Silversmiths practice the fine art of manipulating and shaping silver into handy objects like eating and drinking utensils, vases, armor, jewelry and various other pieces object d’art. In ancient times gold-smithy and silver-smithy
were synonymous with one another. The two professions went their separate ways only when silver happened to be more prominent as also acceptable in society.
The oldest acknowledged instance of tooled or smithied piece of silver is The Silver Scrolls circa 600 B.C. These ancient scrolls comprises of a couple of miniature silver sheets which were rolled tightly into scrolls and discovered in an interment cave near Jerusalem, with the text of the Priestly Benediction inscribed on the surface of the sheet.
Silversmiths work principally with silver, though they frequently work with other metals as well like platinum, gold, brass and copper. The objects they usually make are plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, candlesticks, and often jewelry. The white metal has been in use since 1000s of years. The various techniques utilized by the silversmiths of today might as well be traced back to the olden times, with only very slight modifications even with the introduction of electricity and the latest manufacturing techniques.
In the Near East of olden times, the value of silver being considerably less than gold, a silversmith was allowed to create objects as well as store them as stock in reserve. The historian Ogden writes that as per an edict published by Diocletian, silversmiths could charge 75, 150 or even 300 denarii for objects produced by them. It was a time when silversmith guilds were organized to look after the welfare of their members.
In the case of Ethiopia, silversmith was practiced by Jews who were called the Falasha. There, the trade was counted as an inferior activity, tantamount to manual labor.
Silversmiths of medieval England and Europe formed themselves into guilds and handed down their tools as well as techniques to the following generations through the tradition of apprenticeship. Although these guilds maintained consistency and high standards, it was often at the expense of innovation. At the turn of the 16th century, many of these artisans migrated to the New World where they experienced much less restrictions. Consequently, the trade of silver-smithy among others contributed to the industrialization of the United States.
Silversmiths usually cut or saw off particular shapes from sterling silver, high quality silver sheet metal as well as silver bars. Then they hammer the metal into shape over stakes and anvils. Silver is cold-hammered, bent and worked over and ends up in being ‘work hardened’ at room temperature. Silversmiths also use the process of annealing which is a heat-treatment that makes white metal soft once again. This hardening and occasional annealing avoids cracking and weakening of the final product. They use casting techniques also to produce handles, knobs, and feet for the hollowware that they are creating. Once the forming and casting are over, the different pieces are assembled by riveting and soldering.
Various finishes are produced after polishing a product so that it becomes extremely shiny and reflective. To impart a brushed effect, cast silver is rubbed with a coarse cloth. By using hammers of various sizes to hammer a piece, diverse shapes and patterns are created. The demand for artifacts made with silver never wanes, and at present people are interested in both pieces of modern design or jewelry along with more traditional, older artifacts.
Right from the very beginning of their history, silversmiths have used coal or charcoal fired forges or blow-pipes for annealing, while contemporary silversmiths use the more modern gas burning torches and as of lately, laser beams.
There have always been great silversmiths down history. The more prominent of them are Jocelyn Burton, Kurt Aepli, Garrard & Co, Georg Jensen, Benvenuto Cellini, Georges Cuyvers Paul Revere (Colonial-American silversmith, manufacturer, and patriot), Robert Welch, Jean-Valentin Morel (French jeweler and craftsman), Thomas Germain, François-Thomas Germain, Atsidi Sani (first known Navajo silversmith).
Goldsmiths
A goldsmith specializes in creating artifacts of gold. Historically such products include platters, goblets, ceremonial and religious objects and decorative as well as serviceable utensils. Goldsmithy has been practiced by people of every culture where the yellow metal is available indigenously, or imported. Objects, fabulously created, are to be found in cultures of yore of Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and North America. Extensive collections of these artifacts can be seen in collections and museums spread around the globe, with some dating back to as far back as 1000s of years.
As is the case with the silversmiths of medieval Europe, goldsmiths were also organized into guilds. Often, goldsmiths were doubled as bankers, because they had dealings in gold and possessed ample security as they had to keep precious artifacts in safe storage. Some prominent goldsmiths are Adrien Vachette, Benvenuto Cellini, House of Fabergé, Jean-Valentin Morel, Johannes Gutenberg, Jocelyn Burton, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Paul de Lamerie and Paul Storr.
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