Somerset metal polisher named Precious Metalworker of the Year

Somerset-based metal polisher Stephen M Goldsmith has been named Precious Metalworker of the Year at an awards presentation held at Wentworth Woodhouse.

The award, supported by The Royal Mint, includes a £2,000 prize and a trophy. It recognises a heritage craftsperson who has made a significant contribution to precious metalworking over the past year.

Goldsmith has worked as a polisher for more than 50 years and has been involved in the finishing of a wide range of high-profile silverware, including the Premier League trophy and the America’s Cup. 

Over the past year, he was also commissioned to assist in the manufacture of the new Order of the Royal Family.

The award is administered by Heritage Crafts, a national charity established 15 years ago to support traditional craft skills. The organisation is known for its Red List of Endangered Crafts, which assesses the viability of heritage crafts in the UK.

Polishing is among a number of specialist skills listed under the ‘silver allied trades’ category on Heritage Crafts’ Red List of Endangered Crafts. The charity has said the decline of traditional manufacturing centres has made it harder for practitioners to sustain their work.

The judging panel included Dan Thomas, King’s Assay Master at The Royal Mint, Gordon Summers, chief engraver at The Royal Mint, silversmith Rauni Higson MBE, and last year’s winner, silver spinner Warren Martin.

The other finalists were silversmith Angela Cork, principal of the Bishopsland Educational Trust, and silversmith Alice Fry, who specialises in chasing and repoussé techniques.

The Royal Mint and Heritage Crafts began their partnership in 2023 and have since awarded 13 training bursaries to early-career practitioners working with precious metals.

Goldsmith said: “Winning this award is an enormous honour, and to be recognised by The Royal Mint feels incredibly special. I’ve spent over fifty years preserving and polishing the nation’s most precious pieces, often quietly behind the scenes, so to have my craft acknowledged in this way is both humbling and deeply rewarding.

“Awards like these shine a light on heritage crafts that might otherwise go unnoticed, giving craftspeople recognition and encouragement. They’re a reminder that these skills still have a vital place in modern society and help to safeguard the future of these traditions.”

He added: “This award gives me a wider platform to champion the craft of polishing and opens doors for teaching and inspiring new apprentices, supporting my ongoing mission to pass on the knowledge I’ve gained from a lifetime working with precious metal. I always wanted to meet a precious metal polisher with 50 years’ experience – and now I have become that craftsman!”