PRESS RELEASE: Three Goldsmiths’ Company apprentices named Lady Mayor’s Craft Livery Apprentices

A setter, a hand engraver and a diamond mounter trained through the Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Scheme have won a quarter of the first Lady Mayor’s Craft Livery Apprentice awards.

Three apprentices from the Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Scheme have been named among the first Lady Mayor’s Craft Livery Apprentice Winners. They are:

• Alysha Strong, setting apprentice with Summers Diamond Setting
• Isabel Freeman, hand engraving apprentice with Sam James Engraving
• Joshua Hook, diamond mounter, who trained with Dominic Walmsley Jewellery

They received their awards at a ceremony at Mansion House on 21 September 2026.

Launched in 2025 by the Lady Mayor of London, Dame Susan Langley, the awards recognise 12 outstanding apprentices across the City of London’s historic livery companies, highlighting the role apprenticeships play in passing on heritage craft skills. The Goldsmiths’ Company’s three winners make up a quarter of this year’s awards.

The three represent different stages in making a piece of jewellery or silverware:

• Alysha Strong has consistently won top honours in national competitions and is developing her own distinctive approach to fine jewellery.
• Isabel Freeman trains with Sam James Engraving, an award-winning engraving business based at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, and will complete her Masterpiece, the final piece that marks the end of an apprenticeship, this autumn.
• Joshua Hook has completed his apprenticeship and was recognised for his award-winning technical skill and dedication to traditional handcraft.

“It’s fantastic to see the commitment of so many Livery Companies to supporting heritage crafts and helping these valuable skills thrive for future generations,” said Dame Susan. “At a time when practical skills are more important than ever, their dedication is truly inspiring.”

Annie Warburton, CEO and Clerk of the Goldsmiths’ Company, said: “The Goldsmiths’ Company has been training craftspeople for 700 years, and Alysha, Isabel and Joshua now take their place in that lineage, the latest generation carrying these skills forward to ensure that our craft endures.”

Julia Balchin, Director of the Goldsmiths’ Centre, added that the awards were “a true collective celebration of their talent and their employers’ commitment, and the breadth and strength of the Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Scheme”.

The scheme currently supports 42 apprentices at 34 businesses in London, the South East and the Midlands, including a new group who began this autumn. Apprentices train with their employers and spend a day a week at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, learning from experienced craftspeople. The scheme is funded by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation.

Find out more: businesses interested in taking on an apprentice can visit goldsmiths-centre.org/learn-and-upskill/employing-an-apprentice