About us
The Goldsmiths’ Company is a membership organisation that has contributed to national life for 700 years.
We train and support jewellers and silversmiths and allied trades, protect consumers by testing and hallmarking precious metals and work with charitable, educational and cultural partners to help improve life chances.
Governance
The governing body of the Goldsmiths’ Company is the Court of Assistants, which is equivalent to a Board and is responsible for overseeing Company activities, risk and strategy.
The most senior members of the Court of Assistants are the Prime Warden (equivalent to a Chairperson) and the Wardens – collectively known as the Court of Wardens – who are elected each year by the Assistants. A permanent staff, headed by the Clerk and CEO, runs the organisation on a day-to-day basis for the Court of Assistants.
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Membership
The Goldsmiths' Company is home to 1,800+ members (known as Freemen and Liverymen) who collectively give hundreds of hours every year to support Company activity and each other through skills-based volunteering. Our members sit on the Board (known as the Court of Assistants) and our many committees, are active ambassadors for the trade and craft of jewellery and silversmithing, give talks to students, train apprentices, gift time, talent and treasure to the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity – and more.
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Apprenticeships
The Goldsmiths’ Company has been supporting apprenticeships since the 14th century. Today, we are proud to continue this support through The Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Scheme.
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Goldsmiths’ Hall
Positioned at the junction of Foster Lane and Gresham Street in the City of London, is the third Goldsmiths’ Hall. Completed in 1835, and constructed on the site which has been home to the Goldsmiths’ Company since 1339.
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Our history
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as the Goldsmiths' Company, is one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London and has a history spanning more than 700 years.
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Hallmarking
The hallmark is a set of component marks applied to items made of gold, silver, platinum or palladium. It takes its name from Goldsmiths’ Hall, where Hallmarking began more than 700 years ago, and can tell you when and where an item was tested and marked, which metals it is made from and their purity or fineness, and who submitted it for Hallmarking. It can be applied by punch or by laser.
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The Trial of The Pyx
The Trial of the Pyx is one of the main ways in which we contribute to national life and protect consumers, by ensuring coins produced by the Royal Mint are up to standard. The first Trial dates to 1248, making it one of the oldest judicial procedures in the United Kingdom.
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The London Assay Office
The Goldsmiths’ Company London Assay Office is the place where hallmarking began. For more than 700 years, it has protected consumers by guaranteeing the purity of precious metals.
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The Goldsmiths’ Centre
The Goldsmiths’ Centre is the UK’s leading education charity for jewellers, silversmiths and people working in the precious metal industry, dedicated to improving skills and building careers.
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Goldsmiths’ Fair
For more than four decades, Goldsmiths’ Fair has brought together some of the UK’s best contemporary jewellers and silversmiths, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to buy directly from makers and to discuss their skills, practices and inspirations.
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Goldsmiths’ Review
The Goldsmiths' Review is our annual publication, filled with insightful stories about inspiring people connected to The Goldsmiths’ Company. It details our journey over the past year as a livery company in the modern City of London and maps out our route for the year ahead.
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Goldsmiths’ Stories
For nearly 700 years the Goldsmiths’ Company has championed the trade and craft by nurturing and promoting the skills, talents and creativity of fine jewellers and silversmiths.
To celebrate these craftspeople and their creativity, we created Goldsmiths’ Stories as a home for tales of the trade and craft of gold and silversmithing that are inspirational, engaging, educational, and true.
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Careers
The Goldsmiths' Company is a unique place to work, with a fascinating history that spans almost seven centuries. We are the proud employer of a team of friendly, talented professionals with a wide range of skills from engineering to accountancy, and communications to curation.