The gold and silversmith's working day

Being a goldsmith and silversmith requires patience, precision and a steady hand. You work with small, expensive pieces of metal where a small mistake is clearly visible. Therefore, care and concentration are part of everyday life.

Jewelry is built from metal that is cut, filed, bent and hammered into shape. Precious metal is soft enough to form, but requires the right techniques. You learn to work precisely so that the parts fit together before they are assembled.

• 01Saw and file for cutting and shaping metal precisely.
• 02Forging and bending to give the metal shape.
• 03Soldering to join parts with heat and a solder metal.
• 04Polishing to give the surface its final shine.

Soldering is a core technique. You heat the metal up and use a solder metal that melts at a lower temperature to bind the parts together. It requires a feel for the heat: too little and the solder won't flow; too much and you melt the jewelry itself.

Much of the work is repairing and restoring jewellery the customer loves. A ring may need to be enlarged, a chain repaired, or an old stone set in a new mounting. Here it is important to treat the customer's piece with respect — it often has great sentimental value.

Regardless of the task, you finish with polishing and inspection. A finished piece of jewellery should be clean, smooth and free of sharp edges and solder marks. It is the details that distinguish a professional piece from amateur work.