Silversmiths in Colonial Williamsburg

On this frigid day in Colonial Williamsburg we watched silversmiths fashioning bowls by hammering sheets of silver over round molds. There was a forge in the back room of the shop, but I suppose today the women preferred to be by the steady warmth of the toasty fireplace up front. We shivering visitors certainly preferred standing by that roaring fire.

Here are some spoons they had already made and a display of the making of a spoon—start to finish. The silversmith began with a small bar of silver, shown at the top, and two hours of pounding later, ended up with a spoon like the one at the bottom.

Polishing to a high gloss was done with pumice (volcanic rock), tripoli (silica), and jeweler’s rouge (fine abrasive powders). One silversmith demonstrated making intricate designs in silver by using a punch, drill, and jeweler’s saw. In more complicated artistic creations, such as jewelry, and utilitarian pieces, such as teapots, s/he would solder pieces together. In colonial times a silversmith was considered somewhat of a sculptor.