Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School

Intensive Jewellery and Design Courses

Oxygen Course

• 2-week intensive course
• 4 critic session
• Theoretical lessons
• 1 technical lesson per week
• 1-weekend course
• 1 Passepartout ticket for the Florence Museums
• Alchimia’s vitrine will be available for personal installation at the end of the course.
   

Jewellery Making

• Personal tools provided by the school.
• Non-precious metals and semi-precious stones provided by the school.
• Personal bench for all the duration of your Intensive Course.
• Students can stay at Alchimia till 5.00 pm using all the facilities of the school.
• The pieces executed during the course are for the property of the students.
• *Please note: any use of gold or silver is to be personally bought by the student.

Microscope Stone Setting Course & Engraving with GRS and GraverMax Air

• Personal tools provided by the school.
• Non-precious metals and semi-precious stones provided by the school.
• Semi- finished silver rings and sample to set stones.
• Personal bench for all the duration of the course to improve skills during the independent practice time.
• Students can stay at Alchimia till 6.00 pm using all the facilities of the school.
• The pieces executed during the course are for the property of the students.

• Tool Preparation and Setup: Instruction begins with the proper setup and maintenance of stone-setting tools, including gravers and microscopically assisted devices. This includes sharpening tools and selecting the right burrs and drills for different types of stones and settings.

• Stone Setting Techniques: Participants will practice a range of setting methods, from basic to more advanced techniques, learning how to securely set synthetic stones in copper and brass sheets, as well as in silver rings provided by the school. Techniques covered include prong setting, bezel setting, and more intricate styles used in contemporary jewelry design.

• Integrating 3D Printing: As part of the learning process, students will also explore how to integrate settings created through 3D printing with traditional stone-setting techniques. This combination of digital and hands-on methods will help students master the process of incorporating modern technology into the creation of bespoke jewelry.

• Introduction to Engraving Tools: Participants will start by familiarizing themselves with a range of engraving tools, including onglette gravers, rigata gravers, and modern air-powered tools such as the GraverMax. They will also learn how to prepare their tools to ensure precision, practicing with basic techniques on copper and brass plates before moving on to more detailed work on silver.

• Basic Engraving Techniques: Students will first focus on fundamental engraving techniques such as line engraving and scroll engraving. These exercises help develop the control and precision necessary for more intricate designs, such as the classical silk effect achieved with the rigata graver.

• Microscope-Assisted Engraving: A significant portion of the course will involve working with binocular microscopes, essential for achieving high levels of detail in small-scale jewelry engraving. Students will learn how to adjust magnification and lighting for different tasks, ensuring they can maintain clarity and control throughout the engraving process.

• Air Tools and Advanced Techniques: The course will also cover the use of air-powered tools, such as those provided by the GRS system. These tools allow for greater speed and precision, especially when working on complex designs or delicate surfaces. Students will practice controlling air pressure and tool speed to achieve various effects, from deep relief engraving to fine text work and shading.

• Advanced Techniques and Practice: As students’ progress, they will explore more advanced engraving methods, including shading, deep relief engraving, and text engraving, using different metals such as copper, brass, and silver. These techniques will be applied to create detailed, custom designs suitable for high-end jewelry pieces.

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major Contemporary Jewellery

• History of Art.
• Gemology.
• The Creative Process.
• Goldsmith and Jewellery Lab.
• Technology.
• Jewellery Design.
• 3D Prototyping.
• History of Jewellery.
• Strategies for Creative Development.
• Goldsmithing / Jewellery Lab Advanced.
• Advanced Technology.
• Advanced Drawing and Design.
• Reflective Analysis.
• Professional Research.
• Independent Professional Practice.
• Contemporary Jewellery History.
• Thesis.

Master of Fine Arts, Major in Contemporary Jewellery and Cultural Identity

• New Perspectives in Modern & Contemporary Art History.
• Goldsmithing & Technical Jewelry Lab Specialization.
• Jewelry Photography & Digital Photo Processing.
• Material Experimentation.
• Research Methodologies & Processes.
• Advanced 3d Digital Design.
• Cultural Analysis Through The Arts.
• Exhibition Curating for the Applied Arts.
• Visual Communication Development.
• Guided Professional Research.
• Independent Professional Practice.
• Marketing and Web Development.
• Thesis.

3D Modelling + 3D Printing + GRS Micro-setting & Engraving

• Location: Kentstrappers srl – via Livorno 8/24 – Florence
• Schedule: From Monday to Friday, 6 hours a day, 30 hours per week, for a total of 60 hours. In this part of the course, participants are introduced to jewelry design using Rhinoceros software. Students will learn to create digital models ready for production through 3D printing, using materials suitable for casting. The lessons cover both modelling and printing processes, with the official McNeal certification awarded upon completion.

• Location: Alchimia – piazza Piattelliina 3/r – Florence
• Schedule: From Monday to Friday with daily classes from 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 6 PM, for a total of 160 hours, including 112 hours of guided instruction and 48 hours of independent practice. This part of the course focuses on precision stone setting and engraving using GRS tools such as GraverMax and microscopes. Students will practice various techniques for setting stones and engraving on metals like copper, brass, and silver. The hands-on sessions will cover both traditional and modern tools, including air tools, to develop precision and master a range of engraving and stone-setting techniques.

• Personal tools.
• Non-precious metals and semi-precious stones provided by the school.
• Semi- finished silver rings and sample to set stones.
• Personal bench for all the duration of the course to improve skills during the independent practice time.
• Students can stay at Alchimia till 6.00 pm using all the facilities of the school.
• The pieces executed during the course are for the property of the students.
• Official McNeal certification awarded upon completion (provided by Kentstrapper).