Jewelry School in Florence, Italy

Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School, Florence:
Founded in 1985 by Giò Carbone, Le Arti Orafe was the first Italian school dedicated to the study of contemporary jewellery, with its own original vision which has always favoured and promoted a learning process based on the acquisition of solid technical and professional skills combined with artistic research and design.

LAO invented, developed and perfected a creative and personalised method of learning, concentrating on innovation and research but without losing sight of the acquisition of the techniques and concepts particular to this creative sector.

LAO has contributed and is contributing in a defining manner to this constant evolution. LAO is a Training Agency accredited by the Tuscan Regional Authority and certified according to the ISO standards 9001, can offer recognised and financed courses in addition to participating in the main European programmes, and is unanimously recognised as one of the most prestigious European schools.

- Jewellery Making
- Jewellery Design
- CAD
- Hand Engraving
- Stone Setting
- History of Jewellery
- Gemology
- Forecasting

All courses are designed to ensure that everyone receives adequate training for their needs, with a large number of lessons, all given by well-qualified teachers (craftspeople, artists, designers and professionals). Since 2003, the school has been the only private Training Agency accredited by the Tuscan Regional Authority to run training courses in the jewellery / goldsmithery sector. The school has also always enjoyed collaboration with the top schools and most established institutes around the world.

Facilities:
- Le Arti Orafe have three workshops, a gemmology classroom, a CAD studio and three other classrooms for design and theory lessons.
- For the lesson of gemology we are perfectly equipped with professional gemology tools in addition to a rich and constantly update inventory stones.
- Le Arti Orafe has set up one of the most extensive Italian libraries dedicated to jewellery: our collection of books, manuals, catalogues and magazines from all over the world comprises more than 1,000 volumes.

The school's founder, Giò Carbone - who besides adopting traditional methods, is also a master of more rare and experimental techniques - relies on an exceptionally well-qualified teaching staff, as Pasqualina Are. Stone setting courses are conducted by Francesco Pinzauti.

Giuseppe Casale is a true master of burin engraving. History of Jewellery is taught by Patrizia Meloni and Maria Cristina Bergesio, a great expert in contemporary jewellery. Over the last 10 years the school has received great acclaim for its jewellery design courses, as a result of the professionalism and commitment of Jasmina Carbone, Valentina Callo, Mauro Vegliante.