Engraving course

Engraving is a technique used in the jewellery trade to embellish and decorate all types of items.
It entails the removal of material from the item itself, in the traditional manner without the use of machines but instead manually with small burins and chisels.
The engraving is performed on flat or curved sheets, following a previously traced design. With this type of engraving it is also possible to create monograms and signet rings for sealing wax, and even steel dyes for stamping medals and various other decorations. Engraving is used to prepare the items for the application of enamels, cloisonné or champlevé.
Engraving is a technique that can be used in various ways on different types of materials. It serves for creating graffiti clichés on copper and other metals, and for printing words and designs on paper with the ancient "press" technique. It is also used for creating dedications, monograms and coats of arms, for example, on silverware.

“Florentine-style” engraving technique

When one speaks of artistic craftsmanship, one speaks of Florence, of talent and great dexterity, of genius, of outstanding creativity and last, but not least, of technique: all indispensable elements for creating a work of art, a unique piece of jewellery.
Engraving is an example of this. Using only the skills of his/her hands and a few simple tools (various types of chisels and a few other “irons”) the artisan can bestow upon the metal of any piece of jewellery the effect of velvet, silk or damask, or decorate it to create the effect of lace, or frame it with borders, or give it an infinity of floral motifs in order to create a distinctive and unique piece.
All these are the characteristics of the “Florentine Style” that have made it famous.
The learning phases of this jewellery decoration technique are as follows: drawing, preparing the tools, the correct use of chisels, hands-on exercises, modelling small bas-relief figures, the cloisonné and champlevé techniques for enamelling, engraving coat-of-arms in “negative” for seals, damascening and finishing.