Restoration department: goldsmithery

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Activity information

The Laboratory

Location

The laboratory of the Goldsmithery Restoration Department is located within the historical headquarters of the OPD in via degli Alfani, 78.

Restoration activity, research, training

This department restores artefacts featuring materials of the highest variety. In fact, in addition to metals such as gold, silver, copper, bronze, or other alloys, wood is frequently used in gold jewellery for the structural parts. In addition, precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, coral, enamel, ivory, and glass are often used, conferring to jewellery its polychrome appearance – often accentuated with gilt and silver decorations, whilst pieces of fabric, parchment and various other materials are utilised for linings, fillers and sometimes containers for relics.

All operations necessary in a conservation treatment are carried out within the department: dismantling a complex artefact, cleaning, consolidation, integration (usually limited to structural parts) and application of a protective coating, if necessary for the artefact’s preservation. Preliminary investigations are fundamental, allowing to understand the nature not only of the constituent materials but also of substances and products applied to the artefact over time, causing alterations of the surface and sometimes also in-depth, initiating chemical processes. These investigations allow the restorers to calibrate and plan the intervention and are carried out in collaboration with the OPD’s scientific laboratory.

 

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