How does an organization founded on fine craftsmanship, which began as a medieval guild almost 700 years ago, distinguish itself in the age of A.I.? For the Goldsmiths’ Company (not actually a company, but rather, an exclusive professional association of craftspeople working across gold and silver), the answer is self-evident: No amount of intangible content can replace the experience of their annual fair. Housed in the historic Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, this year’s edition will display the work of 138 independent jewelers and silversmiths.
The enviable lineup at the event, held from Sept. 22 – 27 and Sept. 29 – Oct. 4, includes Brett Payne, Ane Christensen, Ruth Tomlinson, Alice Cicolini, Emefa Cole, Ute Decker, and Ellis Mhairi Cameron. Their techniques are as varied as the rich landscape of fine jewelry today. Exhibitor Jessica Awari-Tefé combines repoussé and traditional Japanese metalworking techniques in her floral-inflected silver. Republic of Congo-born, London-based Makila Nsika creates her work from reclaimed palm materials gathered in her home country. Meanwhile, in a new series, “Repeat Prescription,” Misha McLean reflects on the state of contemporary medicine through vibrant color.
The fair will also include 13 new exhibitors, 10 of whom are recipients of the Goldsmiths’ Company’s new Emerging Business Bursary, which supports emerging jewelry makers with grants and professional mentorship.
“Goldsmiths’ Fair has grown from the Company’s centuries-long commitment to supporting exceptional craft, but its energy comes from the makers shaping the field today. What makes it so exciting is the mix of established voices, emerging businesses, and genuinely new ideas. The fair offers a vivid sense of where jewelry and silver are now, and where they might go next,” says Director of Goldsmiths’ Fair Harriet Scott.
In an ode to Goldsmiths’ Company’s ability to adapt to changing times while honoring its nearly seven-century legacy, jewelry artist Silvia Weidenbach and digital artist Jon Emmony have collaborated on a special installation, Black Box. The work transforms historic objects from the Company’s collection using a generative algorithm that never repeats, inviting visitors to question the role of craft in the age of artificial intelligence.
Still, human touch is the central offering of this year’s event, even as organizers puzzle through the same question as their visitors: Where does craft stack up in an age of instantaneous production? What has been prized for the past seven centuries, we wouldn’t bet against in the next. Goldsmiths’ Company is proof of that.
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