SCOTTISH SILVER ARCHIVES
Edinburgh Castle from the gardens below. Photograph by Janice M Dietert.
INTRODUCTION
This website is designed to further the interest in and study of Scottish gold and silver. The novel style of antique Scottish
silver and the interesting history of goldsmithing in Scotland make it a fascinating area of study for the antique collector,
genealogist and history enthusiast. With two decades plus research into the area, and with the wonderful assistance of
many Scottish silver scholars, we have developed our information on this subject in the form of a series of books and
articles.
Our most recent book is the Compendium of Scottish Silver II (Dietert Publications, October 2007). This book is an
expanded print version of our original Compendium (a Cornell University 2006 Digital Library project) and was released
Fall of 2007 in honor of the 550th anniversary of the hallmarking act in Scotland. Compendium II is the most
comprehensive catalog of Scottish gold and silver published to date. In addition to more than 6,000 listings of Scottish gold
and silver (14th - 21st centuries), the book contains sections on interpreting hallsmarks and evaluating Scottish silver along
with a timeline and a glossary of metal-related decorative arts terms. The clickable book cover is also available via primary
U.S. printer site Lulu.com. In the U.S. the book will also be available after November 1st via Amazon.com and
BarnesandNoble.com. The book will be available in the U.K. through Amazon.co.uk, Tesco.com and WHSmith.com on-line
sites after 15 November 2007.
Another 2007 book on this subject is The Edinburgh Goldsmiths I: Training, Marks, Output and Demographics
(Janice Dietert, 2007). This book details the training of more than 1,200 Edinburgh freemen and apprentice goldsmiths
between the years 1550 and 2000. Additionally, more than 130 maker's marks are illustrated in the context of the training.
Information is provided on the migration of Edinburgh-trained goldsmiths to England, Ireland, the Americas and Asia. The
book cover below leads to the Lulu.com printer's site. Additionally, the book is available in the U.S. from Amazon.com and
Barnesandnoble.com. In the U.K., online distribution includes Amazon.co.uk, Tesco.com, and WHSmith.com. A second
volume in this series concerning the lives and families of the Edinburgh goldsmiths is planned for 2009 or 2010.
It is our hope that these books will prove to be a useful resource of information. Meanwhile, we offer this website as a
secondary tool for announcements, features, and favorite links pertaining to Scottish silver.
Rod and Janice Dietert
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 1701/02 Edinburgh Thistle Mug by Edward Penman with his father, James Penman, as assay master. |
ANNOUNCEMENT!! National Museums of Scotland Hosts Major Exhibition Rather than featuring a goldsmith this quarter, we wanted to encourage all to visit the National Museums of Scotland's once in a lifetime exhibition "Silver Made in Scotland" between 25 Jan - 27 April 2008. While in Edinburgh, don't forget about Lyon & Turnbull's Scottish Silver Auction on 13 Feb and a seminar on Scottish silver at the NMS, 11-13 Apr 2008.
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We are interested in hearing from people who search the Compendium and/or purchase The Edinburgh Goldsmiths I. If you
find an error, know of a significant piece of Scottish silver that we have managed to neglect, or simply wish to send us a
message, please Contact Us.