Contemporary Jewelery School in Florence, Italy

Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, Florence:
Alchimia is a private professional contemporary jewellery school in Florence, Italy. We offer academic jewellery design courses at BA and specialization levels, and also short-term programs from 2 weeks to 3 months in length. Our mission is to provide students with knowledge, conceptual and technical, about contemporary jewellery, providing a supporting practical work environment where interaction between students and teachers/technicians will transmit enough experience to prepare individuals as professional makers, artists and designers.

Email: Contact us here

Courses / Programs:

Basic Jewellery Course:
The course is divided in 2 terms, 12 weeks from September to December and 20 weeks from January to June and includes:

- basic techniques of jewellery construction
- technical drawing
- analysis of form
- wax modelling
- jewellery design and rendering
- prototyping
- gemmology
- ergonomics

In addition to the theoretical and practical lessons the program includes lectures and seminars with goldsmiths and designers of international fame and visits to fairs and exhibitions in Italy and Europe.

Maximum number of students admitted:12

The school assigns a personal workbench to each student enrolled in the course. Students have free access to all facilities during school office hours for the entire school year.

Advanced Jewellery Course:
The course is divided into two terms, 12 weeks from September to December, 20 weeks from January to June.

The programs of the first quarter and of the second semester consist in theoretical and practical lessons including the following:

- advanced techniques of jewellery construction
- conceptual workshops dealing with the dynamics of the creation process
- history of jewellery
- freehand drawing and painting classes
- workshops on material science

Practical lessons: goldsmith lab, wax modelling, freehand drawing, painting

Workshops: forms in space, connection-transition, one hour jewellery, around a gift, souvenir, delta conspiracy, kid’s drawing, material experiments, wax-workshop, from word to form,

Theory: technology, colour theory, jewellery history

In addition to the theoretical and practical lessons the program includes lectures and seminars with goldsmiths and designers of international fame and visits to fairs and exhibitions in Italy and Europe.

Maximum number of students admitted:12

The school assigns a personal workbench to each student enrolled in the course. Students have free access to all facilities during school office hours for the entire school year.

Specialization Jewellery Course:
The course is divided into two terms, 12 weeks from September to December, 20 weeks from January to June.

The programs of the first quarter and of the second semester consist in theoretical and practical lessons including the following:

- advanced techniques of jewellery construction
- artist tutoring
- contemporary art and jewellery history
- marketing, preparation of personal book/catalogue
- workshops and lectures with external tutors
- graduation work/thesis

In addition to the classes Alchimia organises every year the following exhibitions:

'Inhorgenta' International jewellery fair, Munich, DE
‘Grassi Messe’ International juried Craft Fair, Lipsia, DE
Graduation Show, Galleria Bagnai, Florence, IT
‘ArtOrnament’, Galleria Alternatives, Rome, IT

Intensive Jewellery Courses - from 2 weeks to maximum 3 months:
The intensive courses are a good solution for those who have limited time to study and experiment in the area of contemporary jewellery. The courses are taught on a one-to-one basis. Each student is guided individually to ensure that lessons meet their specific need. Two different types of programmes are offered: technical and conceptual.

USERS: beginners, jewellers who want to learn specific techniques, teachers, professionals and students who need a period of full immersion in another entourage and who want to have new stimulating experiences.



DATE: the courses are available throughout the year, beginning on Mondays, excluding the month of August. Interested individuals can contact the school directly to inquire about the availability of specific dates by completing the form on our Contact Page.

TIME TABLE: Monday thru Friday, 9.30-13.00/14.00-16.30, 30 hours a week.

Intensive technical programs:

Basic techniques for beginners:
In this course, the student will learn the basic techniques such as: sawing, filing, soldering, hammering and polishing, through exercises creating the first collection of jewellery. In addition to traditional techniques, exercises include the development of creativity and the possibility to experiment with alternative materials.

Experimentation with materials:
In this course students experiment with different materials such as paper, resins, rubber, glue, wood, textile, used in contemporary jewelry. The program includes patination of metals and surface treatments.

Textile techniques in metal:
In this course, it is possible to create jewellery experimenting with various textile techniques using metal wire. The program includes the study of basic skills such as weaving, crochet, french braid, interlacing.

Intensive conceptual program:
The conceptual courses are for students with prior experience in jewellery, and who also desire to work on site specific conceptual assignments. This provides them a more liberal understanding of their own work and aides in the development of a collection of jewellery.

Impressions of the city:
The starting point is Florence. The student begins by observing his surroundings, walking in the streets, taking notes and collecting photos, sketches of his personal impressions of the city. They can be of the city view, the nature, details of architecture, etc. Once a theme of interest has been found, the student will experiment with materials and concepts to transform these impressions into jewellery pieces.

Found objects:
This course takes inspiration from a forgotten object or an object found on the street. The theme will be developed through various ways of confrontation: abstraction, contrast, material, etc. By way of reproduction or using the object itself, the final jewellery piece will be created.

Five senses:
The theme serves as an entrance to a thorough research of new materials, connecting precise significance to each material. The student will work on their creatity choosing the quality that he/she wants to make evident in each of the five senses. This quality can be expressed by a material, the way in which it is transformed, the possibility of intervention or a surprise element. After developing a series of objects, the student will create the final piece of jewellery.