A taste of Jewellery and Silversmithing history

This week in the Benchpeg Newsletter, the Goldsmiths’ Company have announced that they will be displaying a beautiful 2000 year old silver bowl called the Corieltavi Silver Bowl during British Silver Week which is running at Goldsmiths’ Hall from tomorrow.



Corieltavi Silver Bowl

 

Opulent Ethics were so taken with the idea that this simple, beautiful bowl was made during the Iron Age and yet, could match some of today’s silver-smithing masters. It got us thinking about what else has stood the test of time.

The Corieltavi Silver Bowl is made from over 84% silver which has been alloyed with copper, a process still undertaken with modern day silver. The bowl is the earliest example ever found in the UK of Iron Age silversmithing techniques. It was found in what is thought to be a Druid site used for ritualistic offerings to the Gods. Other pieces found included ingots, coins, wooden carved statues and pieces of jewellery.

Further investigation revealed that techniques still used by today’s silversmiths were used by the silversmith who made the Corieltavi Silver Bowl. Evidence of planishing (smoothing the surface of the material), caulking (thickening of the edge of the metal by hammering the edge rather than the top of the material) and peening (hammering a thick piece of metal to form the centre whilst the edges remain at the initial thickness) was found.

This made Opulent Ethics think back to when we visited the Staffordshire Hoard which went on show at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery after the Hoard was first discovered in Staffordshire in 2009.



Piece of the Staffordshire Hoard



Over 1500 pieces were found in the Hoard including what are believed to be the decorative patterning taken from the hilts of swords, a helmet and numerous religious artefacts. The Hoard contains over 5kg of gold but also some silver and copper alloyed metals.

Opulent Ethics were most taken by those pieces which contained patterning, especially filigree, and stone set sections. The main stone used was Garnet. It is believed that the pieces found in the Hoard were used by Royalty and elite due to the amount of craftsmanship used as well as the, now almost priceless, materials.

Garnet and Gold decorative element of the Staffordshire Hoard

Opulent Ethics really hope that the jewellery we make can stand up to the test of time like these amazing artefacts!

That’s all for now….

Is the latest Government idea making an ass(ay) out of Hallmarking?

For over 770 years now the UK has used hallmarking as a safety net for jewellery and silversmithing products, The service is offered by 4 Assay Offices in the UK (Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield and London) and ensures that legal standards are met and adhered to.

Hallmarking

Other services offered by these Assay Offices include standard and laser hallmarking of many precious metals, analytical testing of jewellery to ensure they comply with current nickel and mercury legislation, measuring the thickness of plating, the assessment of bullion samples, durability and tarnish testing, environmental analysis and medical research to name but a few, and all this has made them an integral part of the UK jewellery industry.

The Coalition Government are currently trying to cut down on the amount of red tape that retail businesses have to go through. Under this review Hallmarking has been highlighted as one such area which could be removed. As it currently stands, every regulation which has been questioned will be abolished if no objection is raised before the deadline on May 5^th.

Outside of the UK our jewellery is held in such high regard because buyers know the standards our jewellery and silver products have to reach in order to be hallmarked. The Assay Offices are careful to monitor and adapt to legislation and they also change in light of public opinion. This was shown most recently with the new Fairtrade and Fairmined gold hallmark becoming available in conjunction with the Assay Office.

If hallmarking were to disappear this would open the UK jewellery industry to the possibility of imitation or lower quality pieces flooding the market. No longer would items be analysed and certified as containing the required and established levels of metals. In theory, anything could be used. And for those of us who are unable to tell the difference between 9 and 18 carat gold by eye, who knows what we will be buying?

In the short time since the Government suggested scrapping hallmarking there has been a huge outcry from all areas of the jewellery industry and beyond, calling for hallmarking to be left or only altered slightly.

So far, the Birmingham Assay Office have said that they “...believe it is imperative to the British consumer for the current and future UK jewellery industry to maintain hallmarking as a statutory independent service”. And others who support this sentiment include The Goldsmiths Company, F Hinds, Professional Jeweller, Retail Jeweller, Betts Metal Sales and Opulent Ethics, to name but a few, and these have been joined by 2633 other comments which have all been left on the Governments Red Tape Challenge website so far. And they all seem to be saying pretty much the same thing; “Keep the hallmark”.

If you wish to add your comments to the debate or believe that the hallmark is important enough to save please go to the Red Tape Challenge website and leave your thoughts. This is what the Government will be reviewing prior to making their final decision.

And it doesn’t just have to be your opinion on why the hallmarking system should be saved. If there are legislative parts of the process which you think could work better or be altered then put that down too. But please make sure that you do visit the site as, without your voice this could be the end of an important British jewellery standard.

That’s all for now....

Made versus manufactured; which is better in today’s throwaway society?

This year Origin is part of the London Design Festival which includes fairs and shows incorporating product design, fashion, jewellery, furniture and much more all within the capital. There were 200+ makers in one showcase at the Old Spitalfields Market for Origin.

On the other end of the scale from Origin is Goldsmiths’ Fair which showcases fine jewellery and silver and goldsmiths’ from across the world all portraying their own version of Contemporary metal crafts.

Within the programme for Origin 2010 is the statement “Consumers are moving away from global luxury brands to more personal, individual and ethical choices, and to ownership of objects that have a more direct connection with the person who made them. Contemporary craft embodies all these values, and they are made manifest at fairs such as Origin, where meeting the maker face-to-face adds an extra dimension.”

So does the revival in craft come hand in hand with the recession or is hand-craft rather than mass-market manufacture finally being seen as the way forward in today’s throw-away society? Opulent Ethics visited Origin 2010 and the Goldsmiths’ Fair ’10 to find out.

It has been noted by many that there has been a resurgence in recent years of objects which portray hand skills being more attractive to consumers than mass-production items. At Origin 2010 it was refreshing to see so many hand-crafted items from numerous genres on sale all in one place.

The word craft can bring to mind a thought of less luxurious products which cannot match up to high end retailers. So which is worth more; workmanship or high-end materials?

Opulent Ethics visited Goldsmiths’ Fair first and were pleasantly surprised by the amount of hand-crafted pieces.

As one of the first people to use laser welding in jewellery within the UK Tom Rucker creates pieces of jewellery which stand apart from other contemporary jewellery. The “Godfather” of laser welded jewellery finds his inspiration in architecture, aeronautics and nature and has developed his own laser welding technique to convey this beauty and design.

 Tom Rucker Laser-Welded Earrings

Both Jenny Deans and Gerlinde Huth use movement or the suggestion of it within their jewellery. Huth repeats and combines units to create jewellery which appears complex and conveys natural shapes through intricately constructed pieces. Jenny Deans uses similar characteristics in her work whilst encouraging wearer interaction and movement of the pieces.  

Mark Nuell draws his inspiration from growing up around gemstones but his actual pieces speak more about nature. Stones used within the jewellery are beautiful and draw the eye but it is the asymmetrical shapes and flow of the pieces that really draw the viewer in.

Sadly Opulent Ethics was unable to visit the second week of Goldsmiths’ Fair but makers who caught our eye in the brochure included Kevin Grey whose silversmithing pieces express simplicity and calm whilst also conveying technical accuracy and decorative flair. 

Hannah Louise Lamb, who Opulent Ethics has seen on show at numerous galleries throughout London and is amazed by each time due to her dedication to hand skills including intricate saw-piercing. We here at Opulent Ethics also love her inclusion of alternative materials such as fabric and semi-precious stones.

Finally, Jacqueline Cullen is a master of working with Whitby Jet (one of our favourite alternatives to usual gemstones). Opulent Ethics saw her at Origin and in galleries in London and were impressed by her development of techniques to incorporate Jet, a fairly delicate and rare material, into beautiful jewellery. Cullen uses gold within her designs whilst allowing the natural breaks and cleaves of the material to speak for itself.

 Jacqueline Cullen Whitby Jet Earrings

At Origin Opulent Ethics loved Claire Brewster who managed to transform her stand into an area of peace and tranquillity amongst a bustling, crazy space. Brewster creates birds cut from colourful atlases and transforms them into a calming display. Opulent Ethics was also attracted by the shadow play of the cut outs on the wall behind. All in all, a beautiful, serene environment.

Having seen Jane Moore in numerous outlets we were pleased to see previously unseen patterns and shapes on Jane Moore’s fabulous button-like jewellery.

Maya Selway is a silversmith who uses fusing to create one-off shapes and patterns within her pieces. The effect which is created is awe-inspiring and so different to everything else that we saw at Origin. Not knowing how a piece will turn out is a scary but fascinating way of working.

Shan Annabelle Valla creates glass and ceramic objects for the home but we fell in love with the goldfinches. They are totally superfluous but such fun!

So, overall, Opulent Ethics found that hand-craft is important to the market at both ends. It is simply the marketing which sets the two shows apart; Goldsmiths’ sell hand techniques as luxury whereas Origin market hand techniques as the back-bone of their market and without which they would not exist.

Either way, Opulent Ethics believe that hand made jewellery (and other crafts) have their place in the market. We also believe that this is not a comeback but that hand skills have been there all along; it is simply a change in “fashion” which is allowing these types of products to come back to the fore. So, whether you have the wallet for the craft market or the top end market please keep buying!

Bye for now….