Stone and Gem Cutting in Porto with Tarja Tuupanen

You will learn how to cut and form the material from a raw piece to a desired form. Workshop concentrates on “low tech“ techniques and soft stones, which allows you to continue working with stone also at home with minimum machinery and surprising maximum results.

Together with the basics, more controversial assignments will be done to offer insight into the possibilities of this versatile material. Everybody is encouraged and tutored to find their personal way to work with stone. Most of the time, we are hands-on with dust and noise, but in between, a few lectures are offered (for example, stone in contemporary jewellery, tips on how to connect stone with other materials, etc). Stone and tools are available at the workshop, and you will get a list of places where to buy supplies. If you have your own stone material, you are highly encouraged to bring it too, to experiment on or just show and discuss.

This is the 5th edition of this workshop, which has allowed Tarja and Magda to know each other and grow with each other, developing the kind of friendship and complicity that art people do. And tools people do too. And they have plans for a lot more...

Dates and price:
24-27 November 2025, from 9:30 to 13:00 h and 14:00 to 17:30 h.
415 + 60 euros ( course + material and tools fee).

Minimum students: 6.
Maximum students: 10.
The course will be taught in English.


About the teacher:
Tarja Tuupanen has studied jewellery and stonework in Lappeenranta in South Carelia Polytechnic, Finland (BA 1999), and she graduated as MFA from Ädellab, Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, (SE) in 2013. Since 1997, she has taken part in exhibitions internationally, both in group and solo shows. Teaching and promoting her own professional field have been important for Tarja, along with working as an artist. Tuupanen was one of the founding members of the Finnish Jewellery Art Association, and she currently acts as chairwoman, being part of a team organizing KORU triennial. She has been teaching in Finland, and she has also hosted several workshops abroad in different institutions.

About the host:
Magda Sá graduated in Chemistry and had several other occupations, some of which she still keeps. She started learning jewellery back in 2009 because she had a little spare time. Now she hasn’t. Problem solved. In 2018, she opened her own teaching studio, jokingly referred to among friends as the “Alibaba Cave”, as it does seem to have everything, of quality and of value. It’s a place where it’s a pleasure to work. Magda’s worries are if there isn’t enough of something (as if…) and how she will maximise time so as to express everything in all of the techniques she takes such pleasure in learning. And teaching.