About Us

First Seeds

The seed was sown for the formation of the Guild in Christchurch as a result of a workshop run by an Australian silversmith in January 1982. The attendees were clearly bitten by the jewellery-making bug, and realizing the advantage of sharing ideas and techniques decided to meet on a regular basis in each other’s homes.

These early members drafted a constitution and elected a Chairman, Dr Larry Field of the Zoology Department of the University of Canterbury, who applied to the Crafts Council of New Zealand for the Guild to become recognized.

The Silversmiths’ Guild of Canterbury was officially formed in October 1982. The Crafts Council of New Zealand were very encouraging, stating that there were no other silversmiths’ organisations in New Zealand, and the Guild was therefore breaking new ground! This is still the case today.

The First Silversmiths’ Guild Jewellery Exhibition

The very first exhibition of the Guild’s work was held in 1983 and was curated in partnership with the Woodworkers Guild. Members consisted of equal numbers of men and women.

Funding And Visitor Experts

As member numbers grew, applications to fund workshops and attract visiting tutors were made to the QEII Arts Council. A successful funding application welcomed a prominent Dutch silversmith Lysbeth Teding van Berkhout, who hosted a three day workshop and lecture.

Further funding applications brought more experts to Christchurch, with workshops by Herman Junger (Goldsmith), and jeweller Aya Nakayama (part of the NZ/Japan Exchange Programme organised by the Crafts Council). Nakayama offered a 2 day workshop with Auckland jewellers, a conference and 5 day workshop in Christchurch, and a 1 day informal seminar in Wellington.