Filigree workshop in Porto at Casa da Filigrana, a museum, atelier and boutique dedicated to one of Portugal's most intricate and celebrated silversmithing traditions. In this hands-on session with a skilled silversmith from the House of Filigree, you learn the main filling techniques of traditional filigree using silver wire: the s-shaped, open scale and spiral methods, working on a
Filigree workshop in Porto at Casa da Filigrana, a museum, atelier and boutique dedicated to one of Portugal’s most intricate and celebrated silversmithing traditions. In this hands-on session with a skilled silversmith from the House of Filigree, you learn the main filling techniques of traditional filigree using silver wire: the s-shaped, open scale and spiral methods, working on a piece whose framework is prepared for you in advance so you can focus entirely on the craft itself. You leave wearing your own custom-made silver filigree jewellery piece. Open to all levels with no prior experience needed and a maximum of six participants per session.
Filigree is a millennia-old goldsmithing technique that uses only extremely fine threads of gold or silver. The word comes from the Latin filum and granum, describing the granulated thread produced by twisting two hair-thin wires together before beating them, a process that gives Portuguese filigree its unmistakable texture and character. The workshop opens with a visit to the museum to explore the history of this delicate and extraordinary craft before you move into the atelier to begin working on your own piece with the silversmith guiding every step.
What you’ll learn
♾️ The history and origins of Portuguese filigree and what makes it distinctive
♾️ The s-shaped, open scale and spiral silver wire filling techniques
♾️ How to work with fine silver wire using traditional filigree tools
♾️ How a filigree piece is structured and constructed from framework to finished jewellery
♾️ The patience, precision and craft sensibility behind one of Portugal’s most iconic art forms
What’s included
🪡 A guided filigree workshop with a skilled silversmith from Casa da Filigrana
🪡 A visit to the museum exploring the history of Portuguese filigree
🪡 Your own custom-made silver filigree jewellery piece to take home and wear
What you leave with
A finished silver filigree piece made by your own hands, wearing a tradition that has existed in Portugal for centuries, ready to put on before you leave the studio.
Casa da Filigrana is a museum, atelier and boutique in Porto dedicated entirely to filigree, one of the most refined and technically demanding techniques in Portuguese silversmithing. Our silversmiths work with the same methods that have defined this craft for generations, and our workshops exist to share that knowledge with anyone who is curious about where this extraordinary art form comes from and what it takes to make it.
Maximum 6 participants per session. Private workshops available on request. No prior experience with jewellery or silversmithing needed.
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