Alchimia, Contemporary Jewellery School in Firenze

Alchimia was founded in 1998 in Florence, a bespoke Italian city that counts the highest number of works of art in the world. Alchimia is furthermore located in the outstanding Oltrarno neighborhood, historical district of fine artisans’ workshops since Medieval times. With over 20 years of activity, the school has been a melting pot of diversity and backgrounds with more than 75 different countries.

Alchimia is a unique place where students are encouraged to discover the artistic voice: an innovative international teaching approach that encourages them to develop a personal way of observation, discovering their own creative code. The goal is to master and preserve traditional techniques in order to evolve, transform and merge them into our contemporary culture. We believe there cannot be any true development without the knowledge of what came before. Tradition and innovation, like mind and hand, need to move together. The name Alchimia refers to the ancient discipline between science and philosophy, from which to draw in order to transform the “worthless” into a thing of the “highest quality” by intent, craftsmanship, creativity and enthusiasm for working.

COURSES

The school has obtained full accreditation of its artistic and pedagogic courses and is officially qualified for European Bachelor of Fine Arts & European Master of Fine Arts by the European Accreditation Board of Higher Education.

Only twelve students are admitted per year in the BFA program and eight for the MFA program, ensuring close and personal interaction between students and tutors.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts Program offers two years of full immersion into the world of contemporary jewelry, with focused support in the development of a personal artistic style. This strong conceptual presence is accompanied by an intense study of jewelry-making techniques and lessons on theory.

The Master of Fine Arts program lasts for two years and aims to investigate, expand, and deepen the knowledge and skills of the students, generating a students’ awareness and analytical thinking. We push for a leap in quality that allows the students to have autonomy in their studies and practice throughout the entire process of experimentation, planning, and creation. The students enjoy complete creative freedom, with the support and the guidance of important international tutors in the field of contemporary jewelry and arts.

The Intensive Jewellery Courses offer classes with personalized curricula aimed for students of all levels of experience, from beginners to professionals of the jewellery design sector. Students can choose between a minimum duration of 2 weeks and a maximum of 3 months, ensuring a 1-to-1 approach between teacher and student.
Our Intensive Courses in jewellery design run throughout the year, beginning every Monday to Friday.

ALCHIMIA’S PARTNERSHIP

The school has developed through the years important international partnerships with various Universities to facilitate exchanges for its students and teachers:

• Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem (Israel)
• Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan, (Israel)
• Hiko Mizuno - College of Jewelry, Tokyo (Japan)
• MassArt, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston (USA)
• Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn (Estonian)
• Ar.Co – Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual, Lisboa (Portugal)
• Sint Lucas - University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp, (Belgium)
• HDK School of Design of Crafts, University of Gothenburg, (Sweden)
• Konstfafack – The University of Art, crafts & Design in Stockolm (Sweden)