Phil who??? - Filigree explained

More often that not, you will find me browsing through the over 400 vintage items available on Bidorbuy. I especially love the antique jewellery listings and the 'lot' buys, which basically means there are 3 or more items being sold together at a bargain price. Over the past five years since I have been buying and selling, I have come across many terms that are not familiar to me - one of them being filigree. I have also come across this term while reading and doing tons of research for my vintage scrapbook and blog.

So what exactly is filigree?  Filigree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver or stitching of the same curving motifs. It often suggests lace, and in recent centuries remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork, and French from 1660 to the late 19th century. Filigree involves threads being soldered together to form an object and ajoure involves holes being punched, drilled, or cut through an existing piece of metal.By extension, it may be used in a number of contexts to describe anything considered delicate, intricate and elaborate.

Examples of jewellery