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Teacher note: A number of students contributed to these pages on Colonial times. Each contributed diffferent information or a different perspective. You may find that each article adds to your understanding and research base.
The craft we are doing is Goldsmith. This person used various
tools to shape gold into any shape. They made mostly jewelry and mostly sold
them to the wealthy. First, they melted the gold into a super-heated liquid
and after it was melted, they poured it into an object that suited the shape
wanted. It would cool, then the smiths would pound the gold to make it thin
and malleable. They used hammers to flatten and shape the gold. This process
took a long time. Afterwards, they would smooth it with smooth-faced wooden
mallets and solder on any attachments. Finally, they would put on a coat of
rogue or pumice for shine and sell it.
skill in sculpting and
they would need creativity to make new and even more intriguing objects.
.A silver smith is almost the same as a gold smith. A silversmith's work was a business in which the smith would turn silver coin or a silver piece into jewelry, bowls, spoons and other types of kitchenware. To make a mug, the silver had to be melted down and shaped. You would most likely see a silversmith shop in a Willamsburg or another large city.
The silversmith had to know how to use tools
and to how to shape things. They also had to have skills. A person who wanted
to own a silversmith shop had to know more then the trade; they had to know
how to manage their money. They also had to know-how to deal with clients and
competitors. There were two different kinds of shops. There was a shop which
made smaller things, which had latticed floors to catch bits of metal and filings.
This shop was referred to as the jewelry shop. There was another shop, which
made larger things such as tea sets and trays.
The society depended on this craft because it was a way to store money when there were few or no banks in existence. By taking your silver coins to the silversmith to get them turned into a mug or something, a person could keep the valuable metal. They could then put it out for everyone to see. A person could then keep an eye on their money. If I had worked and saved up my silver coins and just left all of them lying around people would think I'm a pack rat, but if I took the coins to the silversmith to be melted into a big saucer plate all my guests would think I was rich. This is one reason the rich had a silver tea service of a tray, teapot, sugar bowl and cream pitcher on the dining room table. It was a way of luxury because class was a big thing, although it wasn't only useful to the higher class, it was for a person of any class who could afford it.
Today if I were to become a silversmith it would be satisfying to me because it looks like a challenge, which I'm up for. It would be a way to be creative and use my free time. The industry that is similar to this today is the jewelry business, which works the same as before. Some of the things people did along time ago for silversmithing have changed. There are big companies that make trays and things in a factory. Some people also still do use the same tools this silversmiths did.
This site is created and maintained by Holly
Geddes.
Last updated on
March 11, 2003