Are You a Master of Goldsmithing?

Goldsmithing: A Skilled Trade for Precious Metals

• Goldsmiths are metalworkers who specialize in working with gold and other precious metals, including jewelry-making, silverware, platters, goblets, utensils, and religious items.
• Goldsmiths must have skills in filing, soldering, sawing, forging, casting, and polishing, which are generally passed down through apprenticeships or taught in jewelry arts schools.
• Gold is malleable, ductile, rare, and the only metallic element with a yellow color, which makes it easy to melt, fuse, and cast without oxidization and tarnishing.
• Gold has been worked by humans in all cultures where the metal is available and dates back thousands of years, with some techniques still used by modern goldsmiths.
• In medieval Europe, goldsmiths were organized into guilds, kept records of members and marks, acted as bankers, and usually were one of the wealthiest guilds in a city.
• The printmaking technique of engraving developed among goldsmiths in Germany around 1430, who had long used the technique on their metal pieces.
• A goldsmith might have a wide array of skills and knowledge at their disposal, including using machinery such as the rolling mill, the drawplate, and swage blocks.
• 24 karat gold is pure gold but too soft to use, so it is usually alloyed with other metals to create different colors and make it stronger.
• A fine goldsmith can work to a tolerance approaching that of precision machinery using only his eyes and hand tools.
• A jeweler is a person who deals in jewelry (buys and sells), while a goldsmith, silversmith, gemologist, diamond cutter, and diamond setter are skilled tradespeople.
• Notable historical and contemporary goldsmiths have made significant contributions to the field of goldsmithing.
• Goldsmithing is a skilled trade that has evolved over time and continues to be a valuable part of the jewelry industry.