Historic Florentine jewellery brand Fratelli Piccini has launched a prize to find the best design on a Piccini theme, putting apprenticeships up for grabs. The competition, open to everybody between the ages of 18 and 29 with a high school diploma, aims to draw young people into the goldsmithing industry.
Armando Piccini with his students
Named the Premio Armando Piccini with the tagline “Heritage for the Future”, the competition closes on November 30. Entries must be a reinterpretation of one of the works from the triptych “Leggerezza”, three hummingbird-shaped pieces by the company’s founder Armando Piccini.
The “Leggerezza” triptych , three hummingbird-shaped pieces by the company’s founder Armando Piccini
The first prize is worth 13,000 euro, covering the costs of a one-year apprenticeship, totalling 900 hours. The winning design will be made by Fratelli Piccini goldsmiths and displayed in the Ponte Vecchio atelier as well as at Preziosa 2019 – Florence Jewellery Week, an event organised by Le Arti Orafi Jewellery School. Second prize is worth 9,000 euro, and will cover the expenses of a 700-hour course. A further prize will be awarded at the discretion of Elisa Tozzi Piccini, with a value of 4,200 euro for a 300-hour engraving course.
Elisa Tozzi Piccini presents the atelier’s new prize to inspire future jewellery artisans.
The competition is supported by Osservatorio Mestieri d’Arte (OMA) and Le Arti Orafi Jewellery School (LAO), where the winning apprenticeships will take place.
To read the regulations (in Italian) and register, see www.armandopiccini.it.
