DANIELA MALEV
TWO SIDES – ONE STORY:
WORKSHOP ON PIN MECHANISMS AND BROOCH BACK DESIGN
9th - 11th of NOVEMBER 2025
In the field of contemporary jewellery the brooch is the most common and also much discussed form of jewellery. One of the special challenges of making a good brooch is to find an adequate solution for the pin which connects the piece securely to the body but goes beyond being a mere functional and visible element on the backside but becomes an essential part of the brooch in terms of content and aesthetics.
About the workshop
Mechanism and attachment of a brooch hold a tremendous potential for the design of a
brooch in its entirety and need to be developed with equal importance.
This workshop will initiate and encourage a conscious approach to the design of the brooch back and its mechanisms. The participants are introduced to a variety of pin mechanisms and learn how to realize them technically. They will be guided through
exercises on different needle techniques and ways of thinking about what a needle can be and how it can be solved. The participant will learn and understand the integration of the brooch back and the pin mechanism into the whole creative process of making a brooch.
In the beginning the workshop teaches technical skills and participants will make a lot of tryouts and sample pieces on different possibilities and techniques of pin
mechanisms, which they can take home and keep as lasting reference to technical solutions, but moreover they will understand a new way of thinking: a holistic approach to the brooch, and that functional solutions on the backside of a brooch are inseparable from the front and are part of the whole design of a brooch.
The teacher
DANIELA MALEV
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Daniela Malev is a jeweller and teacher. Trained as a goldsmith in her hometown Dresden, Germany, she also holds a Master Craftman´s Certificate for Gold- and Silversmithing and studied Jewellery Design at Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau.
She concluded her formal studies with a BA and MFA degree in Gemstone and Jewellery Design at the University of Applied Sciences Trier/Idar-Oberstein, Germany.
Her jewellery work is inspired by a sense of order behind all things. Her jewellery pieces are made of contrasting materials and complementary elements and aspects which become a unity.
Daniela Malev has travelled a lot and likes to gather and exchange ideas and knowledge. She has lived, worked and studied abroad in the USA, Mexico and Italy.
Apart from her mother language german she speaks fluent english and spanish. One of her special fields of interest are brooch backs and pin mechanisms and their integration into the design of the whole brooch. She is convinced that mechanism and attachment of a brooch hold a tremendous potential for the design of a brooch in its entirety and need to be developed with equal importance. She has been invited internationally to give workshops and lectures on this subject. Her workshops initiate and encourage a conscious approach to the design of the brooch back and its mechanisms.The fact that there is a great interest in this field, but hardly any literature, inspired her to publish the book “To The Point – pin mechanisms and brooch back design”.
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Pictures
Practical information
DATES
9th,10th and 11th of NOVEMBER 2025
from 9h30 to 12h30 and 13h30 to 16h30 (6h each day)
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
10 maximum per workshop
Level: all levels
PLACE
Bruxelles (near place flagey)
PRICE
350 euros
+ 10 euros / homemade lunch (optional)
LANGUAGES
English
LINKS INSCRIPTION (have a look first at the terms and conditions)