silversmith

A silversmith is a craftsman who makes objects from silver, including hollowware such as teapots and bowls, flatware like forks and spoons, jewelry, and ecclesiastical or decorative pieces. Silver is typically alloyed for strength, most commonly sterling silver, which is about 92.5 percent silver with copper or other metals. The term can apply to individual makers or workshops specializing in silverwork.

Historically, silversmithing has flourished in many regions of Europe and the Americas. In Britain, major centers developed in London, Sheffield, and Birmingham, supported by guilds and apprenticeships. In colonial North America, silversmiths supplied household and institutional service pieces. Today the craft persists in small studios and larger workshops that combine traditional methods with contemporary design.

Techniques include raising and forging, soldering, and casting, complemented by decorative work such as repoussé and chasing, engraving, and occasionally filigree or enameling. Finishing involves filing, polishing, and sometimes gilding or plating. Tools range from stakes, hammers, and anvils to pitch, chasing tools, and burnishers.

Many silver objects carry marks indicating maker, origin, and alloy. In Britain, sterling pieces are often stamped with a sponsor’s mark, a city mark, a standard mark (for example, a lion passant), and a date letter. In the United States, sterling is commonly marked as 92.5 or "Sterling." Modern silversmiths may work solo or in design studios, preserving craft while exploring new forms.