30pm
- Price
- £409 (8 places), Bookings close: 14 September 2027, Course level: Intermediate
- Venue
- The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1M 5AD
Learn how to make and control fine filigree wire and apply it to your own jewellery designs using traditional techniques. Using small amounts of silver or gold wire, filigree allows you to introduce detail, pattern and complexity into your work without significantly increasing material costs, making it a practical technique for both bespoke and production pieces.
Led by filigree specialist Filipa Oliveira, this two-day course combines demonstration with hands-on making. You will be guided through each stage of the process, from preparing wire through to constructing and soldering filigree forms. Suitable for intermediate makers, this course focuses on developing control and accuracy when working at a small scale. You will work through a series of samples before applying your skills to create your own filigree components or small pieces. With a small group size, you will have time for both group learning and one-to-one guidance, allowing you to work at your own pace and address specific questions within your practice.
FAQs:
Delivered in person at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, this course will help you to:
Expand your technical skills: Learn how to make, twist and control fine filigree wire using repeatable processes.
Improve soldering accuracy: Develop control when soldering small-scale components and working with fine wire.
Introduce detail into your work: Use filigree to add line, pattern and lightness to your designs.
Work more independently: Make simple tools to support your filigree work in your own workshop.
Apply techniques to your own designs: Explore how filigree elements can be incorporated into existing or future pieces.
Learn through practice: Benefit from a combination of demonstration, group discussion and one-to-one feedback throughout the course.
Our small class size will help you explore this ancient jewellery craft with a leading contemporary master through group guidance and 1:1 time with your tutor, deepening your knowledge and understanding of the specialist skill of filigree.
Basic toolkit, including a saw frame, saw blades and a hand file (half-round or flat, cut 2).
Needle files in different shapes.
Ruler.
Two pairs of steel tweezers (type AA).
Small nail scissors.
Tiny glass container for solder.
Set of pliers.
Soldering paintbrush.
Bench brush.
Optional:
Spectacles or head visor (if required) to work on small details.
What will I be provided with?
Silver wire and solder in the required size and quantity.
Brass sheet and disc as required.
Acrylic square to work on.
Additional specialised equipment.
Intermediate: Practical experience and understanding of listed skills required.
Participants at the intermediate level should have prior experience in a workshop environment and the ability to work independently on fundamental tasks. They should be comfortable with processes such as piercing, filing and soldering, and possess a working knowledge of workshop tools and techniques. This level focuses on refining basic skills, introducing more complex tasks and developing the ability to troubleshoot and work with greater precision and autonomy.
Filigree was developed approximately 5,000 years ago. The term comes from the Latin words ‘filum’, meaning thread, and ‘granum’, meaning grain, a reference to the very fine twisted wire used in this technique.
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 by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation.
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.