17 Curves, Waves and Fragments: Korean Metalworking Practices
22 Nothing More Beautiful: The Dancing Leaves Vase
24 Children of the Great Whale
26 Silver in the Fast Lane
33 Precious Menagerie
Editor Eleni Bide
Correspondence
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, Goldsmithsâ Hall, Foster Lane, London ec2v 6bn
Designed and produced by Christiechristie and Disegno Works christiechristie.cc disegnoworks.com
ISSN 0953-0355
Challenge and Transformation: The Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop
Creating Something Spectacular: The London Museum
Fanfares and Foxtrots: Music at Goldsmithsâ Hall 48 Smoking Guns and Instruments of Deception
50 All that Glisters is not Recycled 54 Improving Skills and Life Chances: ÂŁ2m Awarded from Our New Landmark Grant Programme
58 Bridging the Skills Gap
61 COMPANY NEWS
62 A Prime Wardenâs Year
64 IMPACT REPORT 2023/24 65 Foreword 66 Seven Centuries of Consumer Protection 68 ÂŁ3 million in Support for People and Communities 74 Developing the Next Generation of Goldsmiths 76 Masterpieces
78 Championing Makers and Independent Creative Businesses
82 Our Membership
Membership Update
Committees List
Obituary 88 Events and Principal Officers
Front cover
Coronation Cup of His Majesty King Charles III, Clive Burr and Jane Short, 2023, silver-gilt and enamel.
The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection. RICHARD VALENCIA
Title page
Brooch, John Donald, 1963, 18ct gold, rose quartz, synthetic rubies.
The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
CLARISSA BRUCE
Back cover
Brooch, Liz Willis, 2023, sterling silver, copper alloy and silk.
The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
CLARISSA BRUCE
Copyright Š 2024
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, including copying and recording, without written permission from the copyright owner, application for which should be addressed to the Goldsmithsâ Company. Opinions expressed in The Goldsmithsâ Review are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Goldsmithsâ Company. Whilst every effort has been made to verify statements of fact by contributors, no responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions by them. Prospective users of techniques, materials or equipment described should take specialist advice on official safety precautions and regulations which apply to them. Both may vary from country to country.
GOLDSMITHS THE REVIEW â
2023â2024
THE NEW PRIME WARDEN
RICHARD REID
WANTING TO KNOW HOW something works is a feeling familiar to many goldsmiths. Prime Warden Richard Reidâs keen sense of curiosity about what makes an organisation (and its people) tick has driven him throughout his professional life. âGetting to the bottom of thingsâ and understanding how to motivate people is, he says, hugely satisfying.
Reidâs career has provided plenty of opportunities to see under the bonnet of institutions, but an enthusiasm for new perspectives started earlier in life. He was born in Kuala Lumpur, while his father was serving the British government in the Malaysian Peninsula, and for his first 14 years the family moved frequently. Reid made friends throughout the region, as well as in the uk, and enjoyed learning about different cultures. A desire to get to know others was a constant thread. âIt made a huge difference,â he reflects, and was one reason he chose a career in accountancy.
Reid started his professional training with the firm Dixon Wilson before moving to Peat Marwick, which became kpmg
The relationships he built with some big clients kept him firmly based in London, but there were still lots of opportunities for travel. Work for a wide range of international firms expanded his horizons, whilst corporate turnaround (supporting businesses facing financial problems) provided a different sort of challenge. On becoming a junior partner, he was appointed to work with the Royal Family, starting a professional relationship with Clarence House and the King that lasted more than 25 years.
By 2007, Reid was chairman of kpmg London, which comprised around 7,000 people, and managing relationships with some of the firmâs largest international clients. He also embraced being an ambassador to a range of communities in London, grasping the opportunity to use his skills in a different sector. Reid served as chairman of the Safer London Foundation, which supports young Londoners exposed to exploitation
and violence, and helps them to unlock their potential.
Another chance to get involved with initiatives for young people came when kpmg moved its London offices to Canary Wharf. In 2009, Reid became chairman of the East London Business Alliance, dedicated to connecting businesses with the local community â mainly through mentoring â and helping its young members into jobs. Around the same time, kpmg partnered with the City of London Corporation to build and run a new school: the City Academy, Hackney. Reid is particularly proud to have been closely involved with the school in its early years.
âI completely loved it,â he says. âIt was amazing to see the progress.â When the late Queen opened kpmgâs Canary Wharf office in 2010, he made sure a pupil from the school was there to present her with a posy. The moment highlights his belief in the power of connecting with people individually. âIt was,â he remembers, âreally important that the child and his parents could see the colour of the Queenâs eyes.â
In 2015, Reid retired from kpmg but continued to follow his interests in people and in âseeing how things workâ. During the pandemic, he chaired a startup company aimed at identifying and managing specific financial-crime risks.
This went on to be awarded B Corp status for its positive social and environmental impact. He is deputy chairman of the wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd and sits on the board of Associated British Foods, where he has special responsibility for workforce engagement. This connects him to around 130,000 staff and takes him to shop floors throughout the world. He has been able to maintain longstanding interests too: an association with the British Lung Foundation and then the National Heart and Lung Foundation, where he is chairman, stretches back more than 35 years. And a life-long personal connection with East Asia has led to him serving as a senior adviser to Bank of China uk, with
the aim of fostering positive business relations between East and West.
The Goldsmithsâ Company has a special place amongst these varied commitments. Reid got to know the Company when it was a client of kpmgâs and became a Freeman in 2009. Although he joined the Livery in 2013, he had to wait until after his retirement and the end of his professional association to join the Court of Assistants. The Companyâs commitment to improving itself and supporting communities has always impressed him. According to Reid, âthe question âhow can we help people?â is always at the heart of what it does.â He comments on the time and energy dedicated by fellow members, staff and the wider goldsmithing trade to making things happen: âThis is more than a group of people â there is a really strong focus on purpose.â
Reidâs experiences will feed into his priorities for his year as Prime Warden. Being on the front foot with transparency, public-facing initiatives, and building relationships with neighbours in the City and across the uk are areas of particular interest. He is also looking forward to spending more time with those involved in vocational training â a route he chose to go down himself after leaving school. Training for the job you really want to do is, he says, âso importantâ.
The coming year will undoubtedly present many challenges â not least as Reid balances the demands of working, volunteering and family life with six young grandchildren (and three dachshunds). He is enthusiastic about the Companyâs potential to rise to both the challenges and the opportunities which come its way: âI am extremely proud of the fantastic work done to support our trade, and the dedication to our wider philanthropic role in society, which is only becoming more relevant. It is essential that we build on this and demonstrate to the rest of the world the significant impact our work makes.â⌠ELENI BIDE
Apprentice to Freeman Maddy Rowe
SOPHIA TOBIN
A LITTLE LIKE THE PRECIOUS STONES THEY work with, the best goldsmiths are formed under pressure. For Maddy Rowe, Apprentice of the Year 2022â23, apprenticeship as a diamond mounter has involved working on jewels that are both technically demanding and high profile, leading her to develop the independence necessary of a true craftsperson. âI had the privilege of being taught by so many wonderful craftsmen. From this I learnt there is no right or wrong way to go about making something, but rather a technique that suits you best.â
âThere is no right or wrong way to go about making something, but rather a technique that suits you best.â
Roweâs way into the trade came when her grandfather noticed an article that said the goldsmithing industry was finding it hard to attract young people. Rowe found her way to the Goldsmithsâ Centre, where she was offered a place on the Foundation course. She embraced this new career path with a determination and certainty that is rare in someone so young. âWithout the Goldsmithsâ Company I would not be where I am or who I am today. Once I started this course, I knew this was what I was going to do with my life and Iâve never looked back,â she says.
During the Foundation course, Rowe received the Silver Cellini Award. A two-week placement at The London Art Works with her future master David Marshall led to her being offered a four-year apprenticeship as a diamond mounter. She was her workshopâs first female mounter â a challenge she embraced with enthusiasm. âI am lucky enough to work with an amazing team of mounters, designers and setters[⌠Itâs] such a friendly working environment amongst some very talented mounters who I continuously get to learn from every day.â
For some, an apprenticeship is a feat of endurance, but Roweâs enthusiasm shines through. âI loved being an apprentice. From the daily cleaning and looking after all
the equipment in the workshop, to the delivery and collection of work from outworkers and making early connections with others in the trade[âŚ] It led to a wonderful understanding that there is more to the job than being a good diamond mounter.â She also got to work on Queen Elizabeth IIâs Platinum Jubilee Brooch: âFor the team to show such confidence in me and my abilities so early on in my apprenticeship truly meant the world to me.â
Another dimension to her development was added by the WorldSkills competition; she won Bronze at WorldSkills uk Live in Birmingham in 2019 and was selected for the uk squad. Working against the clock was character building. âMy confidence has grown, due to constantly making decisions under pressure. Forcing such decisions makes it clearer to see the belief you must have in your own talents.â
The culmination of every apprenticeship is the making of a masterpiece. Rowe was asked to make the Laburnum Bracelet, part of Boodlesâ Secret Garden range. Not only did the piece represent the trust that her master and his team placed in her, but it also allowed her to use her initiative with the finer details of its construction. It provided Rowe with both her most stressful moment as an apprentice, but also the most joyful, largely because the piece was âentirely of my own makingâ. It also involved learning new skills: âI had never soldered on diamonds[âŚ] This proved to be a very stressful process for me and yet I believe somehow that helped the process of learning this skill.â Itâs clear the impact this had on her. âMaking my masterpiece was my greatest achievement.â
Receiving the title of Apprentice of the Year has been âboth a shock and a privilegeâ for Rowe, not least because the winner is chosen partly through peer feedback. She speaks warmly of her fellow apprentices. âI am so grateful to have spent those years getting to know such talents in this trade.â
Roweâs future is bright; and whilst she stresses her luck, itâs clear that her commitment has shaped that luck. Whilst she might, one day, aim to have her own business, her current focus is to develop as a craftsperson. âI am very happy to continue working where I am, to further develop my skills and better myself as a diamond mounter.â She also has the ambition to travel and may even work abroad. âI think this could be a great adventure,â she says. âI am excited to see where my path takes me.â As are we all. âŚ
Maddy Rowe at her workbench. JULIA SKUPNY
100 BROOCHES BY 100 MAKERS
Annie Warburton
IN AN INCREASINGLY HOMOGENISED WORLD, anthropologist Ted Polhemus wrote, jewellery proclaims: âI am here.â Whether as symbol of allegiance or as assertion of individuality, this is perhaps true of the brooch more than of other types of jewellery. Pin, brooch or badge â by any name, it declares the wearerâs presence in the world.
A brooch is an ornament. Yet, more than adornment, it is also a compact vessel for meaning and story. A contemporary brooch might be an emblem of identity, a badge of belonging, or sign of rebellion. It might reveal the personality of the wearer â or subvert it. Always, it is a conversation piece, sparking curiosity and connection between people.
To mark the 20th edition of Collect, the international fair for contemporary craft and design, Goldsmithsâ Fair curated a display of 100 brooches by 100 contemporary makers. These wearable artworks, arranged on the wall in an irregular grid, formed a portrait of contemporary practice in all its variety and vitality.
Jewellers working in different styles came into dialogue with one another: seen together, common
themes and visual rhymes emerged. Whether playing with geometric form or inspired by the natural world â from Cornish lichen to cosmic black holes â makers used every technique in the repertoire to showcase the virtuosity of the jewellerâs art.
From their functional origin as fasteners for robes, brooches evolved into symbols of wealth, power and authority. These days, a brooch is just as likely to be performative, playful or provocative. Evoking these qualities, many works in the Goldsmithsâ selection are kinetic or play with optical effects. Mounted on a wall, they are artworks in miniature. Worn on the body, they come alive.
Over two decades, Collect has been at the vanguard of the rising appreciation of collectable, museumquality craft. For 100 Goldsmithsâ Fair exhibitors, the opportunity to be seen in this context by an international audience is a mark of prestige. At this 20th anniversary edition, as the only specialist exhibit of fine jewellery, Goldsmithsâ wall of brooches reaffirmed the relevance of the jewellerâs art, itself declaring, âI am here.â
Goldsmithsâ Fairâs display of 100 brooches by 100 makers, all previous Fair exhibitors, at Collect 2024.
Top left (L-R) Found Object, Liz Willis, 2023, silver, silk threads, found metal object, stainless steel; Flavoparmelia Caperata Lichen II, Abigail Brown, 2020, oxidised sterling silver, vitreous enamel; Flower Cutter, Jo Pond, 2021, repurposed biscuit tin, repurposed flower cutters, iron, steel, silver, diamond.
Top right (L-R) Tumbling Citrines, Disa Allsopp, 2023, sterling silver, citrines; Rolling Waves in Moonlight, Ute Decker, 2023, Fairtrade 18-carat gold; Halo, Sonia Cheadle,2008,18-carat white gold, diamond, steel.
Middle left Brooch, Gill Galloway-Whitehead, 2023, fine silver, sterling silver, 18-carat gold.
PHOTO: PAUL READ
BRILLIANT FORMS MELANIE EDDY
JONATHAN FOYLE
Bermuda might have sued Nike over its famous logo. The archipelago of 181 islands curves in a great swoosh from the Royal Naval Dockyard in the west round to Fort St Catherine in the east â relics from the early age of naval dominion and of transatlantic slavery, when Bermuda was a staging-post for the Virginia colonists. Now a cosmopolitan British Overseas Territory, the landmass curves around its capital, Hamilton, which sits at the centre of its arc; beneath this is Warwick Parish. There, among narrow roads lined with trees and painted houses, is the childhood home of jeweller Melanie Eddy.
A UNIQUE FIGURE IN THE WORLD OF jewellery, Eddy complements her handcrafted design work with an academic approach to teaching and writing, a curatorial flair for exhibiting, and a managerial talent for institutional projects â having coordinated training for the Goldsmithsâ Company. She also exercises a philanthropic impulse for international and social development, latterly through a residency with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul, Afghanistan.
âMy [maternal] grandfather âAJâ Edness built our house from the late 1940s,â she explains. âI chose the colour of my room in my late teens; my dad helped me paint it.â
AJ â Arnold James â was a professional builder; her New Zealand father, a quantity surveyor; her mother, an accountant. They seem obvious mentors for this architecturally inspired, business-minded jeweller â though misleadingly so, for her distinctively
Previous right A view from Melanie Eddyâs childhood home, overlooking the South Shore in Warwick, Bermuda. COURTESY OF MELANIE EDDY
faceted work was shaped through some surprising turns.
Now approaching 45 and living in Northamptonshire, Eddy still revisits her green-on-green Bermudian bedroom, its bookshelves decked with geometric wooden models amid trailing plants, overlooking a tumble of houses and gardens down to the azure southern coastline. This is no museum, but one of the places she thinks and plans: the Bermuda National Gallery in Hamilton will soon host her work in its first exhibition dedicated to any jeweller, and sheâs busy organising that showcase of her many accomplishments. After featuring in Sothebyâs Brilliant & Black exhibition and being celebrated in British Vogue, her future is stellar. But letâs look over her shoulder.
âSure, I was interested in art and writing at school,â recalls Eddy. âBut
âSure, I was interested in art and writing at school, but most Bermudian artists I knew didnât make a living.â
most Bermudian artists I knew didnât make a living.â
Her early impressions were formed not by other artists, but, remarkably, by the Scottish Presbyterian Church. âThe interiors of the churches on Bermuda are whitewashed â the stained-glass windows a real focus â and they fascinated me.â At around 15, her school art teacher Liz Campbell introduced Eddy to stained-glass techniques translated into jewellery designs. Shortly after, she was sent on an errand by her mother to pick up repairs from a jeweller called Chet Trott, owner of the Gem Cellar tucked in an alleyway in Hamilton. Trott asked to see her work and gave her a job at the bench, âwhere I spent all my summer and Easter holidaysâ.
Still, Eddy held no expectation of becoming a jeweller, as careers on this island of creative investing and private
hospitals typically involve âlaw, finance or medicineâ. However, Bermudians enjoy double the per-capita gdp of the uk and minimal taxation, and buying jewellery is a way of life. Though taxpayer-funded healthcare is absent, âthereâs a lot of government support if you want to study abroad.â
In western Ontario, Canada, four years of English and international comparative studies promised a respectable career in international development. But this felt remote when crafting jewellery was already creative and satisfying. Eddyâs mind continually returned to drawing, shaping metal and mounting gems.
Back in Bermuda, plying her skills in the workshop in Crissonâs Jewellers for two years taught Eddy about client demands, materials and staff costs, impressing upon her the importance of the bottom line. Her
Previous left Faceted Bangles, Melanie Eddy, 2007, sterling silver, MARIANNE TAYLOR
BRILLIANT FORMS: MELANIE EDDY
Model Khadijah Shakir wearing Melanie Eddy jewellery, 2016. MEREDITH ANDREWS
chosen speciality was the more artful realm of illustration for bespoke orders, but at times, âI was the only jeweller responsible for covering 12 stores. And I just wanted more time at the bench.â
In 2004, she left Crissonâs for the uk to expand her horizons. âA lot of people thought I was crazy to leave, saying, âWhat else could you want as a jeweller in Bermuda?ââ An ma at Central St Martins followed. Meanwhile, in ancient places remote from palms and white beaches, Eddy rekindled her love of stained glass. âWestminster Abbey is incredible. I realised glass is more than an artform held in a framework, and that the window tracery is part of the architectural structure, and that architecture has layers of meaning. You donât need a religious service to know itâs a sacred space.â
This might sum up her subsequent work: layers of meaning bound in geometries at once structural and fragmentary, judiciously framing windows of luminous colour. To complement a functional object with meaning surely elevates a design into an artform. After all, says Eddy, âMedieval jewellery was both. It was talismanic: it inspired religious contemplation, as well as having a purpose.â
This exposure to 13th-century design culture propelled Eddyâs command of geometry through setting out forms using compass, rule and template. Curiously, this ancient methodology related to her family home: âMy grandfather came from a Bermudian quarrying family. There were always stone templates in the garage and it just made sense to me to design jewellery with them.â
London was full of inspirations from around the world. âIts galleries gave me more understanding of European and Japanese work â things I just hadnât seen in Bermuda.â Yet her biggest challenge was carrying the mental baggage of workshop-management experience, a
habitual responsibility that stifled freedom of expression. âI had to leave that weight behind.â
Having identified ancient design principles like the golden section, she deconstructs old ideas to produce new, diverse, irregular planes conjuring fresh narratives. Prominent within her pieces is the triangle, which informs the wooden models in her room. Itâs a fundamental component of medieval design â and also Bermudian. âGothic churches, but also
sailboat rigs, Bermudan kites â itâs not just the Bermuda Triangle but the triangle of the transatlantic slave trade.â
As a maker of mixed heritage, Eddy finds that these consonances between structural physics and human nature constantly resonate. âWe were in the middle of it all,â she says. And she remains in the middle of a lifelong task of harnessing silver and gold to distil the essence of place, of moment, of belonging. âŚ
RICHARD
VALENCIA
THE GOLDSMITHSâ COMPANY HAS SUPPORTED excellence, craftsmanship and skills in the goldsmithing community ever since it received its first Royal Charter in 1327. That commitment continues as the organisation moves towards the celebration of its 700th anniversary in 2027, through its pioneering support for contemporary makers. A regular programme of exhibitions, publications, acquisitions and commissions plays an important part in enhancing the vitality of design and craftsmanship in silver, jewellery and art medals in the 21st century.
The Coronation Cup is a very special Goldsmithsâ Company commission â one of three made to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. The other two are the Cross of Wales by Michael Lloyd, which led the procession into Westminster Abbey for the service, and the Kingâs coronation slipper buckles, made by Clive Burr. The Companyâs association with coronations, however, goes back much further; the Bowes Cup of 1554 is thought to have been used by Elizabeth I at her coronation banquet before it was given to the Company in 1561 âas a remembranceâ by Sir Martin Bowes. In the 20th century, the Company commissioned two coronation cups, one made by Leslie Durbin in 1936 for George VI, and the other for Elizabeth II, designed by Robert Yorke Goodden for Wakely and Wheeler in 1953. Elizabeth IIâs cup was presented to her at the Mansion House, alongside the Bowes Cup. She drank from her own cup and then graciously presented it to the Company in remembrance of her
âWhen the cup is lifted, a low-relief rose window, pierced in silver gilt, is revealed. The design emulates the famous rose window in the North transept of Westminster Abbey.â
predecessor, Elizabeth I. The scene is recorded in a contemporary painting by Terence Cuneo. Given this long history, it is hardly surprising that, in the words of Dr Timothy Schroder, âwe knew what we had to doâ when the late Queen died in 2022.
The Company immediately set about commissioning a cup. There was no time for an open design competition, so we drew up a detailed brief, set up an expert commissioning panel chaired by Dr Schroder, and invited various silversmiths to submit proposals. Finished designs from shortlisted makers formed the basis for the selection of the winners: longstanding artistic partners Clive Burr and Jane Short. Their work is well represented in the Companyâs Collection, with pieces including a group of Court Wine Cups made for individual members of the Court of Assistants: Dame Lynne Brindley, Lord Bridges, Ed Butler, Richard Madeley and Victoria Broackes. Short comments how âcolour, in the medium of enamel, has been the driving force of my making career and in particular how colour and line work together over a threedimensional object as the perspective alters. Colour is a very evocative medium.â As she has increasingly concentrated on enamelling and engraving, she collaborates with Burr for the silversmithing and what might be called the engineering of the pieces they make together to commission.
Burr and Short designed and masterminded the cup, working in collaboration with nine specialists: Linda Straupenieks, Junko Adachi, Kyosun Jung, Stefan Coe, Samantha Marsden, Angus
View of the base of the Coronation Cup, with low-relief rose window pierced in silver-gilt, surrounded by a frieze engraved with the four national flowers of the United Kingdom. Clive Burr and Jane Short, 2023. The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
McFadyen, Reg Elliott, Fiona Rae and Graham Hamilton. The design is a tribute to His Majestyâs longstanding involvement with the natural world, his leadership on environmental issues and his concern for the future of our planet. It is also intended to complement Elizabeth IIâs Coronation Cup, so that the fireball finial is an updated version of that on the late Queenâs vessel. The cover is inspired by His Majestyâs gardens at Highgrove. The clipped yew hedge of the Sundial Garden forms the rim, while delphiniums in blossom are engraved by Angus McFadyen within the four pathlike panels. The bowl is finely engraved with the royal arms and the arms of the City of London. The knop is exquisitely enamelled and engraved by Short with an artistic representation of Earth as seen from space. The blue enamel continues onto the stem of the cup, depicting the sky viewed through windows of Gothic tracery in silver-gilt. That theme is taken up on the base: when the cup is lifted, a low-relief rose window, pierced in silver-gilt, is revealed. The design emulates the famous rose window in the North transept of Westminster Abbey, the theatre of coronations since 1066. Around the base, Short has engraved the national flowers of the four nations of the United Kingdom â the rose, daffodil, flax and thistle â with four insect pollinators nestled among the flowers. The base is also an important part of the cupâs function as, when the cup is lifted away, it is well-balanced for easy handling.
Expertly laser hallmarked in the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs Assay Office with the sponsorâs mark of both Burr and Short, as well as
The cover of the Coronation Cup, inspired by His Majestyâs gardens at Highgrove. Clive Burr and Jane Short, 2023, silver-gilt and enamel. The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
RICHARD VALENCIA
with the coronation commemorative mark, the cup was finished just in time. It was presented to the King on his first visit to the City as sovereign, at the Mansion House on 18 October 2023. It was placed before him, alongside his motherâs cup as a remembrance of her, as he gave a much-publicised address. The King even referred to the tradition of âthe City liveryâs production of special and precious items in support of coronations. These include the magnificent[âŚ] Coronation Cup, which your guests have an opportunity to see in the equally magnificent setting of Mansion House this evening.â Its presence on this occasion demonstrated how pieces in our Collection are ambassadors for the Companyâs role in national life. Sharing what we do with wider audiences is a way of introducing people to the world-leading British craft of designer silver.
This is a piece that combines formal grace, ceremony and practicality. Its precision and artistry demonstrate how the Goldsmithsâ Company continues to inspire creativity and excellence in its support for contemporary makers. It will be displayed with other masterpieces of enamel in Goldsmithsâ Hall for the 2024 Goldsmithsâ Fair. âŚ
CURVES, WAVES AND FRAGMENTS
KOREAN METALWORKING PRACTICES
ZARA ARSHAD
âTo me, tradition is the transmission of human culture from the past to the present, whether from the âEastâ or the âWestâ, and I am the beneficiary of that heritage. Of course, some metal-craft technologies that are specific to Korea are important to me, but the weight of their influence is minimal,â says metalsmith Yong-il Jeon.
AS WITH ANY CRAFT, FIELD OR discipline, Korean metalsmithing has been shaped over time by various factors. The traditions that have emerged have been interpreted by contemporary makers in a multitude of ways. For Jeon, formal and visual elements of Korean heritage have had a greater influence than technical processes. He explains: âCurves, the flow of lines and simplicity of form, which are commonly seen in my works, are not aesthetic tastes established in Western society, but rather in Korean traditional culture, such as in architecture and painting. These areas are, additionally, rooted in Buddhism, which dominated Koreaâs spiritual culture, and Confucianism, which was prevalent during the Joseon Dynasty after the 15th century.â
Korean metalworking practices underwent a significant change in the 20th century. While objects from the Joseon period tended to be made for practical purposes, reflecting Confucian principles, the establishment of the modern Korean art movement in the 1960s and 70s created
an environment in which South Korean crafts (including metalwork, ceramics, textiles and woodwork) could be driven by aesthetic considerations. Approaches to making were further shaped by international exchange from the early 1980s. Korean metalwork artists, for instance, started to train overseas in the us and Europe, returning to South Korea to assume professorships at prominent universities. According to Jeon, their mediated international influence played a crucial role in driving artistic innovation.
Informed by his own studies at Seoul National University and Miami University, Jeonâs oeuvre consists of an eclectic mix of functional objects, sculptural pieces and accessories, including jewellery. Often working with silver and copper (alloy) sheets, the maker is ultimately interested in organic forms. But, as he observes, âif you look at my more recent work, the fluidity and dynamism of these organic forms have become increasingly simplified, standardised, and symmetrical. What is most important to me is to try to create two
contrasting elements â dynamic images and static compositions â sometimes in contrast and sometimes harmoniously.â
The curvaceous forms typical of Jeonâs creations, as well as his use of contrast, are paralleled in the practice of artist Hyun-ju Kim, who has been making waves internationally with her body of work inspired by the sea. Kimâs pieces combine metal with mother-of-pearl and lacquer, an approach that involves achieving âa harmonyâ between these materials. The artist notes: âI have my own philosophy regarding materials: every one of them is precious and it is all about balance. My work involves mixing mother-of-pearl â a beautiful gift from nature that, to me, reflects the light of the sea â with metals, like copper or brass, which have hard properties.â This material mix, moreover, is rooted in Kimâs sources of inspiration, including nature. Her most recent series Golden Pearl â presented at London Craft Week in May 2024 â fuses nickel and white mother-of-pearl to evoke sea waves reflecting sunlight and moonlight. As
âCurves, the flow of lines and simplicity of form[âŚ] are not aesthetic tastes established in Western society, but rather in Korean traditional culture.â
Previous Sea Wave #1&2, Kim Hyun-ju, 2022, white mother-of-pearl, copper, ottchil.
beams of light fall on her vessels, the tiny fragments of material reveal themselves to the viewer as colourful geometric shapes and patterns.
Sound technical understanding has been key for Kim. Although she was able to experiment with different Korean craft processes during her time as an undergraduate at Chonnam National University, the artist was particularly fascinated by âthe charmâ of metal, which led her to major in metal crafts at the prestigious Seoul National University. However, she says: âI think it was my relationship with Dae Hyun Son, a lacquer maker and an Intangible Cultural Heritage asset in South Korea, that made my practice what it is today. Learning from Son made it possible for me to create with both metal and lacquer â because you can never work without fully understanding the properties of materials.â This training has since been continuously refined, a
practice that Kim observes is anchored in researching the technical excellence underpinning Korean traditional crafts and reinterpreting these methods for a contemporary audience.
Similarly bringing together various techniques is maker Misun Won. Now settled in Edinburgh with her partner, a glassmaker, Wonâs practice brings together ideas related to geumbu (a Korean gilding method), jogakbo (Korean patchwork), and fractal geometry (a form of geometric repetition) to generate wonderfully intricate jewellery pieces. It was initially jogakbo that captured her imagination; she describes how sewing textile fragments together prompted her to think about constructing jewellery âin partsâ.
When she was later introduced to fractal geometry, Won developed a painstaking making process. Holding fragile paper models of some of her creations, she describes how each of the metal fragments
are adjusted, one-by-one, until a suitable overall shape is achieved. She then applies gold to her usually sterling silver pieces, producing an array of complex forms that, like Kimâs works, catch the light in arresting ways.
The creations of Jeon, Kim and Won demonstrate how diverse contemporary metalsmithing practices can be: organic forms, references to nature and Korean making processes all collide to offer varying interpretations of historical concepts, methods and forms. As Kim summarises: âMy work pays homage to Korean traditional craft processes that have been preserved throughout time. Rather than understanding these techniques as static or belonging to one era, my aim is to contribute to their constant evolution so that we can continue to live with Korean traditional crafts in the present.â âŚ
Circular oval flower ring with a diamond, Misun Won, sterling silver, Keumboo (24ct gold), 18ct gold, diamond. MISUN WON
THE GREATEST WORKS IN GOLDSMITHING ARE THOSE created through collaboration, but some pieces represent much more than a celebration of technical skill and aesthetic inspiration. The Dancing Leaves vase, created by Ingo Henn, Phil Barnes and Fred Rich, has as its context decades-long friendships that were formed within the world of craft, and the mutual respect of craftspeople at the pinnacle of their professions.
The vaseâs beginnings lie in the ambition of Ingo Henn, who, in a departure from the jewellery for which he is known, was keen to create Henn of Londonâs first enamelled objet dâart. He turned to his friend and colleague, the award-winning enameller and engraver Phil Barnes. The winner of 35 Goldsmithsâ Craft & Design Council Awards, Barnes was responsible for the enamels on Hennâs jewellery, and Henn was keen for him to have a broader canvas and a wider colour spectrum to demonstrate his mastery of subtly graded enamels.
Barnes and Henn jointly decided they wanted to create a vase. Barnes designed its form and came up with the idea that its base could be made of a gemstone. He suggested hand-engraved and hand-enamelled multicoloured leaves as decoration, inspired by his favourite season, autumn. The leaves selected included oak, beech and horse chestnut, observed on his long walks in Dunwich Forest with his dog.
To harmonise with the autumnal palette, a large section of ruby from the Longido district of Tanzania was chosen for the base. Work began in the gem-cutting centre of Idar-Oberstein, where the ruby was hand-carved. In the uk, Hennâs craftspeople worked on spinning and raising the 18ct gold flared upper section of the vase; Barnes then delicately engraved the outline of the autumn leaves on the body. But at this point, the worst happened: Barnes was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died in 2019. For two years, the piece was set aside.
In 2021, Henn revisited the vase. He wondered whether it might be finished, honouring Barnesâs design. Henn asked silversmith
Graham Harling to begin this stage of the process, skilfully handpiercing the areas in between the leaves to create their openwork effect. But there was only so much that could be done; the enamelling was crucial to the resolution of the piece.
Enameller and engraver Fred Rich is known for his largescale projects and normally works only on his own pieces, but when he was approached by Henn he agreed to work on Dancing Leaves as a gesture of affection and respect for Barnes and Henn. Rich wholeheartedly embraced the venture, interpreting the unfinished elements whilst keeping the intention of Barnesâs design in mind. He recessed and hand-engraved the leaf outlines in fine detail, before applying his distinctive palette. The colours pass through greens and browns to reds, oranges and yellows, all subtly graded. The leaves sit in clear but harmonious contrast against the ruby and gold.
The process was overseen by Henn and the pieceâs appearance of harmony and lightness belies the layers of jeopardy inherent in its creation, from the cracking of the gold when it was originally spun, and the skill of the silversmith who hand-raised it; to the multiple firings of the enamel work that achieved its subtle, nuanced colours.
What remains is a technically brilliant art object, created by several hands and named after the leaves that flutter around its form â a permanent reminder of the impermanent moments of brilliance found in life and in nature.
Its technical virtuosity and the circumstances of its creation remind the viewer of the words of Phil Barnes: âEnamelling is an art â a craft and not a science. Even when it seems you have followed every correct procedure, there is always the âunknownâ factor.[âŚ] When all the factors of the craft blend together there is nothing more beautiful.â Dancing Leaves serves both as a tribute to Barnes and a celebration of the craft he loved. âŚ
Dancing Leaves Vase, Phil Barnes, Fred Rich and Henn of London, 2023, 18ct yellow gold, enamel. RICHARD VALENCIA
GUS CASELY-HAYFORD
IN 1814, THE BRITISH WRITER THOMAS BOWDICH WAS offered a life-changing assignment by the African Company of Merchants. He was commissioned to initiate contact with one of the most powerful West African monarchs: the Asantehene (King of the Asante), Osei Bonsu. The hope was that the Asante might agree to the establishment of a British trading port on the West African coast, from where the fledgling African Company of Merchants might acquire and export gold and slaves. Osei Bonsuâs reputation proceeded him. He had gained a name as a brilliant tactician, a formidable intellect and a great historian. During his reign, the Asante empire grew in influence and scale. It even expanded to the sea â at the most southerly extent of his huge empire was Cape Coast with its vast slave castle, the port where the Zong , depicted by J.M.W. Turner in The Slave Ship , stopped to take on its cargo of more than 130 Africans on that ill-fated voyage.
Bowdich seemed to sense that this was no ordinary man, no average state, no simple assignment. He described early 19thcentury Asante as a cosmopolitan hive of activity. In his published journal, Bowdich recalled a lavish yam festival attended by hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries. At the heart of the celebration sat the formidable Asantehene, Osei Bonsu, also known as the Whale (which is what Bonsu means in Akan), decked in gold and exquisite cloth, presiding over his family, his court and his allies. It is a magnificent scene of a confident culture with an expansive, engaged view of the world. But the Asante wealth would be both a blessing and a curse. The lure of gold was potent and contagious.
Perhaps predictably, within a generation of Bowdichâs visit, the Asante state grew to become one of the wealthiest and most influential in Africa, catalysed by an intercontinental trade in gold, slaves and ideas. However, few foresaw that within the lifetime of many at that yam festival, British influence would strengthen and metastasize, turning a small defensive foothold on the coast into a burgeoning crown protectorate. In 1874, the British sent forces to lay siege to the Asante capital city, Kumasi. Within months they had burned the royal palace to the ground, taken possession of the crown jewels and the state treasury and forced the abdication of the Asantehene.
The objects taken during that raid included some of the most exquisite examples of West African lost-wax goldsmithing. The treasures ranged from beautifully fashioned gold rings inset with rare stones, to gold amulets with layers of filigree lace-like detail, and a ceremonial cap (known as a Denkyemke ) richly decorated with gold ornaments, which would have been worn by senior courtiers at coronations and other major festivals. The most astonishing and exceptional piece was a life-size golden head made by an artist of outstanding talent. It was part of a tradition of depicting high-status enemies, and would have been attached to
Left and right Akrafokonmu (âsoulwasherâs diskâ), made before 1874, gold. Š VICTORIA AND ALBERT
a sword of state. It portrays a chief from Banda state who was assassinated in the middle of the 18th century; this cast was probably made soon after his death. Otherwise, the bulk of the collection consisted of cast-gold discs once worn as protective emblems by royal attendants, usually selected for their youth and talent â and traditionally born on the same day as the king. They were seen as symbols of innocence and potential.
The inventory given to Sir Richard Wallace (founder of the Wallace Collection) by Garrard & Co, the royal jeweller, must have amazed the London art dealers. It is tempting to try, like Wallace, to imagine the financial value of this collection, but that is probably an impossible task. The true value of these objects was always beyond financial assessment. The majority would end up in a number of Western museums: the Fowler Museum at ucla, the British Museum, the Wallace Collection and the V&A.
There is something very poignant about seeing these objects in these settings. This year, which marks the 150th anniversary of the raid, the majority of the collection is being reassembled in Ghana: the Fowler Museum is returning its objects, and the British Museum and the V&A are loaning their collections to the Manhyia Palace Museum. It is a beautiful moment that means a great deal to a nation that is so invested in narrative, and to anyone who loves Ghana and its history.
To celebrate, the jeweller and V&A curator Emefa Cole will partner with Nana Poku Amponsah Dwumfour, the great jeweller to the Asante crown, to collaborate on a single piece. Crafted from Ghanaian gold, this will capture the history and hope that this landmark event represents.
I, too, hope to go back to Ghana this year â to stroll along its beaches, to walk beneath the great walls of its coastal castles, to see these amazing objects back amongst the communities that created them, 150 years after they were taken, and perhaps to feel something of a similar sense of being reconnected too. But I also plan to dip my feet into the Atlantic and to reflect upon the great unquantifiable loss of lives, of enslavement, of pain and deprivation of heritage that those waters have witnessed, and how we must, like great whales, continue to dive deep, to reflect and never forgetâŚâŚ
MUSEUM, LONDON
SILVER IN THE FAST LANE
SALENA BARRY
âWhatâs inside the box?â I ask myself as I walk into Richard and Serena Foxâs South Croydon workshop. I see two large black cases at the foot of one of the desks. My eyes scan them and I try to imagine what could be inside, based on the varied output that the Foxesâ company, Fox Silver, produces â everything from racing trophies, to limited-edition whisky bottles and bespoke ecclesiastical objects. Richard senses my curiosity. âYouâre in for a treat!â he says, unlatching the cases to reveal a gleaming trophy and a cup for the fia Formula One World Championship for Constructors. The trophyâs lower half is encircled by square badges with the marques of all the winning teams since 1958. The cup has sleek, strong curves, evoking the cars the drivers race to win it.
The fia Formula OneÂŽ World Champion Constructorsâ Trophies. PAUL READ
Opposite Serena holding the fia Formula OneÂŽ World Championship Driversâ
âWEâRE SENDING THESE OUT SOON,â he says, pointing out the black enamel petals with gold details that ring the base and mouth of the pieces. These delicate additions create a naturalistic contrast.
âSerena made these: sheâs a brilliant carver,â he says. The married couple â Serena, a jeweller, and Richard, a designer silversmith â have worked together since the 1980s, often collaborating on projects while maintaining their individual practices. As a pair, they have taken on commissions that have allowed them to expand and innovate their craft, meet interesting people from around the world, and ultimately build a creative and business partnership in which they both thrive.
When I ask how they met, Richard explains that âit was an interview that started it all.â Serena had been working on a project where she needed a silversmith and he was recommended. As soon as she reviewed his portfolio, she could see his skill and knew that he would be a good fit for the job. He was hired. Soon after this initial collaboration, the two began exhibiting
together internationally. In 1993, they amalgamated their workshops and opened as Fox Silver. Since then, the company has grown to employ several silversmiths and designers, and boasts an impressive clientele, including Aston Martin, Ferrari, Garrard, Formula One and Pernod Ricard. Today Fox Silver is known for its bespoke designs and its masterful craftsmanship, which fuses traditional smithing techniques and modern technology.
Although Richard and Serena both trained as silversmiths and have created jewellery, the influences that shaped their practices were quite different. Serena had early experience with and exposure to creating wearable items. Her mother, an art teacher and designer with an interest in fashion and textiles, made clothes for Serena and her two sisters. She remembers flicking through her motherâs copies of Vogue , being drawn to the jewellery and thinking: âThatâs something I could pursue.â Growing up, she paid attention to the intricate designs in the details of her Victorian home and the surrounding
architecture, envisioning transforming them into jewellery. Additionally, childhood trips to the seaside inspired an interest in the natural world that she would later learn to recreate in precious metals â shaping the distinctive organic figuration in her jewellery practice.
Hoping to develop this interest into a career in jewellery, Serena went to study silversmithing at Camberwell College of Arts. But while she learned a range of skills for making small objects, jewellery was not the focus. Although initially disappointing, this technical grounding in silversmithing allowed her to work in a range of ways. This ultimately supported her collaborative work with Richard, as well as her jewellery practice, which has included clients such as Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the Worshipful Company of Saddlers and various celebrities.
Richardâs first foray into metalsmithing came while he was at a technical college studying sciences. For his technical study requirement, he decided to work on jewellery. He remembers having one-to-one tuition every Wednesday with instructor Rex Billingham, who instilled in him an interest in the craft. Billingham was able to show him âthe beauty in the outside of thingsâ. This changed his earlier perception of smithing as primarily industrial. His particular passion for working in silver developed following a trip with his father to Goldsmithsâ Hall, where he saw an exhibition of Christopher Lawrenceâs tableware. He pursued silversmithing during his time at Middlesex University, where he studied three-dimensional design, focusing on silverware in the last year. Throughout his studies, Richard maintained his interest in draughting and the technical processes of creating, and this was one of the reasons that spurred him to pursue an ma in Design at the Royal College of Art. After graduating and setting up his workshop, he married a range of
trophy and Richard with the Gulf Air Bahrain F1ÂŽ trophy 2024.
PAUL READ
SILVER IN THE FAST LANE
techniques â from electroforming to cad â to create unique pieces for clients including Rolls-Royce, Bulgari, Formula One and Lambeth Palace.
Some of the Foxesâ early collaborations included joint shows in the early 1990s at Goldsmithsâ Fair, where Serena would exhibit her jewellery and Richard would display small works in silver. Over the years, their relationship with the Goldsmithsâ Company has grown. Both are senior members of the organisation, with Serena being recently appointed as a Liveryman. Richard, who has served as a member of the Court of Assistants (the Companyâs governing board) since 2011, was Prime Warden in 2020, shepherding the Company through the initial stage of the pandemic. Through their membership, the couple have been able to give back to their community, and support the upcoming generation of silversmiths and jewellers.
While they share a passion for their craft, the differing nature of their work typically
leads them to focus on their individual projects and consult each other during the process. âWe have our own very distinct styles and our own very distinct areas. Itâs been great that weâre there for each other to bounce ideas off, but really we work separately and that has worked as a good format for our success,â says Serena. However, when they do decide to collaborate these varied strengths shine through.
A recent joint project is a crozier for the Bishop of Croydon, Dr Rosemarie Mallett. Serena had initially designed a ring for the bishop, who then asked her to make a crozier as well. Richard and Serena thought about how to create a piece that captured the bishopâs personality and reflected the community over which she presides. The resulting work, designed by Richard, includes spiralling vines from which leaves representing Croydon sprout. These leaves â which appear to be encased in silver, rather than carved from it â are
Opposite top Mara Frampton working at the bench. PAUL READ
Opposite bottom Chloe Robertson & John Ciutbush sharing a moment with the fia Formula OneÂŽ World Championship Constructorsâ trophies. PAUL READ
Serenaâs handiwork. The serpentine head of the crozier curls away from its wooden staff and around a golden Dwennimmen
The Dwennimmen , an Adinkra symbol originating from Ghanaian culture, features four spirals that are meant to look like a birdâs eye view of two rams butting heads. It depicts humility and the Foxes chose it as an elegant representation of the bishopâs personality, as well as a celebration of her African heritage. This work, like the fia trophy, demonstrates the coupleâs ability to fuse their strengths to create thoughtfully designed and expertly crafted work for their clients.
The success of the Fox partnership hinges on their mutual respect and complementary skills. âRichardâs knowledge of technology is far greater than mine because I donât need to use it in the same way; Iâm always fascinated by what he does,â says Serena. His drive and enterprising nature in taking on complicated projects are other traits she appreciates. For Richard, Serenaâs creative foresight â her ability to âtake seaweed and turn it into jewelleryâ â is most admirable. Further, her ability to work on a scale and in a way so different from his own to create beautiful designs that adorn the body has always impressed him.
Working in such different ways, both together and alongside each other, has allowed the Foxes to deepen their skills, knowledge and ultimately the love of their craft over the years. This fruitful partnership was commemorated in a special Goldsmithsâ Company exhibition, Silver in the Fast Lane , which took place in June and July 2024. While retirement may be on the horizon, the couple say that as lifelong creatives they will never really stop. Theyâve been lucky enough to preserve their excitement about their work â perhaps their partnership is to thank for this as well. âŚ
Below Dwennimmen ring, Serena Fox, 2022, 9ct white gold, rhodolite garnet. RICHARD VALENCIA
The Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix Trophies 2023. PAUL READ
PRECIOUS MENAGERIE
KATE MATTHAMS
Art might be what separates us from animals, but our furry, scaly or winged friends are also timeless muses for the artist. Three contemporary jewellers with very different styles reveal why the animal kingdom remains their favourite creative retreat.
CREATURES HAVE INSPIRED BODY adornment since before Cleopatra wore gold snake jewellery more than 2,000 years ago. From the languid feline forms of Cartierâs famous Panthère motif, to Wallace Chanâs exquisitely intricate and vibrantly bejewelled butterflies, via the enchanting Art Nouveau insects of RenĂŠ Lalique, and even the Chaumet bee, the inhabitants of the natural world remain a rich seam for mining.
Dutch artist and jeweller Bibi van der Velden has long trained her sculptorâs eye on animals, portraying everything from tiny ants marching industriously over the collarbone on a necklace, to mischievous monkeys climbing palm-tree earrings and regal lions stretched around a finger. Amongst her preferred motifs are the alligator, which lent its reptilian form to a capsule of fully articulated rings, earrings and necklaces earlier this year; and the scarab beetle, inspired by the oily shimmer of wings discarded at food stalls in Thailand. This found its way into iridescent earrings and a lustrous statement necklace. Most recently, the Portugal-based artist has produced a collection around the sea creatures she encounters while out surfing. âWe see lots of jellyfish of different shapes, colours and sizes on the beach, which I find fascinating. I had a book of jellyfish, which I loved when I was growing up. They are otherworldly, like fantasy animals,â she says, before admitting that she is drawn to creatures less commonly represented in art â the underdogs of the animal world.
An element of fantasy runs through van der Veldenâs work, executed with trademark humour and charm.
âSometimes my jewellery is a direct representation, but I believe it shouldnât be too literal. In recent years Iâve made a conscious decision to be more artistic and sculptural,â she says, referring to the 2021 collection Smoke, to which she likens some of the forms in the Jellyfish collection. For her, the appeal of the jellyfish lies in its physicality and the way it moves: âI love
Opposite Pop Art Scarab Bunch earrings, Bibi van der Velden, scarab wings, diamonds and coloured gemstones, 18kt gold and silver.
BIBI VAN DER VELDEN
Top Chameleon double-finger ring, Clio Saskia, sterling silver and recycled 18kt gold, Australian sapphires, brass mechanism.
CLIO SASKIA
Bottom Gouache works of jewels by Clio Saskia.
CLIO SASKIA
the fact that there is all that life in there, even though they are translucent. I find the shapes they make in the water super sculptural, in a similar way to how smoke moves. In the future, I would like to tackle more of the bird kingdom.â
Rie Taniguchi, a Japanese artist based in London, reimagines endangered species as objects and jewellery, and casts her net wide to gather inspiration. From field mice to blue whales, her work spans an impressive breadth of the animal world, and each piece carries an important message about the protection of a species or the conservation of a habitat. The advent of the internet transformed her creative practice: âI started becoming more aware of climate change and how it was affecting endangered species when Wi-Fi became more widely available, making research easier. Humans are mammals and we have much in common with other mammals,â she says. Since reading a story by Ernest Thompson Seton as a child, she has been drawn to grey wolves and integrating them into her work was âmost important. I have looked at wolves more than any other species, but I still dream of meeting one in the wild.â
Taniguchi uses different metalwork techniques to capture the characteristics and movement of each animal, often in Britannia silver, which she favours for its compatibility with pressforming. âI have been making Andean flamingos [threatened] and Cape gannets [endangered], â she says. âFlamingos are unique, especially the beak, how they dance and how they feed â Andean flamingos are rarest and the only species that have yellow legs, so I decided on them. Gannets have been in my mind for years: they are beautiful, their behaviour is fascinating. I am trying to portray them diving.â Standing tall on its willowy stem of a leg, her Andean flamingo pin surveys the world with a black diamond eye.
Below A preparatory sketch by Rie Taniguchi. RIE TANIGUCHI
Opposite Poison dart frog pin, Clio Saskia, recycled 18kt gold, Fair Trade Australian black spinels. CLIO SASKIA
Clio Thomas has sketchbooks full of animals she intends to create, as part of a âcontinually evolving inspirationâ. For her jewellery brand, Clio Saskia, she concentrates on the way animals live and behave, and is currently most interested in their more unusual courtship and relationship habits. âThe poison dart frog and bird of paradise have fascinating romances,â she says. Then thereâs the praying mantis: âa beautiful, exotic, almost alien creature as seen in inscriptions, symbols and carvings in cultures worldwide, including Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, African and Native American.â The female of the species famously kills and eats its partner after copulation and, particularly in Native American cultures, the creature symbolises female power. âThe mantis may also represent the femme fatale â only the bravest male dares court his love interest, hoping to avoid having his head bitten off in the process!â
The awe and respect Thomas has for the natural world are tangible in her jewellery, some of which features stones she hand-mined during her time as a fossicker in the Australian gemfields. She believes the most culturally important animal in
her work so far is the snake: âhumans have an instinctive fear of snakes of evolutionary origin. I find it intriguing that, steeped in history and carrying a plethora of meanings across the centuries, snakes are some of the earliest animals to have been depicted in jewellery. My fascination lies in their sublime beauty â ultimate elegance combined with absolute danger.â As part of her creative process, she imagines how each animal would climb or slither over the body, and where it would choose to rest.
âI aim to represent each animalâs personality in my works and created rebellious designs like my Snake Knuckleduster as a homage to the snakeâs unpredictable, unsettling nature.â
As part of our overall experience of these pieces it is interesting to consider how we react to these animals. Van der Veldenâs cheeky monkeys will evoke a different response to the awe of a majestic whale by Taniguchi, or the grace and wonder of Clio Thomasâs slinky reptiles. But whether worn for their symbolism in the manner of the ancients, or as carat-heavy adornments from the heritage houses on Place VendĂ´me, each work draws our own bonds with the natural world a little tighter. âŚ
CHALLENGE AND TRANSFORMATION
THE MARCHMONT SILVERSMITHING WORKSHOP
ELENI BIDE
With views out over the deep green countryside of the Scottish Borders, the Marchmont estate has a long history of connecting creativity and skill to the landscape. In the 18th century, craftspeople used their talent to build and decorate the house, which still sits within its grounds. Today it is also home to the Hugo Burge Foundation, which hosts an everchanging cast of artists, writers, craftspeople and musicians.
BASED ON THE VISION OF THE ENTREPRENEUR Hugo Burge, the Foundation was established to carry on his work ânourishing and inspiring creativity in every single one of us, young and oldâ. Before his unexpected death in 2023, Burge had spent 10 years turning the house and its surroundings into a haven for makers and creators. Today, the Foundation offers residencies and workshop spaces covering a wide range of disciplines, but all united by an ethos inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, and its appreciation of the natural world and the power of community.
Previous Hannah Keddie and Scott Smith in the silversmithing workshop.
ANGUS BREMNER
Opposite Hannah Keddie, Katie Watson, Scott Smith and Bobbin.
ANGUS BREMNER
âOne of its remarkable features is its tool collection. This came from the celebrated master silversmith Graham Stewart.â
Opposite
Hannah Keddie, Katie Watson and Bobbin. ANGUS BREMNER
Silversmithing is one of the practices given the opportunity to flourish in this beautiful setting. A well-equipped silversmithing workshop overlooks the estateâs gardens and woodland. Formerly 19th-century kennels, the workshop was created with the help of three of the silversmiths who live and work at Marchmont as emerging maker tenants: Katie Watson, Hannah Keddie and Scott Smith. They all recognised the projectâs huge potential at an early stage. Keddie remembers that âafter my first visit it became clear it was a special place.â
âMarchmont presented itself as a hub where traditional techniques and contemporary design intersected,â says Smith. It allowed him to âexplore and expand my skills while drawing inspiration from Scotlandâs landscapes and cultural heritage.â
Creating the space came with challenges. Watson says: âWhen we moved down initially, the workshop wasnât ready and so we were involved in kitting out [âŚ] putting up shelves, sanding benches and so on.â Building delays meant having to spend a few weeks in a temporary workshop. âWe had no gas, running water or heating. (This was January in Scotland!)â remembers Smith, but this âfostered a sense of resilience and camaraderie amongst the teamâ.
Comprising five benches, a polishing room, hammering room and meeting space, the silversmithing workshop celebrated its first birthday on 25 March. One of its remarkable features is its tool collection. This came from the celebrated master silversmith Graham Stewart, and its place at the heart of the Marchmont set-up illustrates the Foundationâs ambitions to share knowledge and enable future generations of craftspeople. Stewart, who lived and worked in Dunblane, bequeathed his entire collection of tools, machinery and books to the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, which partnered with Marchmont to establish its silversmithing workshop. This collaboration helped realise his wish that the tools would continue to be used by early-career silversmiths in Scotland, and they have already helped to create wonderful objects.
In 2023, Watson was commissioned to make a large-scale centrepiece. âI wanted to challenge my making skills and so designed a piece that had free-flowing curves rather than a traditional form. I was able to do this with the tools from the workshop; otherwise, it would have been more difficult as certain tools are hard to come by or just donât exist anymore.â
Keddie also emphasises how important access to specialised equipment has been:
âOnce my tenancy with the Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop has finished, I will be lucky enough to know exactly what tools I will need to purchase after having practised and experimented with the ones available in the workshop.â
Setting up a new workshop is a difficult and expensive business for craftspeople starting out in the profession. Marchmontâs silversmithing space provides practical support for its tenants during their two-year residency, including access to mentors and masterclasses, but its unique atmosphere is just as important. All three silversmiths comment on the inspiration theyâve drawn from the natural world, which surrounds the building, and the sense of community. âOne of my favourite aspects of the workshop,â says Keddie, âis having the company of Katie and Scott to work and exhibit next to, while sharing ideas and advice in support of each otherâs progression and success.â
Reflecting on the work he has created here, Smith says: âthe atmosphere of creativity and innovation fuelled my imagination.â He uses the word âtransformativeâ to describe his experience so far, and Marchmont certainly does transform on many levels, shaping ideas and ambitions as well as metal. âŚ
Creating Something Spectacular The London Museum
SHARON AMENT
STEP INSIDE THE LONDON MUSEUM IN SMITHFIELD today and you are met with a cacophony. The Victorian General Market and adjacent 1960s Poultry Market are alive with activity: the building of staircases, the installation of windows and the clearing of rubble.
We are just two years away from opening our permanent galleries in Smithfield. Below street level, in the depths of the atmospheric General Market, they will tell thousands of years of our cityâs history. The transformation of this space has seen 10,000sqm of brickwork painstakingly cleaned, roofs reinforced, ventilation systems fitted, and object cases stress-tested against the vibration of trains. Rattling through the gallery every few minutes, they will be a unique feature of the museum, connecting it to the London of today.
Above ground, in the capacious entrance to the market, the scaffolding needed for the roof restoration has now come down, revealing what a phenomenal public space the new London Museum will be. The former trading floor will host temporary displays, installations, the museumâs shop and cafĂŠ â a vibrant meeting space, lunch spot and late-night venue.
Completing the restoration of the two roofs in 2023 was a milestone. Each required different and very specific work. We set ourselves the challenge not only of restoring the buildings sensitively, but also of achieving a rating of âOutstandingâ from breeam for sustainability. The work was a labour of love. The copper-tiled Poultry Market roof, laid by hand and completed over a four-year period, was finished by 83-year-old Chris Johnson, who laid the original roof as an apprentice in the 1960s. Wooden beams on the General Market roof â many the length of an Olympic swimming pool â were salvaged for the eight lantern structures that will provide light and natural ventilation. The irregular shape of each beam means that many of the windows had to be made individually to bespoke sizes. The tiles that sit on top were reused from site or salvaged from a Welsh hospital. The craftsmanship going into the restoration is incredible and these buildings will be an important part of the museumâs character.
As work takes place on the build, staff across the museum are beavering away to prepare its content. Our curatorial and conservation teams, designers and technicians have been finalising gallery designs, preparing objects, building bespoke mounts and writing thousands of captions. Led by curator Hazel Forsyth, work on the Goldsmithsâ Gallery has reached the end of its technical
Top London Museum Our Time concept.
ASIF KHAN STUDIO MIR
Bottom London Museum copper roof. LUKE HAYES
design phase, with the focus now shifting to the galleryâs audiovisual content. It will be one of the highlights of the museum, showcasing not only the spectacular Cheapside Hoard, but some of the Goldsmithsâ Company Collectionâs world-renowned silver. Behind the scenes, our information resources team are managing a significant physical and digital upgrade to our collection. Itâs a monumental task: packing, barcoding and reviewing each object, its record and rights (many items having joined us before the advent of the internet), and arranging new high-spec photography. We will add 40,000 objects to our online collection, alongside a new bank of oral histories. This is part of a wider transformation of the museumâs digital experiences, with our team working hard to revolutionise our onsite and online offer.
Whilst our learning team design new ways to engage and reflect the experiences of young Londoners, our engagement team have launched a major three-year programme of activities for people who live, work or study in the City of London and the Borough of Islington. They are at the forefront of our efforts to engage the local community in the run up to opening. Already, we have involved 70,000 Londoners in everything from the design of our public spaces, to collecting objects and future displays. We expect to have worked with 100,000 people by the time we open fully. This will truly be a space that reflects and represents our city.
There is already a lot to be proud of. Much of it, for now, remains behind the scenes, but none of it would be possible without our champions and supporters. Thank you for joining us on this exhilarating journey: the Goldsmithsâ Company has been a part of this ambitious project from the start, working beside us to create something spectacular. We look forward to raising a toast to the Goldsmithsâ Company in a couple of short years!
Sharon Ament is Director of the Museum of London.âŚ
FANFARES AND FOXTROTS
MUSIC AT GOLDSMITHSâ HALL
VISITORS TO GOLDSMITHSâ HALL OFTEN NOTICE THAT the building is distinguished by intriguing soundscapes, as well as impressive visuals. The tick of a clock, the clink of an assay punch or the clatter of crockery all contribute to the atmosphere; but these everyday rhythms are only the start of the Hallâs musicality. Music has been central to the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs sense of community for hundreds of years, and successive halls have acted as a stage for all kinds of performers.
Spending on minstrels and instruments was a priority for the medieval Goldsmiths: music allowed them to flaunt their success as an established livery company, as well as encouraging members to socialise. In 1403 the Company purchased clarions (small trumpets), pipes, a bombard (part of the bassoon family), a cornemuse (a form of bagpipe), and a big and a light schawm (forms of early oboe). These were sufficiently valuable to require a special chest for safekeeping.
In 1444 the Company recorded having spent a colossal ÂŁ23.19s. 4d. on minstrels to welcome the new Queen, Margaret of Anjou â the equivalent of more than ÂŁ24,000 in todayâs money. Musical entertainment was also taken seriously for smaller events. âProper directions for the Musickâ were specified for the Ladiesâ Feast of 1765, which involved a barge trip up the river to the Castle Tavern at Richmond.
Concern for âproper directionsâ suggests that members had a discerning ear for musical styles and the quality of playing. The 18th century minutes record several people being appointed Company âMusicianâ, including Freemen Burton Hudson and William Barton, and in the reign of Victoria payments were made to a conductor or director of musical entertainments. This was not always an easy role to fill: in 1846 the Wardens received complaints about the âmusical arrangementsâ at livery events and the post-holder, Mr Broadhurst, resigned. Goldsmiths were evidently a demanding audience, but they could also be lively. Music for dancing was important in the 19th and early-20th centuries, and guests to a ball in the 1920s might expect the band to play the fashionable foxtrot, as well as more traditional waltzes and polkas. The balls held in the bombdamaged hall to celebrate the end of the Second World War in 1946 featured beer, informal dress and the music of Jack Jackson, a famous trumpeter and band leader who went on to become an influential dj
Documents from the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs Archive, including dance cards, programmes and correspondence with performers. RICHARD VALENCIA
The post-war years saw a step-change in the Hallâs status as a musical venue. Philip Hardwickâs Livery Hall had always been appreciated for its excellent acoustics: âIts proportions align to the âshoeboxâ shape common among the great music halls of the world, such as the Vienna Musikverein[âŚ] albeit on a more intimate scale,â says Professor Ronan OâHora of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. However, up to this point it was mainly used for the Companyâs own events. In 1945 the Company formed a relationship with the City Music Society, which put on lunchtime and early-evening concerts, frequently providing a platform for young artists. Over 66 years, the City Music Society staged 432 concerts in Goldsmithsâ Hall, including performances from artists of international renown, among them Benjamin Britten and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.
Schwarzkopf is regarded as one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century and in 1962 she performed in Goldsmithsâ Hall for another event that promoted the arts in the Square Mile: the City of London Festival. Accompanied by pianist Gerald Moore, she sang the world premiere of Sir William Waltonâs Song for the Lord Mayorâs Table, which was commissioned by the Goldsmithsâ Company. The Company has in fact staged numerous premieres of new compositions commissioned by the institution and its members, including Aurum - Golden Fanfare by Francisco Coll; an arrangement of George Herbertâs poem A Wreath by Master of the Kingâs Music Judith Weir; and a piece for two voices and a piano by Edward Picton-Turbervill, based on the biblical quotation inscribed around the frieze of the Livery Hall.
First performed in 2023, this composition highlights how music has sounded like a note through the Companyâs history. Written in the style of the 17th century composer Henry Purcell, it brings to mind the Goldsmithsâ long musical tradition, while its lyrics reference the space in which it was first played. In the words of Professor OâHora, âIt is a truly wonderful venue in which to make and listen to music.â âŚ
ELENI BIDE
Forged punches donated by Chip deMatteo. RICHARD VALENCIA
SMOKING GUNS AND INSTRUMENTS OF DECEPTION
TIMOTHY SCHRODER
IN JANUARY 2024, THE GOLDSMITHSâ COMPANY received an extraordinary gift. Chip deMatteo, a silversmith from Virginia in the us, arrived at Goldsmithsâ Hall and presented me with two pieces of antique silver and an old tin that had once contained packets of Phillies cigars. The writing on the tin proclaimed them to be âAmericaâs greatest value cigarâ, which, at five cents each, they surely were.
But instead of cigars, the tin contained 42 steel punches, each cut with an 18th-century London hallmark, a date letter or a sponsorâs (otherwise known as makerâs) mark. Also included were two pieces of silver â a mug dating from 1759 and a little salver dating from 1787 â which had been struck with some of the very same punches that were sitting in the tin. The answer to the question of how such significant artefacts can have ever escaped Goldsmithsâ Hall is that they didnât: the punches, mug and salver are all fakes, made in the 20th century and marked to deceive the unwary collector. In crime-fiction terms, therefore, the gift was both the body and the smoking gun.
The story behind this gift is that Chip deMatteo is a thirdgeneration silversmith with antique British silver in his blood. His father, William L. deMatteo, spent much of his life at Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum in Virginia, making replica wares and demonstrating historic techniques to visitors. A generation back, Chipâs grandfather, William G. deMatteo, ran a commercial workshop. He also made replica wares, but sometimes disguised them as the real thing by the addition of spurious hallmarks. These seem to have been made to the order of one or two New York antique dealers, who, it appears, passed them on to their clients as genuine articles.
The marks on the punches are very well cut and more or less convincing on casual inspection. Nowadays, the availability of high-resolution photographs of genuine marks against which to
compare them makes them quite easy to detect, but in days gone by they would easily have passed muster.
This is not the first time that the spotlight has fallen on makers of fake English domestic silver. In 2008 a âmaster fakerâ, Peter Ashley-Russell, was convicted of making and falsely marking a large number of ostensibly 17th-century English spoons and other items of antique plate, and sent to prison. But the most famous case of all, going back to the end of the 19th century, came to light when a huge cache of fake English silver was intercepted in the hands of a London dealer by the name of Reuben Lyon.
Like the deMatteo wares, it was their very ordinariness that gave Lyonâs pieces their cover: appearing to date from a period from which large quantities of genuine wares survived, they enjoyed a strong market but did not command high prices.
The Goldsmithsâ Company and the antiques trade were rattled by the fakes discovered in what became known as the Lyon and Twinam case, and raised public awareness of the issue by publishing details of all the marks found on the seized goods before they were melted down. But the actual punches â the smoking guns â were never found.
Quite how many deMatteo forgeries are in circulation is not known, but the punches are likely to prove of great value as a benchmark in future cases to come before the Goldsmithsâ Hallmark Authentication Committee (formerly known as the Antique Plate Committee). For whereas in the past we have concluded from time to time that this or that set of marks is spurious, now we will be able to demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt not only that the marks are spurious but that the item on which they are struck was made in New York City during the early 20th century.
The Goldsmithsâ Company is enormously grateful to Chip deMatteo for this public-spirited gift. âŚ
ALL THAT GLISTERS IS NOT RECYCLED
KATIE TREGGIDEN
A COMMITMENT TO RECYCLED precious metals is an increasingly common sustainability pledge in jewellery-making (according to the World Gold Council, recycled gold accounted for 28 per cent of the global gold supply in 2020); however, a recent open letter is calling for clearer definitions in a bid to combat greenwashing. If rings, watches and necklaces are melted down and used to create new jewellery, whatâs wrong with describing that as ârecycledâ?
High-street jeweller Pandora, which has pledged to use only recycled gold and silver by 2025, estimates the carbon emissions of recycling gold as being less than 1 per cent of those of mined gold. And thatâs not to mention the 20 tonnes of waste that are
generated mining enough gold for a single wedding ring or the use in some mines of mercury and cyanide that can pollute land and water, endangering people and ecosystems.
However, in their letter to the International Organization for Standardization ( iso ), the London Bullion Market Association ( lbma ), the Responsible Jewellery Council (rjc) and the Responsible Minerals Initiative (rmi), and organisations including the Precious Metals Impact Forum and Ethical Metalsmiths, argue that the term implies that the gold would otherwise have ended up in landfill, as is the case with lower-value materials, such as recycled pet bottles. Valuable products such as jewellery are rarely discarded and
Above Excirâs patented chemistry selectively targeting and extracting precious metals from circuit boards for The Royal Mint.
THE ROYAL MINT
Opposite Reusing gold at London-based B Corp jeweller E.C.One.
E.C.ONE
precious metals have always been reused.
âReusing gold should be a baseline, not something to pat ourselves on the back about,â says Jos Skeates, managing director of B-Corp jeweller e c One.
If reusing gold doesnât count as recycling, what does? Well, it turns out that there is gold that â just like those pet bottles â ends up in landfill. Approximately 10 per cent of gold produced annually finds its way into electronic goods, and less than a quarter of e-waste is recycled. Even during recycling, most rare earth metals are lost. As a result, when the European Chemical Society redesigned the Periodic Table to highlight the increasing scarcity of naturally occurring elements in 2019, gold, silver, platinum and palladium were all flagged as
being at risk, with silver in particular facing âserious threatâ. And so-called âe-waste mountainsâ hold precious metals, such as gold, in concentrations at least 40 times higher than can be mined underground. According to the authors of the open letter, it is only this âreclaimedâ gold that should be described as recycled; instead, they call for the term âreprocessedâ to be applied to gold from non-waste, non-mined sources.
Pandora does not stipulate whether its ârecycledâ gold and silver are reclaimed from waste materials â they just have to
be recycled and meet the Responsible Jewellery Council Chain-of-Custody (coc) standard. A report Pandora commissioned in 2019 found that sources of recycled silver worldwide are 60 per cent industrial âfrom the production of ethylene oxide, electronics and other products â 28 per cent silverware, jewellery and coins, and 12 per cent photography. âIt is not possible for us to share an exact breakdown, as this changes constantly and differs from supplier to supplier,â said a spokesperson for the brand, which didnât publish
circuit boards (pcbs) acquired for processing and gold recovery at The Royal Mint and the 886 Collection of jewellery that extracted gold is made into.
equivalent statistics for gold. The open letter raises concerns about transparency in supply chains for recycled gold, and the differences in due diligence processes between industry schemes. The authors of the letter argue that this âcreates loopholes that are exploited to introduce problematic gold into legitimate supply chains.â
There are plenty of examples of jewellery that is made from discarded metals, such as the 5,000 gold, silver and bronze medals made for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the Royal Mintâs 886 range of jewellery, all of which is made from e-waste. In fact, the Royal Mint is developing an industrial plant in South Wales capable of sustainably recovering precious metals from thousands of tonnes of e-waste annually. âWe have pioneered a way to safely recover materials from the entire circuit board,â says head of sustainability, Inga Doak. âThis means it can be reused in other products or sent to other facilities for onward processing, helping reduce the environmental impact of uk electronic waste and embracing the principles of a circular economy.â
Independent jewellers are experimenting with repurposing other types of e-waste too. In 2020, Scottish jeweller Stefanie Cheong and Thailand-based designer Kawisara Anansaringkarn of Coth Studio collaborated on a project to make precious stones suitable for jewellery from a melteddown telephone. They were responding to the amount of e-waste Britain dumps in Southeast Asia â an estimated 99 per cent
Printed
THE ROYAL MINT
Left Sampling process as part of Stefanie Cheong and Kawisara Anansaringkarnâs experiments to create rock from e-waste, 2020.
COURTESY OF KATIE TREGIDDEN
of the uk âs circuit boards are shipped overseas. The pair mimicked the processes of natural rock formation, as well as the processes that create plastiglomerate â an anthropogenic rock made from plastic, sand and other particles that is increasingly appearing on beaches around the world.
âWe wanted to bring attention to the global dumping of e-waste and produce a material by looking at natural rock cycles to influence its fabrication,â says Cheong. âWe asked ourselves: âWhat will these materials look like in thousands or even millions of years?ââ
Sadly, this hands-on, experimental approach is less readily achievable for precious metals. It is incredibly difficult for independent jewellery makers to extract
Right The resulting ârockâ set into a ring as part of Cheongâs Geoanthropology Collection, 2023.
COURTESY OF KATIE TREGIDDEN
tiny metal elements from circuit boards, for example. The process involves soaking electronic devices in hydrochloric acid to recover metal particles that can be filtered out of the resulting solution.
(The Royal Mintâs process is top secret, with some reports referencing a âmagic green solutionâ.) âIt is dangerous and complex,â says Cheong. âI class myself as experimental but having researched it, I decided it was a step too far â thatâs why I have never done it.â
Silversmith and researcher Sandra Wilson has taken the plunge, using the recovered metals to create patinas on silver vessels, but only in collaboration with scientists; as she warns other craftspeople, donât try this at home. She recommends
working with chemists or purchasing reclaimed metals from companies such as Metal Clay â which sells an extra thick gold foil made from e-waste â or Again silver, which is reclaimed from medical X-ray film in the uk. Welsh designer and founder of Angharad, Meghan Griffiths, already makes all her Angharad silver and vermeil pieces from Again silver.
Whatever we call it â reducing, reusing, recycling, reprocessing or reclaiming â itâs time we stopped allowing precious metals to end up in landfill. Not only because weâre running out of minable reserves, and not only because itâs a more sustainable choice, but out of respect for the metals that have been cherished as part of our material culture for millennia. âŚ
IMPROVING SKILLS AND LIFE CHANCES
WHAT UNITES PRISONERS SEEKING to improve their skills, primary-school children in Bradford, aspiring jewellers in Birmingham and craftworkers repairing the dome of St Paulâs Cathedral? All are benefitting from the Landmark Grants Programme, a new skills development fund set up by the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity.
The timing of the launch of the fund is no accident, as Michelle OâBrien, Head of Charitable Partnerships at the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity, explains: âThe Goldsmithsâ Company celebrates its 700th anniversary in 2027. As part of an ambitious programme to mark this occasion, including a founding partnership with the new London Museum, the charity has established this ÂŁ10m grant fund to enhance its charitable work and contribution to national life.â
Grants from the fund will deepen and extend the charityâs impact through tangible, targeted support for specific projects. The first four grants of ÂŁ500,000 each have been awarded to St Giles Trust, the National Literacy Trust, Aston University Engineering Academy and St Paulâs Cathedral.
âThese four landmark projects mark a significant step in the Goldsmithsâ determination to increase the influence of our charitable giving as we focus on our chosen priorities of developing the skills needed by our trade, improving life chances for the disadvantaged people and supporting the City of London,â says Michael Prideaux, Assistant (board member) of the Goldsmithsâ Company and chair of the Landmark Grants Programme selection panel.
To strengthen its commitment to improving the life chances of people in the criminal-justice sector, the charity has awarded one of its first ÂŁ500,000 grants to St Giles Trust. This is an award-winning charity that empowers people held back by poverty, exploitation, mental ill-health,
substance abuse and experience of the criminal justice system to build a better future. The money will support the charityâs Peer Empowerment Programme, which helps prisoners to develop new skills and gain Level 3 qualifications in advice and guidance. The course covers a wide range of areas, such as interpersonal communication, writing skills, housing law, professional boundaries, disclosure and managing challenging behaviour, meaning that the skills achieved are transferable and can open doors to a variety of employment areas.
âThe grant is helping us to work in five prisons, including three womenâs prisons, to train 150 people in our Peer Empowerment Programme, which underpins all of our services,â says Nicky Park, St Giles Trustâs director of criminal justice and womenâs services.
As well as providing a structured package of training, support and supervision, the programme also enables people to access work placements, which offer vital experience.
âPeople in prison are amongst some of the most disadvantaged people in our society,â says Park. âThis programme provides a legitimate income, a daily structure and a positive network. For some, itâs the first time in their lives theyâve gained a qualification, which is life changing.
She continues: âThanks to this grant, we can help prisoners to improve their chances of finding employment and reduce the likelihood of them falling back into a negative cycle of prison, homelessness, poverty and re-offending. This has transformative benefits not just for them, but for their fellow prisoners, their families and wider society.â
Another beneficiary of the Landmark Grants Programme is the National Literacy Trust, an independent charity that works to improve reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the uk âs most disadvantaged communities. The award
ties in with the Goldsmithsâ Company Charityâs longstanding commitment to improving literacy, numeracy and oracy for children in the early-years stage and at primary school.
The National Literacy Trust has received ÂŁ500,000 towards the Goldsmiths 500 Challenge. This is an ambitious fouryear programme that aims to improve the literacy skills of 500 children from disadvantaged communities across 25 primary schools in Bradford.
âThereâs a direct link between poverty and low levels of literacy,â says Tim Judge, head of school programmes at the National Literacy Trust, who is leading the project. âIn Bradford, 22 per cent of children are living below the poverty line, and both the writing and reading skills of Key Stage 1 children are significantly below the national average.â
The children in the programme will enjoy expertly curated, inspirational visits to museums and art galleries, and teachers will receive training and tools to guide children to write about these memorable, cultural experiences.
âStarting a piece of writing with a handson experience like a trip to a museum can help to build up young peopleâs capital, equipping them for any writing task they are faced with,â says Judge. âThe Goldsmithsâ Company grant is hugely important in helping us to support children to become more motivated and independent readers, writers and communicators. Itâs also very exciting to have the opportunity to map childrenâs progress as they transition from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2.â
This is the first programme of its kind, but the National Literacy Trust hopes to replicate it across the country.
Another Landmark Grant is focused on support for technical and vocational skills within the jewellery industry in Birmingham, an area that accounts for around 40 per cent of the ukâs jewellery
A set of burrs at Aston University Engineering Academy. RICHARD BATTYE
Children sit and laugh with their new books that they have chosen during the National Literacy Trustâs young readers programme at Broadgate. SWNS
output. The Goldsmithsâ Company Charity has awarded a ÂŁ500,000 Landmark Grant to Aston University Engineering Academy (auea). The academy is in Nechells, home of the original Peaky Blinders gang, an area of high deprivation where Birmingham City Council recently estimated the employment rate to be just 35.9 per cent.
The grant will help set up a new Goldsmiths Institute that will embed skills and design-based training within the auea curriculum from Year 9 all the way through to Sixth Form.
âThereâs a huge skills gap in our jewellery industry,â says Daniel Locke-Wheaton, executive principal at auea. âTraditional routes, such as apprenticeships, have faded away, and many of our employers have vacancies that they canât fill.
âOur proximity to Birminghamâs jewellery quarter, which includes over 700 companies relevant to our work, opens up many possibilities for partnerships,â he continues. âWeâre already liaising with renowned organisations such as Cooksongold, Weston Beamor and Fattorini, and look forward to attracting a new talent pool of students into the jewellery industry.â
The aim is to involve more than 1,425 learners in programmes at the university, and to reach more than 800 primary- and secondary-school students across the Midlands through outreach projects. The new institute will focus on a broad range of skills, from jewellery and goldsmithing to bench skills, setting, polishing, manufacturing and creating bespoke
jewellery. It will also cover new technology, such as 3D-printing, as well as logistics and marketing. In addition, the grant will fund a master jeweller, Collette Waudby, who will work at the institute for two days a week.
âThe Landmark Grant is groundbreaking for us,â says Locke-Wheaton. âThanks to the Goldsmithsâ Company Charityâs support, we will be able to train the cityâs young people in jewellery skills so they can become part of the industryâs future workforce.â
As well as providing funding for the new Goldsmithsâ Institute in Birmingham, the charity has also awarded funding to a major heritage restoration and conservation project in London. Its fourth ÂŁ500,000 Landmark Grant goes to St Paulâs
Cathedral to restore its cupola, ball and cross â the structure that rises from the Golden Gallery on top of the dome.
âThis restoration work is vital because the cupola structure has been seriously eroded in recent years,â says Emily MacKenzie, chief operating officer at the cathedral. âOur plan is to ensure that the cupola â the most distinctive identifier of the City of London â is restored to its former golden glory and made safe.â
The project will draw on the skills of the cathedralâs works department and specialist contractors. It will require craft skills in structural metalwork, carpentry, stonework, metalwork, leadwork, glazing and gilding.
The Goldsmithsâ grant will help fund a centre of excellence in the heritage skills required for the project and will also enable
the cathedral to take on new apprentices to learn these specialist skills.
âThe structure will be removed from the top of the cathedral for the repairs,â says MacKenzie. âThe last time this happened, in 1821, the ball was rolled down Ludgate Hill, which attracted significant attention. Once the work is completed, the newly gilded cupola will look more striking and more visibly golden. It will mean that Londonâs iconic skyline will look even more magnificent.â
The association between the Goldsmithsâ Company and St Paulâs Cathedral goes back a long way. âThis grant builds on a long-term, historic partnership with the Goldsmithsâ Company, which has supported almost every major restoration project we have had since the Great
Fire of London,â says MacKenzie. âThe Companyâs Coat of Arms is under the dome as a visible sign of our special partnership and friendship, which continues to this day.â
These first four grants are just the start of the Landmark Grants Programme. âThey mark an important step as we move towards celebrating our 700th anniversary in 2027,â says Prideaux. âThey are emblematic of the transformation that we hope to inspire within the goldsmithsâ trade and beyond. Together with our partners, we are working to bring about real change by alleviating poverty, creating opportunity and making a lasting impact through skills development.â âŚ
St Paulâs Cathedral Cupola. GRAHAM WESTLEY LACDAO
BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP
The Goldsmithsâ Centreâs Mission to Shape the Industryâs Future Through Education and Training
RAE GELLEL
Opposite Learning design skills during day release training.
RENE GONZALEZ, THE GOLDSMITHSâ CENTRE 2023
Below An apprentice uses wax to produce model pieces of jewellery during day release training with the Goldsmithsâ Centre.
RENE GONZALEZ, THE GOLDSMITHSâ CENTRE 2023
IN 2014, A CREATIVE & CULTURAL
Skills report revealed that more than half of the ukâs then 6,577 jewellery businesses had struggled to recruit staff with sufficient technical abilities. Ten years later, this shortage of skilled workers not only persists but may be worsening. Economic uncertainty, an energy crisis, an ageing workforce, Brexit, a global pandemic and a changing educational landscape â one that disproportionately favours classroom over vocational learning â have widened the skills gap. The Goldsmithsâ Centre (an educational charity founded by the Goldsmithsâ Company) is leading the charge to close it.
Historically, most technical training for jewellers and silversmiths took the form of
apprenticeships, through which skills could be passed down from one generation to another on an individual basis. In the modern era, this model has grown less popular, and one of its most significant substitutes is higher education. Aspiring makers in the uk are fortunate to have high-quality university courses at their disposal, but a degree by itself is sometimes not enough to make candidates job-ready.
Unlike those trained in traditional workshops, graduates may only have fleeting experience of technical skills that take years at the bench to perfect. Their sights may be set more on launching a brand than on an industry job, possibly because of a lack of awareness of alternative options.
âHigher education shouldnât be seen as the only solution to filling the gaps,â says Chris Oliver, head of professional training at the Goldsmithsâ Centre. âWe should acknowledge that not everyone who goes to university wants to work for someone. They might have that desire to be more entrepreneurial, to establish a name for themselves as a designer, and the centreâs programmes support those craftspeople. However, the lack of visibility about the plethora of careers â and the lack of a foundation of skills to enter those careers â can mean people will have to default to a certain position after going through the traditional education system.â
The Foundation Programme, the Goldsmithsâ Centreâs one-year training
âWe use upskilling and training to bring in and retain staff: it keeps our business relevant and gives employees something to reach towards.â
course aimed at school leavers aged 16 â19, was designed in response to these obstacles. Positioned as a precursor or alternative to university education, it prioritises hand skills and offers a practical introduction to various specialisms, including cad , engraving and diamond-mounting, many of which are skills increasingly coveted by employers. In response to the introduction of T-Levels and changes to education provision announced in April 2024, the Centre is developing a new training programme focused on industry engagement. This will remain an effective springboard into the trade for young people.
Of course, raising awareness that a career in jewellery or silversmithing is an option for school leavers is in itself a challenge. This is not helped by the declining uptake of arts courses â down 47 per cent at gcse and 29 per cent at A-level according to a 2023 Campaign for the Arts study. By providing funding and resources to programmes such as the Creative Dimension Trust, which delivers fine handskills workshops to school-age children, the Centre is seeking to put the Foundation Programme and other routes into industry careers on the radar for young people.
Crucially, the Goldsmithsâ Centreâs training programmes for aspiring craftspeople act as a stepping stone into a Goldsmithsâ Company Apprenticeship, and
the three years of on-the-job learning, immersed in a busy workshop environment and brushing shoulders with veteran craftspeople, that comes with it. This is a tried-and-tested means of supporting an older generation to pass on the baton. As of 2023, this scheme has expanded, with the Centre now supporting Midlands-based businesses through the process of taking on apprentices. âWe have two apprentices, and itâs an amazing initiative that gives people an easier way into the industry,â says Ed Hole, Technical Manager for Weston Beamor, who also sits on the Goldsmithsâ Centreâs Trade Advisory Sub-Committee. âThat can only be good for employees, businesses and the whole industry.â
School leavers are not the only group catered for at the Goldsmithsâ Centre: it also offers funding and training opportunities for graduates or early-career makers seeking to expand their skillset. A range of short courses â both online and in-person, in areas of professional or technical development identified as particularly valuable â is delivered by master craftspeople with an equal flair for craft and teaching. These course leaders are often recruited through the Centreâs programmes, creating a circular community in which those the charity supports subsequently give back through teaching. And underlying it all is a baseline of
quality. âAnything that the Goldsmithsâ Centre do is a rubber stamp in the industry,â says Hole.
Bespoke courses for businesses are another area under development. Upskilling staff without interrupting dayto-day business can be challenging, yet this may be a key to cutting outsourcing costs, retaining employees and remaining ahead of the competition. âWe use upskilling and training to bring in and retain staff: it keeps our business relevant and gives employees something to reach towards,â says Ben Crump of Vipa Designs, whose staff undertook courses in claw, rub-over, pavĂŠ setting and setting with air tools with Goldsmithsâ Centre tutors. âItâs balanced between the needs of the employee and the needs of the business.â
Where funding such training is an obstacle, the centre also offers support through its Business Catalyst Grants, generously supported by donations made by Goldsmithsâ Company members. This ensures a multi-pronged approach to attacking the skills gap.
Whilst no field is immune to staff shortages, traditional hand skills are especially vulnerable to extinction, unless carefully safeguarded at every link in the supply chain. This means that advocating for the approximately 57,000 people currently employed in the industry is as essential for its future as engaging promising newcomers.
âThe world needs more polishers, it needs more setters, it needs a bit of everything,â says Oliver. âWe need to beef up the ecosystem, and any healthy ecosystem requires different entry points and training mechanisms that create different people and ambitions. Otherwise, there will be a supply and demand glut, where even the most talented designer will struggle to find someone to set stones for them.â
COMPANY NEWS
School children at the Goldsmithsâ Awards for Community Engagement 2024 holding a trophy from the Bahrain Grand Prix 2020 by Fox Silver. ALASTAIR FIFE
A PRIME WARDENâS YEAR
On the landing outside the Court Luncheon Room in Goldsmithsâ Hall sits the fine bust of King Edward III. Looking sternly down at us through the centuries, it reminds us that early in his long reign â in March 1327 âhe granted to our Company its royal charter. Our 700th anniversary in 2027 will be a significant milestone, and provides an ideal opportunity for us to reflect on our history and determine how we shall move forward into our next century.
In the last year we have developed further our strategic plan centred around 2027, which involves all parts of the Goldsmithsâ family â the Company, the Assay Office, the Charity and the Centre. There are three principal aims: invest in the skills of our trade and increase demand for its work; make a positive and lasting impact on society through our partnerships and funding; and evolve and innovate to inspire future generations.
One striking development this year has been the launch of our Landmark Grants Programme. This will consist of a total of ÂŁ10m given for major projects over the next 10 years. I was delighted to announce the first four grants in November. One is to Aston Universityâs Engineering Academy in Birmingham to help set up a new Goldsmiths Institute that will develop skills- and design-based training from year nine to sixth form. Other grants will support literacy and prisoner rehabilitation. The fourth will assist with renovation of the cupola and cross that stand proudly at the top of St Paulâs Cathedral. When the work is finished, these will gleam appropriately with gold.
During this year a Charity Governance Working Group, made up of members of the Company, has been working on modernising our Charityâs governance framework and standards with the aim of improving transparency and maximising impact. We hope to share more on this with you later in the year.
Changes have been made in the last year to make the Company more attractive to prospective members. The selection process is now more transparent, and we have also removed age restrictions for admission to the Freedom.
In addition, we have been making adjustments to the governance of the Company. An example is the setting up this year of an advisory panel, consisting of Liverymen and Freemen, who can consider important current issues and feed their opinions into the Court of Wardens.
These are just a few of the activities that have been taking place throughout the organisation. It has been a huge privilege to be in the chair during this time,
and to initiate or oversee these and other important developments. I am particularly grateful to my predecessor, Mark Bridges, who set a shining example, and for the superb support given to me by my fellow Wardens and Assistants. Personal highlights have included the opening of the Dorothy Hogg exhibition, the ceremonial return of the Cross of Wales, the phenomenally successful Goldsmithsâ Fair and presenting the Coronation Cup to HM The King. It has also been a pleasure to offer new music to an unsuspecting membership both in our church services and in the excellent acoustic of our beautiful hall.
It is of course the staff who have brought these initiatives to life. We were delighted to welcome Afsheen Nawaz into the important new position of Director of Operations. I should also mention Karine Lepeuple, who has stepped up brilliantly to cover the role of Director of the Goldsmithsâ Centre during Peter Taylorâs illness.
Another unexpected gap was the absence of a Clerk from April until January. The whole of the staff pulled together superbly and deserve our warm thanks for maintaining not only the day-to-day operation of the organisation but all of its strategic aims. We are particularly grateful to Simon Hutchinson, Deputy Clerk, who stayed on in his role for several months and impressed everyone with his able and calm leadership. It has given us huge pleasure to appoint Annie Warburton as our new Clerk. She brings to the role wide experience in the creative arts and will be an ideal person to lead us into 2027. I am immensely grateful to her for all the support she has given me.
Another person who has given wonderful support to both the Company and me is my wife Iona, who has been an enthusiastic and untiring ambassador. We have both had a hugely enjoyable year and have felt immensely fortunate to play a role in such a remarkable, thriving organisation.
We give Richard and Jane Reid our very best wishes for the year ahead. âŚ
CHARLES MACKWORTH-YOUNG, PRIME WARDEN OF THE GOLDSMITHSâ COMPANY 2023â2024
Charles Mackworth-Young. ALUN CALLENDER
âWe are tremendously proud of our impact.â
The Goldsmithsâ Company received its first royal charter in 1327. Nearly 700 years later, the organisation still does what it was set up to do: supporting our craft and trade, assaying and hallmarking precious metals, training apprentices and craftspeople, and transforming the life chances of the most vulnerable through philanthropic giving.
Think about it. There are few organisations that have such a long, unbroken history. Even fewer are still doing the same things â in the same place and in more or less the same way â as they were in the 14th century. We are, in many ways, sui generis â one of a kind.
As a company with deep roots in the past, we do meaningful work in the contemporary world. This is as rare as it is remarkable. Recognising this, it is essential that, in honouring our past, we retain our relevance amidst the complex challenges of today. We do this through our roles as a cultural institution, as a champion for our trade, as a philanthropic body and as a membership organisation.
The creative industries are a national success story, a sector that, in the last decade, has grown more than twice as fast as the economy as a whole. Yet our tradeâs contribution to this has often been overlooked. That is beginning to change. As a cultural institution, the Company has a key role in raising the profile of our industry, as well as bringing it to the attention of wider audiences through collections, commissions, events and exhibitions.
Investment in the next generation of craftspeople is vital if the uk is to retain a leading position in jewellery and silversmithing. As a champion of our craft and trade, each year the Company and our Charity put more than ÂŁ2m into training, apprenticeships, and enabling people to launch, grow and sustain viable careers and businesses. Last year, through the Goldsmithsâ Centre, we supported 128 resident craftspeople and members, empowered 118 start-ups, trained 218 people, and enabled 210 young people from underrepresented communities to enter creative careers.
Beyond this, through our philanthropy, we support a range of inspiring charities, from groundbreaking initiatives in the criminal-justice system empowering people to rebuild their lives, to imaginative interventions in early years and with primary schools to develop essential skills of numeracy, literacy and oracy. Last year, thanks to our grants, our charity partners directly supported more than 126,000 individuals, trained 4,744 facilitators and indirectly reached a further 58,000 people. We are tremendously proud of this impact.
This work matters and it is powered by our people. As a membership organisation, the Company is rich in social connections. Goldsmithsâ is a community, bringing people together in fellowship to make the world a better place. Since joining in January, I have been deeply inspired by the enthusiasm of our members and the expertise of my colleagues. My thanks to the Court of Assistants for welcoming me and especially to Prime Warden, Richard Reid, and past Prime Warden, Charles Mackworth-Young, for their support.
There are exciting times ahead. The year 2027 is a key moment in the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs history â one not only of celebration but also of renewed commitment to our mission. It is a moment of renaissance, creating a foundation for the future. As we come to mark 700 years, we build on the legacy of our forebears. Expressing gratitude for the past and generosity towards the future, it is a time to ask ourselves: How might we, too, be good ancestors to the generations who come after us?
ANNIE WARBURTON, CEO AND CLERK OF THE GOLDSMITHSâ COMPANY
Opposite left Goldsmithsâ Fair 2023. PAUL READ
Opposite right Trial of the Pyx. PAUL READ
Seven Centuries of Consumer Protection
Since the 14th century, the Goldsmithsâ Company has been responsible for protecting consumers by ensuring the quality of precious metals. Today we do this by checking the accuracy, quality and composition of the coins produced by the Royal Mint at the annual Trial of the Pyx, and through assaying and hallmarking precious metal articles at the London Assay Office â two of the oldest forms of consumer protection in use today.
The Trial of The Pyx â Ensuring the Quality of the Nationâs Coinage
CONSUMERS PROTECTED IN 2023
66.97 million
UK residents
37.5 million overseas visitors to the UK
104.47 million consumers protected
Sources: gov.uk, British retail consortium
On 6 February 2024, the Royal Mint submitted 7,960 coins for testing at the Trial of the Pyx â the United Kingdomâs oldest judicial process. First conducted in 1248, it aims to protect consumers by upholding the quality of the nationâs coinage through rigorous inspection and testing.
The Trial fulfils a legal requirement imposed by an act of parliament, the Coinage Act (1971), to conduct an examination by jury to ascertain that the coins of the realm, produced by the Royal Mint, are of the correct weight, size and composition. As Master of the Royal Mint, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is held responsible for the outcome.
A sample of all new coins struck by the Royal Mint in 2023 â including a pair of 5kg 24ct gold âPetition Crownâ Masterpieces â was rigorously checked for fineness and quality by an independent jury of Goldsmithsâ Company members at Goldsmithsâ Hall, before undergoing further scientific testing and analysis by the London Assay Office.
The Kingâs Remembrancer, Senior Master Cook of the Kingsâ Bench Division of the High Court, pronounced a positive verdict on all 7,960 coins on 9 May 2024.
Through the Trial of the Pyx, every resident and visitor to the uk who uses or collects coins, benefits from the actions of the Goldsmithsâ Company.
19% of all retail transactions carried out in 2023 used cash
PAUL READ
1,663,165
312,257 hallmarked by laser
had a hallmark struck by punch
1,975,422 articles tested and marked Total
15,126
registered customers
575 metal punches produced at Goldsmithsâ Hall
47,781
HM King Charles III Coronation commemorative marks applied
Hallmarking â Maintaining Trust in Precious Metals
Precious metals are rarely used in their purest form. Instead, theyâre usually mixed with other metals to form an alloy of the desired strength and colour. It isnât possible to know what an item of jewellery or silver is made from just by looking at it or touching it. To protect consumers, the Hallmarking Act (1973) requires that articles made of gold, silver, platinum or palladium over certain weights must be assayed (independently tested) and hallmarked, either by laser or using a metal punch, by one of the four uk assay offices.
A set of component marks applied to articles made of gold, silver, platinum or palladium, the hallmark takes its name from Goldsmithsâ Hall, the home of hallmarking since 1478.
The London Assay Office applies the full traditional uk hallmark, which is made up of five component marks, and tells you when and where an item was tested and marked, which metals it is made from and their purity or fineness, and who submitted it for hallmarking.
In 2023, the London Assay Office tested and hallmarked more than 1.9m articles.
Raising awareness â Educating consumers and the trade
Understanding hallmarks helps consumers and businesses to make informed choices about precious items they might own or buy. In 2024 the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs Hallmarking Authentication Committee hosted a symposium on fakes and forgeries attended by 75 dealers and collectors in partnership with the Companyâs specialist library and archive.
Between 2023 and 2024 the Library and Archive helped over 360 individual curators, dealers and members of the public identify uk and overseas marks.
CHRIS MANN
ÂŁ3 million in Support for People and Communities
For more than 700 years, the Goldsmithsâ Company has been supporting people and communities in need. In the late 19th century it founded the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity to deliver this commitment. This year, the charity awarded grants aimed at improving life chances across four priority areas:
1. Support for our craft and trade
2. Support for charitable activities in the City of London and at national institutions
3. Support for charities working in the criminal-justice sector
4. Support for charities working on literacy, numeracy and oracy projects that focus on primary age children
This year, the Charity awarded ÂŁ3m in grants and pledged a further ÂŁ2m in Landmark grants to the first four recipients of this major programme (learn more about Landmark Grants on page 54). This will directly support some 2,000 individuals and indirectly impact more than 24,000. It also began the three-year process of realising its ÂŁ10m commitment to the new London Museum, which is due to open in 2026.
THANKS TO THE GRANTS GIVEN OVER THE LAST YEAR, OUR CHARITY PARTNERS HAVE:
126,000 directly supported more than individuals
4,744 trained facilitators, including teachers and prison officers
58,000 indirectly reached just under people
The Goldsmithsâ Centre â Fostering capability at every link of the chain
Founded by the Goldsmithsâ Company in April 2012, the Goldsmithsâ Centre is an independent charity that exists to support the jewellery, silversmithing and allied industries to embrace learning as an essential lifelong practice.
At a cost of ÂŁ17.5m, it represents the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs largest-ever direct investment into the craft, trade and industry, and is an ongoing recipient of core funding from the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity.
Through the delivery of technical courses â including the Goldsmithsâ Company Apprenticeship Scheme â business support, affordable workspaces, funding opportunities, exhibitions, events and selling showcases, the Centre aims to close the industryâs skills gap so that creativity, craftsmanship and community can thrive.
This year, the Goldsmithsâ Centre received a grant of ÂŁ2,059,290 from the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity.
FOR THE GOLDSMITHSâ CENTRE YEAR, WHICH RAN OCTOBER 2022âSEPTEMBER 2023:
10 people completed the Centreâs Foundation Programme and went on to Goldsmithsâ Company Apprenticeships or industry employment
218 took part in 30 technical skills short courses
118 startups were equipped with the skills to promote, sell and showcase their work
128 craftspeople beneftted from the Centreâs subsidised workshops and coworking spaces
210
young people from underrepresented communities entered creative careers through the Centreâs training programmes
THE GOLDSMITHS CENTRE/ KAY KONECNA
Criminal Justice
ÂŁ462,604
The Lord Mayorâs Appeal â Building a
Better City for All
GRANTS MADE IN 2023/24 BY THE GOLDSMITHSâ COMPANY CHARITY
Support for trade and craft
ÂŁ2,099,290
A career in the City of London can seem a daunting and perhaps unattainable prospect, particularly for those who cannot see people of their gender or socio-economic background fully represented. The Lord Mayorâs Appeal is working to change that by creating âA Better City for Allâ â one that is inclusive, healthy, skilled and fair.
Alongside fundraising for its partner charities, the Appeal delivers initiatives created to support the learning, development and engagement of people and organisations working in the Square Mile.
Power of Inclusion London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, yet many people struggle to get a job, progress their careers or feel seen in the workplace. The Lord Mayorâs Appeal aims to increase opportunities for those from diverse socio-economic backgrounds by working with businesses to create a fairer and more inclusive City.
City and National Institutions
ÂŁ161,679
ÂŁ163,640 Education
This is Me The Lord Mayorâs Appeal is committed to changing attitudes around mental health and to striving to create healthier and more inclusive workplaces by reducing stigma, dispelling myths and improving employee wellbeing.
We Can Be According to the 2023 Princeâs Trust NatWest Youth Index, more than a third of young women feel that a lack of self-confidence is one of the biggest barriers to achieving their career aspirations. We Can Be aims to boost young womenâs confidence in their abilities and encourage them to consider careers in the Square Mile by equipping them with skills and experience, as well as exposure to successful women working in the City today.
A Fair City City Giving Day forms a core part of the Appealâs commitment to create a fair society, uniting businesses in the City and beyond by celebrating the positive impact they have for their charity partners and their local communities, through fundraising and volunteering.
From 2021â2024, the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity supported the Lord Mayorâs Appeal with a grant of ÂŁ30,000.
THE LORD MAYORâS APPEAL
The Prison Radio Association â Using Sound to Change Lives
Established in 2009 by the Prison Radio Association, National Prison Radio is the worldâs first national radio station for people in prison. It broadcasts a mixture of award-winning speech and music programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to more than 80,000 prisoners. This is designed to help people serving custodial sentences to cope with life inside and after prison, and aims to reduce re-offending by providing the support, information and inspiration to build a brighter future beyond bars.
âOur programmes are designed to let prisoners know about the services and support thatâs available, providing information that will help them turn away from crime,â says Tim Colman, director of development at the Prison Radio Association. âSupported by a team of professional radio producers, the shows are hosted by people who are in prison, who talk in a way that our audience can relate to, and are uniquely positioned to sow the seeds of ideas that can create long-lasting change.â
In 2022, the Prison Radio Association launched Life After Prison, a podcast series and online community for people affected by the criminal-justice system.
Hosted by ex-prisoners, for ex-prisoners, the podcast has helped listeners to learn more about the challenges of post-prison life. It features sensitively answered questions and signposts services that can ensure a smooth transition back into the community for the approximately 78,000 people released from prison across the uk in the last two years.
âPeople are keen to understand why I went to prison,â says co-host Jules Rowan, âand this is a question I have struggled to answer in the past without feeling judged or needing to explain the whole story. Through Life After Prison, Iâve found a way to deal with it that is helpful for the community and myself.â
In 2023/2024, the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity supported the Prison Radio Association with a core funding grant of ÂŁ30,000.
Blackpool Grand Theatreâs Tales Retold Project â Creating Opportunities for
More Than 900 Children
Traditionally known for its sandy beaches, thrill rides and illuminations, the formerly grand Lancashire seaside resort of Blackpool was ranked the most deprived local authority in England in 2019. Today, it is home to the highest number of children and young people in care in the country.
It has long been established that economic deprivation and instability can affect childrenâs wellbeing, resulting in higher levels of anxiety, behavioural problems, and lower levels of achievement and engagement at school.
The Tales Retold schools project uses stories presented on Blackpool Grandâs stage as a gateway to help local primary school children find, explore and define resilience through the exploration of the charactersâ challenges, successes and relationships. Through drama they practice resiliency skills and build confidence by retelling the stories they have explored to improve outcomes for the characters. They also gain new skills in storytelling and oracy. Since the programmeâs launch in 2020, 900 children and 24 teachers from 12 local primary schools have taken part in this creative learning experience. The initiative won the 2023 uk Theatre Award for Excellence in Arts Education and the 2024 Northern Cultural Education Awardsâ Hearts and Minds Award.
âThe unique Story-Led Resilient Practice uses stories as a way for children to find and explore resilience through charactersâ journeys,â says Celine Wyatt, head of creative development and learning at the Blackpool Grand. âThis allows children to stop and pause the action, and to spot resilient behaviour such as planning, being brave, trying new things, being helpful and expressing feelings. By learning from charactersâ resilience, participants build on their ability to solve problems and are more able to understand that there are a range of possibilities for change.â
She continued: âThe funding from the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity has allowed us to commit to a long-term project where 900 children have experienced 36 highquality drama workshops each â 432 drama workshops have been funded â as well as performing their stories twice to audiences on the Grandâs stage. This project helps the Grand serve its local community, enrich lives and improve the life chances of young people.â
The Goldsmithsâ Company Charity has supported Blackpool Grandâs Tales Retold project over multiple years. In 2023/2024 the Charity made a grant of ÂŁ20,000.
BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE
The London Museum â Bringing Treasures of the Past to International Audiences
In 2017, the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity became a founding partner of the new London Museum, pledging a donation of ÂŁ10m that would go towards the museumâs plans to create a spectacular new home for the history of London and its people in the beautiful and historic market buildings of Smithfield. This year, the Charity made the first of three payments honouring this pledge.
When the first phase of the new museum opens in 2026, visitors will be able to explore a gallery bearing the Goldsmithsâ name, showcasing the Cheapside Hoard, along with a selection of objects from the Companyâs world-renowned collection of historic and contemporary silver.
Speaking in 2021, former Prime Warden, Dame Lynne Brindley said: âVisitors will be able to see our unique Collection, marvel at the jewels of the Cheapside Hoard, and unlock fascinating stories about our craft and trade through the ages. Through this partnership, the Company and Charity will be able to do even more to nurture the skills and creativity of craftspeople for generations to come.â
In 2023â2024, the Goldsmithsâ Company Charity paid the first instalment of its 2017 ÂŁ10m pledge to the new London Museum. The grant will be paid in three equal instalments of ÂŁ3,333,333 across three fiscal years.
LONDON MUSEUM
Developing the Next Generation of Goldsmiths
âIsabel, our apprentice [âŚ] goes to day release training every Wednesday, which is great for her and convenient for us. Itâs very valid that the apprentices are learning, perfecting the craft and knowledge.â
â James Neville, founder and master engraver at Sam James Ltd, London
Apprentices bring new talent into businesses, sustain vital specialist skills and boost business performance. The Goldsmithsâ Company has proudly supported apprenticeships since the 14th century and holds records of more than 31,400 apprentices in its Archive.
In 2012, the Goldsmithsâ Centre began delivering the Goldsmithsâ Company Apprenticeship Scheme. It connects Company members and the wider industry with talented young people, and provides apprentices with day-release training, development opportunities and industry networks.
In 2022, the scheme expanded beyond London and the Southeast for the first time in 700 years. Six apprentices were placed with businesses on the expansion scheme, which is focused on the Midlands.
Working with the team from the Goldsmithsâ Centre, colleagues in the Companyâs Library and Archives, and Curatorial department give apprentices and others unique educational experiences â sharing objects, drawings, documents and books to build technical knowledge and inspire creativity.
In their final year, apprentices spend around 300 hours producing a masterpiece that shows the skills they have learnt. They present this to the Wardens of the Goldsmithsâ Company on completion of their apprenticeship and are awarded their Freedom as members of the Company.
2,520 HOURS
Hours of day-release training provided to support 18Â apprentices and their 15 apprentices in 2022
More than
31,400
Goldsmithsâ Company Apprentices since 1327
âThe expansion of the Goldsmithsâ Company Apprenticeship Scheme to the Midlands is a truly welcome step forward in the advancement of skills in the jewellery sector. Our apprentice is excited, keen and driven in his approach to the scheme, and for us supporting his development will ensure the future growth in diamond mounting at our company.â
â Gary Wroe, managing director, Hockley Mint
60 apprentices trained by The Goldsmithsâ Centre since 2012
4 Apprentices who completed their apprenticeships and presented their masterpieces in December 2023
10 A full cohort of apprentices were bound to employers in October 2023 apprentices
APPRENTICES CURRENTLY IN THE SCHEME
29 apprentices
23 London & Southeast
6 Expansion scheme
RENE GONZALEZ
Masterpieces
The following pieces were submitted by apprentices made free in 2023/2024
1: Silver chased cup, Charlie Lewis, 2023, apprenticed to Stuart Ray Ltd with a specialism in chasing
âIt has been a pleasure watching Charlie grow into a very accomplished chaser and young adult. Charlie has been a very willing and eager apprentice, which makes teaching him so much easier. Iâve showed a lot of my fellow masters Charlieâs masterpiece and all of them have had the same open-mouthed reaction followed by, âWow! How old is he?â This says a lot about his talent, which will continue to grow over the rest of his chasing career. I look forward to continuing to work with Charlie and guiding him as a journeyman to becoming a master in his own right.â
â Stuart Ray, director, Stuart Ray Ltd
2: Scale model of 1991 Nissan Figaro, Sophie Chapman, 2023, apprenticed to Asprey London Ltd as a silversmith
âIt has been a pleasure to see Sophie develop into a very skilled craftswoman during her apprenticeship and mentor her throughout her training. She has become a very confident, disciplined and creative silversmith, and should be very proud of what she has achieved so far. I am confident in saying that this is only the beginning for Sophie and that there will be many opportunities in the future for her to develop further into a master silversmith.â
â Paul Savage, production manager, Asprey London
3: Ish Wish dish, Celeste Heathcote, 2023, apprenticed to Sam James Ltd with a specialism in engraving
âItâs certainly been an exciting few years watching Celeste grow and develop into the hand engraver she is today. Along her journey she has consistently entered the GC&DC competition and has had great success, achieving Silver Awards each time. Celeste will tackle any job that comes into the workshop without fear and executes with great precision and flair. Itâs never a dull day with Celeste around. She injects not only a professional approach to her work but also an enormous amount of fun â the workshop would not be the same without her! I have no doubt that she will continue to improve and learn and become a fantastic craftsperson and a credit to our craft.â
â Samantha Marsden, managing director, Sam James Ltd
4: The Hummingbird necklace, Amy Gibson, 2023, apprenticed to Alex Monroe with a specialism in diamond mounting
âAmy was our first apprentice and sheâs set the standard high. She came to us mature for her age, with a good grounding in the craft and very keen to learn. Itâs been such a pleasure to watch her grow in confidence and to develop her skillset. Her amazing masterpiece is a great testament to her abilities. She is now a vital part of the team, contributing with super technical ability, a great eye for design, and confidence to deal directly with customers. I look forward to seeing her career continue to flourish.â
â Alex Monroe, founder and creative director, Alex Monroe Ltd
ALL MASTERPIECES IMAGES BY RICHARD VALENCIA
Championing Makers and Independent Creative Businesses
For more than four decades, the Goldsmithsâ Company has championed independent small businesses run by craftspeople and promoted emerging talent in uk craft and design. We do this through our annual selling event, Goldsmithsâ Fair, through acquisitions and commissions for the Company Collection and loans from it, and through our participation in, and support for, industry events.
Goldsmithsâ Fair exhibitors see more than ÂŁ2.5million in sales
Established in 1983, the Fair has launched, accelerated, and supported the careers and businesses of the ukâs leading contemporary jewellers and silversmiths, and their colleagues in the wider trade. It has created a unique opportunity for visitors to see, try and buy pieces made using precious metals, and learn about the skills, practices and inspirations behind them. Whatâs more, through a bursary scheme launched in the year 2000, it has helped more than 180 recent graduates to take their craft, creativity and career to the next level.
Over the last 10 years, the Goldsmithsâ Company has invested some ÂŁ5m in staging Goldsmithsâ Fair, with the goal of connecting craftspeople with consumers, collectors, and institutions, and creating an environment where small businesses can thrive.
In 2023, the Fair welcomed more than 7,000 uk and international visitors to Goldsmithsâ Hall, with the 136 exhibiting craftspeople generating ÂŁ2.5m in sales during the two-week event.
PAUL READ
GOLDSMITHSâ FAIR 2023
136 Exhibitors
126
Established
10 New Business Bursary
ÂŁ2.5m
Totalsalesbyexhibitors
>7000
Visitors
âA decade of regularly exhibiting at Goldsmithsâ Fair helped me build a great client base and introduced me to some amazing craftspeople. The Fair is an exciting place to be as a maker: youâre surrounded by a broad variety of silversmiths and jewellers, and can talk to thousands of potential clients, giving them the chance to provide valuable feedback, handle, buy and commission pieces. For some of my clients, the Fair is the only exhibition of contemporary silver they attend each year, making it both an exciting and important opportunity to share my passion for silver with others.â
â Ndidi Ekubia mbe , Silversmith
âHaving completed an mfa in jewellery at Edinburgh College of Art in 2018, being selected for the 2019 Goldsmithsâ Fair Graduate Bursary Scheme was a pivotal moment. It encouraged me to continue pursing my career as a jeweller and silversmith, and helped me to seamlessly connect my creative practice and the commercial elements of running a small business in the craft sector. Itâs a privilege to have exhibited at Goldsmithsâ Fair over the last five years, and I was thrilled when the Company bought a Curved Curves sterling silver brooch for the Collection in 2021. Through the opportunities and sales generated at Goldsmithsâ Fair, my practice has been promoted, acknowledged and developed â Iâm excited to see where it will take me next.â
â Sheng Zhang, Jeweller and Silversmith
PAUL READ
ALUN CALLENDER
18 new pieces acquired for the Company Collection
The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection is dedicated to historic plate and contemporary British designer silver, studio jewellery, and art medals. It is a working collection, and pieces from it are displayed, loaned and worn, as well as being used to teach the next generation of makers. One of the main ways that the Company shows its support for contemporary makers is through commissions and acquisitions for its Collection. In 2023â2024, the Company acquired pieces at Goldsmithsâ Fair, at Collect, through leading galleries, at auction and direct from the craftspeople.
SPEND OF COMMISSIONS AND ACQUISITIONS IN 2023/2024
8 medals
10 pieces of contemporary jewellery
6 pieces of contemporary silver
Inspiring Creativity through our Library and Archive
Between 2023 and 2024 the Goldsmithsâ Companyâs Library and Archive delivered eight creative inspirations workshops for designers and craftspeople. Developed in partnership with the Goldsmithsâ Centre, the workshops used the Companyâs unique collection of books and archives to spark new ideas.
Herringbone
Lynne
Seoul bowl, Max Warren, 2023, brass, copper, sterling silver. The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
RICHARD VALENCIA
ring,
MacLachlan, 2022, sterling silver, ceramic nano e-coating. The Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
CLARISSA BRUCE
CHRIS MANN
Pieces sold to Collections
Goldsmithsâ Fair celebrates 20 years of Collect
A special loan to the Science Museum
In November 2020, the Company commissioned leading silversmith, Junko Mori to create a piece that would be emblematic of the Covid-19 experience. She responded with Hope in Balance, a subtle sculpture constructed of three interlocking elements, constructed of cast elements in silver and bronze, which âshifts the viewerâs attention away from the viral enemy towards our strong immune systemâ.
Until the end of 2025, Hope in Balance is on loan to the Science Museum Group, as a part of Injecting Hope: The race for a Covid-19 Vaccine â a touring exhibition that explores the worldwide effort to develop vaccines at speed through an incredible variety of artworks, interactive installations and personal objects.
visitors to Collect 2024 2
In summer 2024, the exhibition moved to its second host venue, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, having given more than 5 million people the chance to see this important piece of contemporary silver at the Science Museum in London.
Presented by Crafts Council, Collect is the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, representing the pinnacle of artistry and creativity. In March 2024, Collect celebrated its 20th anniversary by welcoming more than 12,000 visitors to Somerset House in London to see and buy pieces from more than 400 markers, presented by 40 specialist galleries.
To mark this special celebration, Goldsmithsâ Fair showcased work from Megan Brown, Sian Evans, Ella Fearon-Low, Melanie Georgacopulous, Castro Smith and Simone ten Hompel, alongside a display of 100 brooches and wallpieces made by past Fair exhibitors.
The team made sales of a Castro Smith ring to the V&A Museum and a pair of Simone ten Hompel vessels to the Goldsmithsâ Company Collection.
12,000
Goldsmithsâ Fair makers represented at Collect
CLARISSA BRUCE
PAUL READ
OUR MEMBERSHIP
1,611
UK AND INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS
301 LIVERYMEN & ASSOCIATES
1,280 FREEMEN
56
NEW FREEMEN JOINED THE COMPANY
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
MEMBERS OF THE COURT OF ASSISTANTS
Professor Charles G. Mackworth-Young cvo, Prime Warden until 15 May 2024
Mr Richard H. Reid Prime Warden from 15 May 2024
Brigadier Edward Butler cbe, dso, Second Warden from 15 May 2024
Mr Edward Braham Third Warden from 15 May 2024
Miss Joanna Hardy frsa, fga, Fourth Warden from 15 May 2024
*The Lord Cunliffe
HM The King kg kt gcb (Honorary Assistant)
*Mr Martin Drury cbe, fsa
Mr Grant Macdonald
*Mr Michael Galsworthy cvo, cbe, dl
Mr Hector Miller
*Mr Richard Agutter
Mr William Parente cbe, dl
Dr Timothy Schroder dlitt, fsa
Mr Michael Wainwright
Mrs Judith Cobham-Lowe obe, frsa
Mr Michael Prideaux
*Mr Neil Carson obe frsa
Mr Thomas Fattorini
Mr Edward Harley obe
Mr Arthur Drysdale
Miss Victoria Broackes
Miss Cassandra Goad fga
Dame Lynne Brindley dbe, hon fba
Mr Richard Fox
The Lord Bridges kcvo
Ms Nicola Le Clair
Miss E K Himsworth kc
Mr Robert Hayes
Mr Jocelyn Robert Skeates Assistant from 21 February 2024
* Denotes a Retired Assistant
THE LIVERY
The following deaths were reported to the Company during the year, preceded by the year of admission.
1941 Michael Ralph Winwood
1953 Norman Victor Bassant
1959 John Alistair Donald
1974 Ian Alexander Neville McIntosh
1976 Lorna Esme Margery Walker
1982 Malcolm Paul Weston Godfrey
1994 Victor Anthony Cazalet
The following freemen were elected to the Livery during the year.
Mrs Serena Belinda Leslie Fox
Mr Simon George Hutchinson
ASSOCIATES
The following deaths were reported to the Company during the year, preceded by the year of admission.
2010 Oliver John Makower
The following has been enrolled as an associate of the Goldsmithsâ Company honoris causa:
Mr Robert Hiller
FREEMEN
New Freemen July 2023 to May 2024
BY SPECIAL GRANT
James Anthony Cargill
Deputy Production Manager, Heathrow, The Goldsmithsâ Company Assay Office
Cherelle Ann Constantinou
Purchase Ledger Manager, The Goldsmithsâ Company
Sarah Kimberley Harris Financial Accountant, The Goldsmithsâ Company
Karine Martine Marguerite Lepeuple
Deputy Director, The Goldsmithsâ Centre
Manisha Shah Goldsmithsâ Financial Controller, The Goldsmithsâ Company
BY REDEMPTION
Georgina Catherine Agnew Silver Specialist
Ajay Bagga General Practitioner
Charles Alexander Barron Gemstone Dealer
Jessica Jane Bates Mounter & cad Designer
Charles Oliver John Betts Broker
Alessandro Borruso Deputy Director, Jewellery at Sothebyâs
Sonia Barbara Cheadle Designer Maker
David Clarke Silversmith
David Nicholas Rogotta Clarke Accountant
Sophie Helen Cunliffe Jeweller
Carline Lydia Deal Director, Bonum iDeas Limited
Thomas Kenric Franks Chair, Assay Office Management Board
Rachel Amy Garrahan Journalist
Frederick Hawkesley Baron Hayes Investment Manager
Silversmith, daughter of Hilary Ann Chapman and late apprentice of Paul Savage (Asprey London Ltd)
Amy Elizabeth Ann Gibson
Diamond Mounter, daughter of Sally Bridget Gibson and late apprentice of Alexander John Monroe (Alex Monroe Ltd)
Celeste Hope Heathcote Hand Engraver, daughter of Warren James Heathcote and late apprentice of Samantha Marsden (Sam James Ltd)
Charlie Lewis
Diamond Mounter, son of Kelly Jayne Lewis and late apprentice of Stuart Matthew Ray (Stuart Ray Ltd)
BY PATRIMONY
Naomi Jane Whiston
Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, daughter of John Richard Wilson (Liveryman)
BINNEY MEDAL WINNERS 2023
Raja Qadri Allan Mackay
COMMITTEES
ASSAY OFFICE MANAGEMENT BOARD
Mr Tom Franks â Chair
Mr Richard Agutter
Ms Justine Carmody
Mr Nick Claydon
Mr Richard Southall
CHARITY
The Hon. Mrs Meg Sanders â Chair
Miss Emma Himsworth
Mr William Barrie
Miss Daisy Drury
Ms Kristina Glenn
Dr Marcus Harbord
Ms Eliza Higginbottom
Mr Jason Holt
Mr Richard Hopkinson-Woolley
Revd Dr Alan McCormack
Mr Ronan OâHora
COLLECTIONS
Dr Timothy Schroder â Chair
Mr Martin Drury
Mr Arthur Drysdale
Mr Robert Hayes
Mr John Andrew
Sir Timothy Clifford
Mrs Lucy Morton
Mr James Rothwell
Dame Rosalind Savill
Mr Matthew Winterbottom
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Miss Cassandra Goad â Chair
Mr Robert Hayes
Ms Kathryn Bishop
Ms Rachel Garrahan
Mr Andrien Meyers
Ms Karin Paynter
Mr Andrew Peake
Mrs Tricia Topping
CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
Mr Arthur Drysdale â Chair
Dr Timothy Schroder
Miss Joanna Hardy
Mr Clive Burr
Mrs Angela Cork
Mr Julian Cross
Mrs Amanda Game
Miss Corinne Julius
Mr Andrew Lamb
Dr Tessa Murdoch
DIGITAL
Mr Doug Twining â Chair
Brigadier Edward Butler
Mr Tijs Broeke
Mr Nick Claydon
Dr Vanessa Lawrence
Mr Phil Merson
Mr Dominic Newman
Mr Sushil Saluja
EDUCATION
Mrs Judith Cobham-Lowe â Chair
Dame Lynne Brindley
Mr James Buchanan-Dunlop
Mr Andrew Chicken
Miss Victoria Harper
Mr Rod Kelly
Dr Vanessa Lawrence
Mr Patrick Loughrey
Mr Kieran Mackle
The Hon. Dr Elisabeth Martin
Ms Afsheen Nawaz
Mr Robert Straker
FINANCE & RISK
The Lord Bridges â Chair
Mr Richard Agutter
Ms Nicola Le Clair
Ms Vanessa Sharp
FOOD & WINE
Mr Edward Braham â Chair
Ms Nicola Le Clair
Mr Simon Hutchinson
Mr Paul Michael
Mr Joe Parente
GOLDSMITHSâ
HALLMARKING AUTHENTICATION COMMITTEE
Dr Timothy Schroder â Chair
Mr Peter Cameron
Miss Jane Ewart
Mr Gareth Harris
Mr Ian Irving
Mr Timo Koopman
Mr Tim Martin
Mrs Lucy Morton
Mr James Rothwell
Mr John Stirling
Mr Jonathan Stone
Mr Harry Williams-Bulkeley
HOUSE
Mr Richard Fox â Chair
Mr Martin Drury
Mrs Nicola Buchanan-Dunlop
Miss Annabel Eley
Mr Paul Michael
Mr Nick Cox (Consultant Architect)
INVESTMENT
Mr William Parente â Chair
Mr Robert Hayes
Mr David Barnett
Mr William Hill
Sir Stuart Lipton
Miss Elizabeth Passey
Mr Edward Wakefield
LIBRARY & ARCHIVES
Dame Lynne Brindley â Chair
Mr William Parente
Mrs Judith Cobham-Lowe
Dr Justin Colson
Miss Hazel Forsyth
Dame Diane Lees
Miss Elizabeth Passey
Mr Oliver Urquhart-Irvine
MEMBERSHIP
Brigadier Edward Butler â Chair
Mr Thomas Fattorini
Mr Alverne Bolitho
Mrs Joanna Clark
Mr John Hammond
Miss Rebecca Joselyn
Mrs Judith Lockwood
Mr Andy Putland
Ms Rachel Sandby-Thomas
Mr Frederick Toye
GOLDSMITHSâ CENTRE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mr Michael Wainwright â Chair of Trustees
Mrs Gaynor Andrews
Mr Arthur Drysdale
Ms Rupa Lakha
Mr Alex Monroe
Mr Jos Skeates
Miss Arabella Slinger
OBITUARY
TONY SHEPHERD
SCOTT ANTHONY SHEPHERD, always known as Tony, will be remembered for his trim figure, ramrod-straight back and immaculate appearance, which disguised an easy charm and a smile that was never far away. After Marlborough College came a year at art college and then five years qualifying as an architect. Two years of national service as an observer in the Fleet Air Arm followed, after which he was offered a regular commission. A return to architecture also beckoned strongly, but in the end filial duty triumphed.
In 1957, Tony joined Saunders and Shepherd, the firm of manufacturing goldsmiths that had been founded by his grandfather and would celebrate its 125th anniversary in 1994. Based in London initially, he was despatched to run its subsidiary company in Birmingham before being recalled in 1970 to become chairman following his fatherâs death. The firm was a major supplier to the leading West End and provincial retailers, and in 1980 it made the gold bracelet for Lady Diana Spencer, a 20th birthday present from her mother, which she wore at her wedding to Prince Charles. That year the London premises moved to No 1, Bleeding Heart Yard in Hatton Garden. The firm was also a distributor for Gay Frères of Geneva and later for Fope of Vicenza. It also became the British agents for Corum, the Swiss watchmaker, and during the Basel international jewellery fair Tony would be ensconced in one of the palaces built by the leading watch manufacturers in the Watch Pavilion. In 2002, Saunders and Shepherd was consolidated in Birmingham, but as the new century advanced the fashion for gold
watches waned. Gold watch cases and bracelets had been a key element of the firmâs business and much to Tonyâs great disappointment, it ceased trading in 2021. Meanwhile Tony had become an active member of the Goldsmithsâ Company. Within four years of being elected a Liveryman he was appointed to the Court of Assistants and in 1991 found himself catapulted into the office of Prime Warden. His predecessor had died early in his year and Tony agreed to step into the breach and serve for 15 months. It proved to be a generous gesture. Almost simultaneously the country entered a recession and Tony found himself not only nursing his own firm through the crisis, but also helping to stabilise affairs in the Goldsmithsâ Company. Luckily, Goldsmithsâ Hall was a relatively short walk from Bleeding Heart Yard.
In 1992, the European Union launched its Single Market with the prospect of hallmarking being harmonised, and the Goldsmithsâ Company found itself fighting on a number of fronts. Six of the then 12 member states had no hallmarking regimes, and in April that year Tony presided at a dinner at the hall for cibjo , the world jewellery confederation â perhaps now chiefly memorable for the iraâs detonation of a bomb at the Baltic Exchange in the middle of it. This diplomatic initiative was repeated in the form of a dinner for leading members of the continental jewellery industries in Basel, at which Tony eloquently set out the uk âs position on hallmarking. While it failed to change the mindset of the non-hallmarking countries, this event represented the opening salvo of the Companyâs decade-long campaign to
preserve hallmarking. As Tony remarked on standing down as Prime Warden, âit was not always easy.â The Goldsmithsâ Company was fortunate to have had at its helm a Prime Warden who possessed both calm judgement and an intimate knowledge of the jewellery industry. Appropriately, his Prime Wardenâs commission was a travelling badge made by Lexi Dick, which is still in use.
Tony and his wife Carolyn enjoyed a number of homes together, but he was perhaps happiest in the New Forest where he could ride his horse and walk his dog. Five years before his death they moved to Corsham in Wiltshire. He is survived by Carolyn and their three daughters Anne, Diana and Jane. âŚ
RBD
Design for Dunwich Beach lidded bowl, Phil Barnes, circa 2014, ink, pencil and crayon on paper. Goldsmithsâ Companyâs Archive. RICHARD VALENCIA
