Filigree is an ornamental work made of very fine wires and tiny metal balls, welded together to form a design. The metal is usually gold or silver, but bronze and other metals are also used. Filigree has been used in jewelery since Greek and Roman antiquity, and is still used in a wide variety of decorative objects.

Currently, filigree pieces can be found with enormous visibility in the North of Portugal, often used in the traditional bridal dress set and, even, in the women's costume of the folkloric ranches of Minho.

The term is also used figuratively to define details present in legislation. Filigrees are those small details of a certain law, which can often go unnoticed by the vast majority of readers, but which, in the eyes of an experienced jurist, can completely modify the application of this same law or regulation.