More Filigree

Student work from my filigree class at the Newark Museum

In July, I taught a class at the Newark Museum, and it was very enjoyable for the students and for me. Filigree is a such a low tech technique for making jewelry, we were able to sit together at a large table and make intricate jewelry, just using a few sets of pliers. In the beginning the students felt that filigree was probably too labor-intensive to use as a production technique, however, after a few days of bending, it became clear that filigree can be used to make repeating elements. It can also be used to make very lightweight gold pieces, which is important in these days of high gold prices.