FAMOUS SILVERSMITHS: Masters of Antique Silverware

At JH Tee Antiques, we specialize in fine antique silverware. This guide introduces some of the most famous silversmiths and manufacturing houses from North America, Great Britain, and Continental Europe whose work defines the history and enduring appeal of collectible silver flatware and hollowware.

🇺🇸🇨🇦 North American Silversmiths

TIFFANY & CO

America’s most iconic silversmith from the mid-19th to early 20th century. Founded in 1837 as Tiffany & Young, the firm made history in 1851 by becoming the first American company to adopt the English Sterling Standard (.925 purity) for its domestically produced silver. Under Charles Tiffany’s sole management, the name changed to Tiffany & Company in 1853. The addition of master silversmith Edward C. Moore, Jr. to the team introduced flatware to their product range. In 1867, Tiffany became the first American firm to win the grand prize for silver craftsmanship at the Paris Exposition Universelle. This award, along with others from World’s Fairs, secured their appointments as silversmith and jeweler to numerous European royal families.

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GORHAM MANUFACTURING CO

Established in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1831, Gorham quickly grew into one of the world's largest and most influential silversmiths. Initially manufacturing coin-silver flatware and jewelry, the company’s annual sales surpassed $1 million by the late 1860s. Gorham achieved tremendous success with iconic sterling silver flatware patterns like Chantilly, patented in 1895, which remains one of the most popular patterns globally. Their artistic pinnacle may be the limited line of exquisite, handmade Art Nouveau silver known as Martele. Gorham’s notable commissions include the Lincoln White House Tea and Coffee Service (1861), the Davis Cup tennis trophy, and the Nixon White House Table Service (1974).

CARL POUL PETERSEN (1895-1977)

According to his family history, Carl Poul Petersen apprenticed at Georg Jensen in Denmark before emigrating to Canada in 1929. After briefly working at Henry Birks & Sons, he established his own Montreal studio in 1944. Unlike Birks' industrial scale, Petersen’s firm, C.P. Petersen & Sons, focused on largely handcrafted production. Unlike Birks, Petersen’s production was largely by hand and his designs were inspired by the naturalistic forms of Danish silver. His work is immortalized in Canadian history through his 1962 commission to reproduce the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the trophy still in use today. The company remained in business until 1979. To see the marks used by Petersen and other Canadian Silversmiths see our article here .

HENRY BIRKS & SONS

Birks was by far the largest and most influential Canadian silversmith in the 20th century. Henry Birks & Company was established in Montreal in 1879 as a retail jeweller. It became Henry Birks & Sons in 1893 when his three sons joined the business. In 1897 Birks bought out Hendery & Leslie, their largest supplier of silverware, and began manufacturing their own products. Birks manufactured flatware and some hollowware in their Montreal factory until the early 1990s when the silver factory was closed and production was moved offshore. Birks is one of a select few companies outside Great Britain to have been granted a Royal Warrant, which it received in 1935 from Edward VII, then the Prince of Wales.

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🇬🇧 Notable English Silversmiths

PAUL STORR (1770 – 1844)

Paul Storr stands as England’s most celebrated and sought-after silversmith. His work is revered for its superb technique and mastery of the Neo-Classical and Regency styles. Not much is known for certain about Storr’s apprenticeship other than the fact that he was formally apprenticed to vintner William Rock and possibly informally apprenticed to silversmith Andrew Fogelberg (whom, as a foreigner was not a member of the guild). He opened his first workshop in 1796, before joining Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, the esteemed royal goldsmiths to King George III, in 1807. In addition to his numerous Royal commisions, Storr created pieces forhistoriacal figures like Lord Horatio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. In 1819 Storr left Rundell's to open his own shop, focusing on more naturalistic designs. In 1822 Storr formed a partnership with John Mortimer and later John Hunt. Storr retired in 1839.

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HESTER BATEMAN (1708- 1794)

Hester Bateman is the most famous woman silversmith in history. Following the death of her husband, John Bateman, in 1760, she took control of his London-based metalwork business. She transformed it into one of the city's most successful and prolific workshops. Pieces by Hester and her sons are instantly recognizable and highly collectible, known for their distinctive bright-cut engraving, thin-line beading, and delicate piercing.

CHAWNER & CO

The Chawner family dominated English silver flatware production throughout the 19th century. Flatware-making is one of the distinct sub-specialties of silversmithing, with spoons and forks typically made by specialist 'spoon makers.' (knives were made by an entirely different tradesman called a cutler). William Chawner II began a seven-year spoon-making apprenticeship with the prolific flatware makers William Eley and William Fearn in 1797, then joined the partnership in 1808. He established Chawner & Co. seven years later. When Chawner died in 1834, his widow Mary Chawner registered her own marks and took over with her son-in-law George Adams. Chawner & Co were suppliers to the retail houses of Hunt & Roskell, R.& S. Garrard & Co, and Elkington & Co. Chawner & Co is renowned for both quality and exceptional variety. Their mid-19th-century pattern book boasted 47 distinct patterns, far exceeding the typical offerings of the time. The company was eventually sold in 1883 to Holland, Aldwinckle & Slater.

ELKINGTON & CO. LTD

Founded in the 1830s, Elkington & Co. revolutionized the industry in 1840 by patenting the electrolytic process for silver plating, a technique still in use today. This innovation fueled incredible expansion, with the company employing over 1,000 people by 1865. Elkington & Co. engaged top designers, earned numerous royal warrants, and supplied fine flatware to historic commissions, including the Titanic and the Royal Yacht Britannia.

GARRARD & CO

Originally founded in 1735 by royal silversmith George Wickes, the firm was eventually taken over by Robert Garrard in partnership with John Wakelin in 1792. Garrard had many aristocratic patrons and was represented at numerous international exhibitions including the Great Exhibition of 1851. Garrard was the Crown Jeweller for six successive monarchs from 1843 to 2007. Their commissions have included jewellery and silverware for royalty around the world as well as the Premier League Trophy, Ascot Trophy and the America’s Cup.

ROBERT HENNELL & SONS

Hennell of Bond Street is one of London’s oldest silversmiths and jewellers. It was founded by David Hennell and originally made fashionable silverware for the nobility and landed gentry. David’s son, Robert I, is known for his fine neoclassical silver, often with bright cut engraving. His son, grandson and great-grandson (Roberts all) carried on the business throughout the 19th century.

NATHANIEL MILLS (1784-1843)

Nathaniel Mills was the most renowned silver box-maker from Birmingham. He is particularly well know for boxes known as castle-tops, that depict famous landmarks and were purchased as souvenirs by travellers. Nathaniel Mills I, registered his mark in 1803 when he was a partner in jewellers Mills & Langston in Birmingham. He entered his second mark in 1825. When he died in 1843, he was succeeded by his sons Nathaniel II, William and Thomas; it was under their direction that business flourished, and the firm’s most collectable boxes, vinaigrettes, and card cases were produced. William and Thomas designed many of the pieces made after the death of their father; Nathaniel II, meanwhile, introduced several new techniques, such as engine-turning, stamping and casting, and became known for successfully adapting them to this industry. William died in 1853 and with him the family trade.

HUNT & ROSKELL

Hunt & Roskell was a renowned jewellers and silversmiths who for many years held the prestigeous appointment of silversmiths and jewllers to Queen Victoria. The firm was the successor to the renowned silversmith Paul Storr. Shortly after leaving Rundell Bridge and Rundell, Storr formed a partnership with John Mortimer and began trading as Storr & Mortimer. In 1826 they took an additional partner, John Samuel Hunt. In 1844, after both Storr and Mortimer had retired, and Robert Roskell had joined the firm, the name was changed to Hunt & Roskell.

NOTABLE EUROPEAN SILVERSMITHS

GEORG JENSEN (1866 – 1935)

The son of a blacksmith, Jensen was born in 1866 in a small town north of Copenhagen. He was apprenticed to a goldsmith at age 14 then focused briefly on sculpture, but he returned to metalwork and opened his workshop in Copenhagen in 1904. Jensen exhibited his works at several major foreign exhibitions and quickly gained a reputation for being an outstanding and original silversmith. He moved to a larger workshop in 1912 and acquired his first factory building in 1919. Jensen fostered a culture of artistic freedom, employing talented designers whose influence shaped the unique, modern aesthetic that defines Georg Jensen silver.

Puiforcat

Founded in Paris in 1820, Puiforcat is one of the great French silversmith houses. While their collection spans classical designs, they are best known for their visionary contributions to the Art Deco movement. Under Jean E. Puiforcat, the workshop established a reputation for high-end modern silver-work, featuring clean, contemporary architectural lines often combined with exotic woods and semi-precious stones. The firm has been owned by Hermès since the 1990s.

ODIOT

The House of Odiot was founded in 1690 by Jean-Baptiste Gaspard Odiot but rose to prominence under Jean-Baptiste Claude, Gaspard’s grandson. Jean-Baptiste Claude embraced classical Greek and Egyptian motifs of the Directoire and Empire styles

Along with Biennais, Odiot became one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s official silversmiths, creating his coronation sword, scepter, and dinner service. The firm's reputation was further cemented by providing vermeil services to royal courts across Europe.

Upon his retirement in 1823, Jean-Baptiste Claude passed the business to his son Charles-Nicolas. He experimented with electroplating and worked in the revived rocaille style and by 1825 he was the purveyor of silverware by appointment to His Majesty King Louis-Philippe and the Royal Family of Orleans. He was later succeeded by his son Gustave who received a large commission of 3,000 pieces of solid gold flatware for Saïd Pacha, the Viceroy of Egypt. Gustave was the last member of the Odiot family to preside over the company.

Today, Odiot draws from its impressive archives to recreate pieces identical to those originally produced for European nobility.

CHRISTOFLE

Maison Christofle began in 1830 as a jewller, and later revolutionized the market for silverware in France, when Charles Christofle acquired the rights to electroplating from Elkington in 1840. This technique provided an affordable alternative to traditional methods, perfectly matching the growing demand from the French bourgeoisie for high-quality dining luxuries. Suddenly, the arts de la table had become an indispensable part of dining room decoration.

In 1845 Christofle expanded into silversmithing, becoming a global giant that supplied fine table services to European royals, heads of state, ocean liners, and even the Orient Express.

BUCCELLATI

Founded in 1919 when Mario Buccellati took over Milan’s Beltrami & Beltrami, Buccellati is known for its richly textured pieces that are influenced by Renaissance motifs and nature. He was the first famous for the technique of texture-engraving where pieces look like silk, damask, tulle, lace, or linen. Use of mixed metals and unusual gemstones is also typical.

Buccellati gained international recognition and developed an aristocratic clientele that included film stars and royalty. In 1949 Pope Pius XII commissioned Buccellati to create an icon for Princess Margaret to commemorate the first visit of a British Royal to Vatican City in hundreds of years. In 1951, he became the first Italian jewelry designer to open shop on Fifth Avenue. After Buccellati’s death 1965, the business split when Buccellati’s son Gianmaria started a new brand called Gianmaria Buccellati. In 2011 the firms merged to form Buccellati Holding Italia.