The history of the gold and silversmith trade
One of the world's oldest crafts.
Gold and silver have fascinated humans for thousands of years. The metals do not rust, they glimmer beautifully and can be shaped into the finest. As a gold and silversmith you work in one of the world's oldest crafts, where techniques that are several hundred years old are still used side by side with modern tools.
§The craft's development.
Precious metal smithing has followed civilizations throughout history. An important part of the trade's history is the struggle to ensure that the metal is actually what it claims to be — which is why systems were developed to control and stamp the purity.
| Period | Development. |
|---|---|
| Antiquity | Jewelry and objects of gold and silver are made in many cultures. |
| The Middle Ages | Make a test part or test run before the entire series is set in motion. It catches errors in setup or program while it still only costs one part — not the entire series. |
| 1608 | Copenhagen's city mark — the three towers — comes into use and marks the silver's fineness (originally about 843 per thousand). |
| 1800-tallet | Industrialisation makes jewellery more widespread but the craft is preserved among silversmiths. |
| The present | PLACEHOLDER_68 |
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One of the trade's most important concepts is fineness — that is how much of a piece of metal is pure precious metal. A well-known stamp is 925S which means sterling silver: 925 parts silver out of 1000. The stamps tell what the object is made of and are an old way to secure customer trust.
§The craft today.
The Danish tradition of silversmithing is known throughout the world. As a gold and silversmith today you combine the old craft — filing, soldering, hammering and polishing — with modern tools. You stand on the shoulders of centuries of experience every time you sit down at the workbench.