PRESS RELEASE: Jewellery, Silversmithing, Horology and Allied Crafts UNESCO Submission
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This week the Jewellery, Silversmithing, Horology and Allied Crafts unified for the first time and worked together as a sector to create 15 agreed submissions to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Inventories of Living Heritage in the UK.
About the Inventory
The UK Living Heritage Inventory is a new national platform established by the DCMS and the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) to identify and safeguard intangible cultural heritage following the UK's 2024 ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention.
The inventory will showcase traditions, skills, and knowledge passed down through generations - crafts, customs, and performing arts - to strengthen community identity and cohesion.
The purpose of the UK inventory is to recognise and preserve "living heritage" practices that define UK communities, shifting focus from only physical heritage to intangible traditions. For the Jewellery, Silversmithing, Horology and Allied Crafts sector purposes the submission was made under the ‘crafts’
category.
The Living Heritage initiative wanted a "bottom-up" approach to submissions, meaning that communities, groups, or individuals were free to nominate their own traditions through a call for submissions that opened in December 2025.
Why it is important
The Inventory aims to create a comprehensive, inclusive record of intangible heritage, and in the case of Jewellery, Silversmithing, Horology and Allied Trades – crafts [skills] - rather than focusing solely on a few unique items, ensuring diverse cultural practices across the UK are documented for future generations.
Volunteer Working Group
It was therefore felt by a number of key stakeholders in the sector that it was important to make a submission to the Inventory so that the skills which are inherent in the craft, trade and industry were recorded and documented for the future – providing an opportunity for understanding of the depth and breadth of the sector and recognition of this and the diversity of skill sets requiring traditional heritage hand skills training.
This also falls into alignment with the recently released white paper Benchpeg published entitled ‘Defining the Invisible Sector’ which documents the scope, functional areas of the sector and defines specialist craft roles as well as providing an employment profile.
The UNESCO Volunteer Working Group comprised:
- Eleni Bide, Head of Library and Archive at the Goldsmiths’ Company
- Stuart Ray of Stuart Ray Ltd
- Warren Martin, award winning silver spinner
- Kate Rieppel, Director of Hand Engravers Association
- Paul Savage, English Art Works Workshop Manager, Cartier Ltd
- Claire Murdoch, CEO of the Bishopsand Educational Trust
- James Dougall, Chair of the Contemporary British Silversmiths
- Alistair Audsley, Founder of the British Watch and Clock Making Alliance
- Harriet Kelsall, Founder and Chair of Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design Ltd
Facilitated by Benchpeg.
What we did
The group spanned all areas of our sector's skill sets and analysed which domain specialisms were not present. We then researched and reached out through our internal networks to domain specialists and formed the working group which put together definitions of the terms we wanted to register as part of the inventory. The process took about six weeks as there was no previous formal documentation to pull all this information together, so was done bespoke for the submission process.
Methodology
The Working Group approached the submission process not as one large umbrella term to represent our sector, as this would not have recorded the nuances of all the specialist skill sets which need to be passed down and learned and repeated until mastery of the specialism is achieved.
We did not record each specialism individually as this would have been too detailed.
As a result of a robust discussion the voluntary group concluded that the creation of 'sub categories' was the best approach, where similar and associated skill sets were grouped together.
Submissions were made under 15 'groupings':
- Hallmarking
- The Trial of the Pyx
- Metal Forming in Precious Metals
- Silverware Finishing
- Decorative Craft Processes in Precious Metals (Kate Rieppel)
- Hand Engraving in Metal (Kate Rieppel)
- Enamelling on Metal (Kate Rieppel)
- Tool Making for the Precious Metal Trades
- Flatware Making in Precious Metals
- Designer-Maker Silversmithing
- Watchmaking and Clockmaking
- Lapidary: Gemstone Cutting and Carving
- Fine Jewellery Making
- Pearl Stringing
- Diamond Cutting / Polishing (Iiana Belsky)
Acknowledging tradition and heritage
Many of the sub-sets of traditional, heritage hand craft skills are steeped in history, traditional making which go back millennia which are passed on either through a master and apprentice skills transfer relationship, informal tutelage or short courses arranged by membership organisations in order to keep the skills and knowledge alive.
Many of the skills listed in our submissions tally with the Heritage Crafts Association Red List of endangered or critically endangered skills:
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/diamond-cutting
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/engine-turned-engraving
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/metal-thread-making
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/scissor-making
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/tinsmithing
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/watch-dial-enamelling
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/coppersmithing-objects
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/silver-spinning
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/watch-making
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/silversmithing-allied-trades-skilled-trades-manufacture
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/clock-making
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/folding-knife-making
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/hand-engraving
Sub-Sector Groupings (Submissions)
The complete list of skills which our team of volunteers have placed under sub categories for our submissions are:
1. Hallmarking
Assay · Touchstone testing · Laser marking · Precision press marking · Hand marking · Electroplating verification · Metal testing · Quality certification
2. The Trial of the Pyx
Coin testing · Assay · Weighing · Metal analysis · Ceremonial procedure · Documentation
3. Metal Forming in Precious Metals
Raising · Planishing · Spinning · Stamping · Lost-wax casting · Sand casting · Hammering · Annealing · Soldering · Fabrication (sheet, wire, tube) · Box making · Smallwork · Chasing (forming) · Swaging · Sinking · Forging
4. Silverware Finishing
Polishing · Buffing · Burnishing · Electroplating · Gilding · Surface texturing · Scratch brushing · Oxidising · Rhodium plating
5. Decorative Craft Processes in Precious Metals
Chasing · Repoussé · Hand engraving · Enamelling · Saw piercing · Engine turning · Rose engine turning · Straight-line engine turning · Perlage · Bright cutting · Inlay
6. Hand Engraving in Metal
Line engraving · Copperplate engraving · Seal engraving · Heraldic engraving · Bright cutting · Script engraving · Commemorative engraving · Gun engraving · Steel engraving · Wrigglework
7. Enamelling on Metal
Cloisonné · Champlevé · Plique-à-jour · Bassetaille · Limoges / painted enamel · Guilloché enamel · Counter enamel · Vitreous enamel · Kiln firing
8. Tool Making for the Precious Metal Trades
Die sinking · Wood turning · Stone turning · Stake making · Chuck making · Mandrel making · Punch making · Former making · Hammer making
9. Flatware Making in Precious Metals
Hand forging · Pressing · Flatware filing · Flatware buffing · Flatware polishing · Spoon bowl raising · Tine forming · Electroplating · Die stamping
10. Designer-Maker Silversmithing
Raising · Forming · Fabrication · Chasing · Engraving · Enamelling · Casting · Finishing · Polishing · Design · Hand rendering · Smallwork · Commission work · Exhibition making
11. Watchmaking and Clockmaking
Wheel making · Pinion making · Screw making · Jewelling · Escapement making · Lever and pallet construction · Escape wheel manufacture · Balance wheel making · Pivot polishing · Hairspring work · Mainspring work · Movement design · Gear train construction · Black polishing · Bevelling / anglage · Perlage · Geneva stripes · Dial making · Rose engine turning · Straight-line engine turning · Hand engraving · Casemaking · Hand making (hour, minute, second hands) · Restoration · Conservation · Repair
12. Lapidary: Gemstone Cutting and Carving
Faceting · Cabochon cutting · Free-form carving · Cameo carving · Intaglio carving · Seal engraving · Hardstone carving · Agate carving · Tumbling · Grinding · Polishing · Drilling
13. Fine Jewellery Making
Diamond mounting · Stone setting · Gem setting · Cut-down setting · Wax carving · Modelling · Lost-wax casting · Sand casting · Fabrication · Polishing · Finishing · Hand rendering · Jewellery design · CAD/CAM · Smallwork · Soldering · Annealing · Engraving
14. Pearl Stringing
Pearl knotting · Silk threading · Restringing · Clasp fitting · Gimp work · Pearl grading · Pearl matching · Revaluation · Repair
15. Diamond Cutting and Polishing
Rough planning · Marking · Cleaving · Sawing · Bruting · Crossworking · Brillianteering · Faceting · Polishing · Grading · Laser cutting · Girdle polishing · Table cutting · Culet finishing
Sector Consultation
As the process developed it became evident that domain specialists were needed to ‘fill the gaps’ in knowledge that the core voluntary team did not own. We reached out collectively, and also ran a call in Benchpeg and its weekly newsletter, over LinkedIn and Instagram and were inundated with responses by domain specialists and support through community endorsement. This allowed the categorisation to be honed and refined, added to and moved into separate stand alone submissions where appropriate. We were also supported by organisations and generous individuals who gifted rights free images which we are now submitting to the inventory and keeping as a record of our craft skill sets.
Submission Completed
The entries for Jewellery, Silversmithing, Horology and Allied Crafts have been now submitted, before the deadline, and will now be assessed by an Inventory Submissions Panel and hopefully published around 4 - 6 months after the submission deadline.
Thank yous
This work would not have been possible to pull together without the generous volunteers who formed the Working Group. Additionally huge support and assistance with the submissions was given by the following individuals, which was invaluable:
- Cath Hill, CEO, Gem A
- Helen Dobson, Programme Manager (Education), The Goldsmiths’ Centre
- Vicky Forrester of Flux Studios and Vicky Forrester Jewellery
- Sanni Falkenberg, Gemstone Artist
- Annette Warham, Pearl Stringer
- Anja Moehler, pearl stringer and jewellery service provider
- Ilana Belsky, diamond cutter and polisher
- Sally Lees of Sally Lees London Contemporary Jewellery
- Janet Weller & Leonid Dementiev of the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths (IPG)
- Heather Blake, lapidarist
- Ben Massey, CEO, National Assocation of Jewellers (NAJ)
- Will Evans, Director, London Assay Office
A huge thank you also to the individuals and individuals representing organisations who speedily and without question responded for the call for help and endorsed our submissions as part of the required community endorsement aspect of the submission process. The support provided was overwhelming and generosity given.
Stats + Community Edorsement
We had 14 Submission Leads + 13 Seconders, 27 in total.
We had 37 individuals providing community endorsement and supporting illustrative images.
In addition to 30 organisations providing community endorsement.
And a grand total of 91 unique individuals and organisations involved across all submissions give their unwavering support.
Thank you
For more information:
https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk
https://unesco.org.uk/our-sites/uk-living-heritage-inventory
Image Credits:
Hero: Anja Moehler
Bishopsland Educational Trust
Sanni Falkenberg
Tile: Steve Wager
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