A silversmith is a craftsman who makes objects from silver, shaping the metal by raising, casting, spinning, chasing, engraving and soldering. In Britain silversmiths have historically been members of, or regulated by, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London and the assay offices that test and mark precious metal.
The traditional method of raising involves hammering a flat sheet over a stake, annealing it repeatedly to keep it workable, until a hollow form such as a bowl or coffee pot emerges. Decoration might be added by chasing, embossing, engraving, piercing or applying cast mounts. Every piece submitted for hallmarking carries the maker's mark, originally a symbol and later the maker's initials, so the work of individual silversmiths can be traced. Celebrated names include Paul de Lamerie, the Huguenot goldsmith working in London in the early eighteenth century, Hester Bateman and her family workshop, and Paul Storr, whose grand Regency silver was retailed by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell. In the later nineteenth century large manufacturers increasingly dominated, but the Arts and Crafts movement revived interest in hand-raised work. A good maker's mark can add considerably to value.
