How a Goldsmith can help Restore your Jewellery

goldsmith.jpgGoldsmiths are jewellery workers who are involved in jewellery design containing gold and precious stones like diamonds. Historically, goldsmiths were seen as present-day bankers, as they were involved in the actions of refining and storing gold for future use.

A goldsmith’s skill set varies between forging, melting, casting, cutting, soldering, filling, engraving, enamelling and the polishing of precious metals and gemstones. Goldsmiths can form metals and have a deep knowledge of the properties and working characteristics in the materials.

Goldsmiths have been present throughout history, from the Egyptians and Greeks to the Romans and Renaissance goldsmiths. Today, the techniques developed by the past goldsmiths have been changed by the ever-adapting technology. Casting has almost completely replaced hand fabrication and lasers are now used to form extremely fine welds, thus eliminating the need for goldsmiths with fine soldering skills.

Computers are also used by goldsmiths to produce 3D moulds for casting, and thus pieces of jewellery are easily mass produced rather than completely handmade, individual pieces.

Old jewellery can appear battered and messy, or gemstones may become loose from their clasps. Goldsmiths are able to work on older jewellery in order to restore it to its previous beauty, helping to smooth out any dents and refit stones that have come loose. Goldsmiths can also add engravings to old and new jewellery for those who wish to add a unique emblem to their pieces.

Gold is the most malleable metal. This means it is the easiest metal to be hammered or pressed into shape without breaking or cracking. Therefore, it’s a great metal for goldsmiths to work on, though goldsmiths of today also work with metals like platinum and silver. However, 24 carat gold is rarely used by goldsmiths because it is so soft. It will usually be alloyed beforehand, which will make it stronger, and goldsmiths will then also be able to create different colours.

At Cuttings the Jewellers, we have a fully qualified goldsmith on the premises with over 30 years’ experience in repairing and refurbishing gold jewellery. 

For more information, please contact the team via our contact page or by visiting us at ourMargate or Ramsgate store. 

Loading Conversation

Our use of cookies

We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookies page. Cookie Control Link Icon


Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.