Filigree, an ancient goldsmithing technique, has been part of the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2023, after approval by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage.
This ancient goldsmithing technique consists of twisting two very thin gold or silver wires that are then flattened. The craft developed from the 18th century onwards, becoming a Portuguese identity activity in the 19th and 20th centuries, concentrated in the municipalities of Gondomar and Póvoa de Lanhoso.
The creation of Filigree jewelry is the result of collaborative work between the goldsmiths, who prepare the thread and the frame of the pieces, the fillers, artisans who fill the pieces with a thread as thin as the thickness of a hair and the goldsmiths again, that weld the Filigree and give the final finish. Passion, patience and meticulousness are rare but essential virtues in this job.
The inscription of Filigree art in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage is a long-desired recognition.