Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School & Academy
Vocational school in Florence, Italy
Le Arti Orafe (LAO) is a jewellery and goldsmithing school in the Oltrarno district of Florence, Italy, founded in 1985 by the goldsmith Giò Carbone. According to the school, it was the first school in Italy dedicated to contemporary jewellery. It describes itself as an accredited training agency in Europe and an authorised institution for Erasmus projects, and it started the PREZIOSA project, which became Florence Jewellery Week. More than 20 teachers, including artisans, artists and designers, work with the school, and class sizes are limited.
- Three-month, six-month, one-year, two-year and three-year courses
- Goldsmithing, jewellery design and stone setting
- CAD, engraving and enamelling courses
- Intensive summer courses (July-September) and flash courses of 1 to 5 days
- Courses of 1 to 4 weeks for groups
Lessons are taught in Italian, and foreign students need a B2 Italian certificate. After enrolment, non-European students receive the documents needed for a study visa. Students who complete the two- and three-year academic courses receive a study diploma; all students receive a certificate of attendance and achievement.
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Admission
The school states that motivation is the essential requirement for admission. Students enrol by completing the online form and paying the first instalment of the fees; the office then sends a written confirmation, the enrolment certificate, the list of personal equipment, the school regulations and, for non-European students, the documents for a study visa. Foreign students also need Italian at B2 level. Enrolment can be cancelled up to 30 days before lessons start, on payment of a sum equal to the enrolment fee.
Language requirements
Lessons are held in Italian. Foreign students must show Italian at B2 level with a certificate from an accredited centre, such as a Università per Stranieri, an Istituto Italiano di Cultura or the Dante Alighieri. Students without this certificate must take an Italian course and obtain B2 before starting at LAO; those who arrive without the required level start their LAO course in the following semester or year.
Accreditation
Subjects taught
- Arts, Design and Crafts
- Arts and Crafts
- Jewelry and Metals
- Creative Arts
- Jewelry Design