Certified Portuguese Filigree jewelry is made by hand.
At A Timely Perspective, watches may be our heartbeat, but true luxury has always been about exceptional craftsmanship, heritage and the stories told through objects made by human hands. That is precisely why the arrival of certified Portuguese filigree jewelry in New York deserves attention. This centuries-old art form—where precious metal is transformed into lace-like works of wearable sculpture through painstaking handwork—embodies the same values collectors admire in fine watchmaking: skill, precision, authenticity and rarity.
Certified Portuguese Filigree’s first official U.S. showcase, complete with artisan demonstrations and newly certified pieces, makes this a noteworthy moment well beyond the jewelry world.
Printemps, via The Value of Time Group and Joalharia do Carmo, brings artist demonstrations and Certified Portuguese Filigree jewelry to New York.
For the first time in America, certified Portuguese filigree jewelry—one of Europe’s most intricate goldsmithing traditions—is arriving in New York at one of Manhattan’s hottest new luxury retail destinations: Printemps. Next week, from May 18–24, Printemps New York, the super “hot” Paris-born department store bringing a Barneys-like sense of discovery back to downtown shopping, will host live artisan demonstrations and an exclusive exhibition of certified filigree pieces from Joalharia do Carmo, the century-old Lisbon jeweler leading a new push to modernize and globalize the craft.
The debut also marks a milestone introduction for the jewelry industry and for jewelry lovers: the first formal certification system for Portuguese filigree, designed to verify provenance, technique and artisanry in a field prized for hand craftsmanship but rarely standardized. Additionally, the exhibition — designed to shine a spotlight on this art form — comes at a time when soaring gold prices are reshaping consumer buying habits. Filigree’s airy, open-worked construction offers dramatic high-jewelry looks that require less gold than solid pieces – making it a viable option when it comes to pricing.
Certified Portuguese Filigree jewelry on display May 18-24 at Printemps NY.
Portuguese retail jeweler Joalharia do Carmo, owned by Portugal’s Value of Time Group, is not only spearheading the exhibition and artisanal demonstrations at Printemps, but also is the brains behind modernizing certification of filigree. The company began organizing artisans in 2022 in an effort to preserve the culturally important art and create a modern certification framework.
The process, developed in partnership with Portugal’s official mint and assay authority, required building standards for craftsmanship, provenance, hallmarking and digital traceability before the first certified pieces could reach market.
In addition to the physical certificate that accompanies each piece of jewelry, Joalharia do Carmo adds a digital layer of authentication via UniqueMark® Digital Certificate by INCM / Contrastaria Portuguesa (Portugal’s official mint). This records and verifies details of the jewelry such as metal, weight, hallmarking, craftsmanship, the addition of precious stones and any unusual story or inspiration behind the piece.
Getting the technology and processes finalized to officially certify Portuguese Filigree was years in the making by The Value of Time Group.
Portugal is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading centers of filigree, particularly in the northern part of the country, where generations of goldsmiths perfected the labor-intensive process of twisting, hammering and soldering precious metal threads into airy motifs of hearts, flowers, scrolls and maritime symbols. Though versions of filigree date back to ancient civilizations, Portugal transformed it into a national jewelry signature centuries ago.
The time-consuming and tedious venture toward certification of Portugal’s finest current handcrafted treasures resulted in the newly launched, full-fledged certification of Portuguese filigree as seen at Printemps next week. This exhibition of authenticated (for origin, technique and craftsmanship) jewelry is the first of its kind to travel outside of Portugal to anywhere else in the world.
Each certified piece in the Printemps exhibition is handcrafted in 19.2-karat gold—an unusual alloy standard in Portugal—using threads sometimes finer than a strand of hair and no industrial molds or mechanized production.
The exhibition showcases the jewelry side by side with two of the artisans demonstrating their craft. The demonstrations will be offered twice a day ( from noon until 2:00 PM and from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM) on Monday through Saturday and from noon until 2pm on Sunday.
From themes of love, nature, spirituality and even tradition, the necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and other pieces are wearable works of art as well as symbols of heritage in a uniquely modern interpretation. Because each piece is made by hands from thin strands of gold, each piece is unique.
The exhibit at Printemps, 1 Wall Street, takes place daily from 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM from May 18-24.
