Apprentice to Masterpiece: The Work of the Goldsmiths’ Apprentices
The Goldsmiths’ Centre presents Apprentice to Masterpiece: The Work of the Goldsmiths’ Apprentices exhibition
23 February – 15 April 2026
The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1M 5AD
- The free Apprentice to Masterpiece: The Work of the Goldsmiths’ Apprentices exhibition runs from 23 February until 15 April 2026 at the Goldsmiths’ Centre in London.
- The exhibition presents the remarkable Masterpieces - exceptional works showcasing the skill and craftsmanship of seven apprentices who recently completed their Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeships, trained at leading businesses including Dominic Walmsley Jewellery, Graff Diamonds, Ottewill Silversmiths & Jewellers, SJ Randall, Summers Diamond Setting, Thomas Lyte and Vipa Designs Ltd.
- The Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship is delivered by the Goldsmiths’ Centre and funded by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation and helps apprentices to enter skilled careers in the precious metal industry through work-based training with an employer and off-site day release training at the Centre.
The Goldsmiths’ Centre in London is proud to present Apprentice to Masterpiece: The Work of the Goldsmiths’ Apprentices, a free exhibition celebrating the exceptional skill and dedication of seven apprentices who completed their training in 2025/26. The exhibition showcases their remarkable Masterpieces – exceptional works created during their Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeships while training at leading businesses, including Dominic Walmsley Jewellery, Graff Diamonds, Ottewill Silversmiths & Jewellers, SJ Randall, Summers Diamond Setting, Thomas Lyte and Vipa Designs Ltd.
Each Masterpiece represents the traditional culmination of a Goldsmiths’ Company apprenticeship: a major piece of jewellery or silversmithing work, taking up to 350 hours (around six weeks) to complete, that demonstrates the full range of skills developed throughout the apprenticeship. This lasting tradition marks the transition from apprentice to accomplished craftsperson.
The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see the extraordinary skill, precision and creativity required across a range of specialisms including CAD/CAM design, diamond mounting, silversmithing and stone setting. Visitors will discover outstanding works by silversmith Alice Baker-Russell (employed and trained by Ottewill Silversmiths & Jewellers), silversmith Daniel Bollard (employed and trained by Thomas Lyte), setter Luca Eleftheriades (employed and trained by Graff Diamonds), diamond mounter Joshua Hook (employed and trained by Dominic Walmsley Jewellery), diamond mounter Megan Randall (employed and trained by SJ Randall), CAD/CAM designer Daniel Rushby (employed and trained by Vipa Designs Ltd), and setter Alysha Strong (employed and trained by Summers Diamond Setting).
Helen Dobson, Programme Manager (Education) and Sustainability Lead explains: “The Masterpieces in this exhibition demonstrate creative design, exceptional craftmanship and a huge amount of hard work and commitment. It is always great to see what each apprentice manages to produce but it is their development into craftspeople over the last 4 years that makes the Team most proud. This next generation of young craftspeople should give us all hope for the future of the UK jewellery, silversmithing and allied industries.”
For those interested in taking on an apprentice or learning more about the scheme, please contact the Goldsmiths’ Centre team and visit: www.goldsmiths-centre.org/courses/employing-an-apprentice
Exhibition Details
Apprentice to Masterpiece: The Work of the Goldsmiths’ Apprentices
23 February – 15 April 2026
Mon – Fri, 9am – 6pm
Free admission
The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1M 5AD
About the Goldsmiths’ Centre
At the Goldsmiths’ Centre, we support the jewellery and silversmithing industry to embrace learning as an essential lifelong practice. Our mission is to foster capability at every link in the chain, making ongoing professional development visible and accessible to all. Through technical courses and business support, affordable workspace, funding opportunities and events we aim to close the industry’s skills gap, so that creativity, craftsmanship and community can thrive.
About the Goldsmiths’ Foundation
The Goldsmiths’ Foundation (formerly, the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity) is a philanthropic organisation that supports vocational and technical training in the creative industries.
The Goldsmiths’ Foundation focuses on advancing creative, technical, and vocational skills, education and training in the craft and trade of goldsmithing, silversmithing and jewellery – as well as the wider creative industries and other fields – through grants, advocacy, and support to charity partners.
