A Short History of Beautiful Pewter

Lately, I have missed working with  large sterling silver pendants.  Now, if you are a jewelry designer, you know that the price of sterling silver skyrocketed through the roof several years ago and has not come back down much.  Large pieces I used to buy for $10-$20 I have seen go for $65-$90 now!!!  Yow!  What is a person to do?  Well, what I decided to do was take a hard look at pewter.  I had always associated pewter with the health hazards of lead that a lot of it contained and  generally not good quality, cheap looking work.  However, when taking this close, hard look at pewter pieces being produced today, I was amazed at the quality of much that I saw, especially pieces produced in the U.S. and the U.K., and the fact that they are lead-free.  So I bought my first couple of pieces (from a studio right here on ArtFire that, sadly, is now shut due to health issues) and was overjoyed with what I received.  I created a necklace with a large Southwest petroglyph design pewter cross - and it sold within two days!  Yay!  Now to create with the other pieces . . . (:

The pieces I bought piqued my interest in pewter.  Realizing I didn't know too much about the metal alloy and being of an inquiring mind, I decided to do some research.  Here is some of the more interesting bits that I found:

Pewter and Swarovski crystal Celtic dragon suncatcher by Morgan of HeartstringsByMorgan

Pewter is a fairly easily worked metal alloy that is primarily composed of tin.  Tin has been mined and used to make decorative and utilitarian objects for over 3000 years.  It's the fourth most precious metal in common usage after platinum, gold and silver.  Modern pewter contains about 92% tin.  Since tin is a soft metal, copper, antimony and/or bismuth is added to the smelted tin to give additional strength.  Lead used to be a common additive but it is rarely used today due to severe health hazards.  Historians don't know how the alloy came about, whether it was a serendipitous accident or a conscious experiment to harden tin.  The word "pewter" is probably a variation of the word "spelter". 

Pewter wire braided Sami filigree and Swarovski crystal earrings by Lisbeth of TkekijasDesigns

White freshwater pearls and silver plated pewter beads by Barbara of SolanaKaiDesigns

Pewter was first used around the beginning of the Bronze Age in the Near East.  The earliest piece of found pewter was from an Egyptian tomb from approximately 1450 BC.  Romans used pewter; unfortunately not many old Roman pewter pieces exist today.  Pewter came into extensive use in Europe during the Middle Ages, often found in churches or at at the tables of the nobility.  Later its use as tableware (tankards, plates and candlesticks) spread into tavern and houses of the middle class.  Towards the end of the 18th century, however, good quality pottery, porcelain and glass began to be mass produced which forced many pewterers out of business.

"Conquest of Space" collectible Avon stein with pewter lid by Louise of olliesfinethings

The quality of pewter was first controlled in the 12th century by town guilds in France.  In 1348, "The Worshipful Company of Pewterers" was established in England to regulate the quality of pewter workmanship, as well.  The Company originally created two grades of pewter, with a third grade added in the 16th century.  The first grade, known as "fine metal", was used for tableware and consisted of tin with as much copper as the tin could absorb, which was about 1%.  Known as "trifling metal" or "trifle", the second type of pewter was used for holloware (creamers, sugar bowls, water jugs, etc.).  It was made up of fine metal with approximately 4% lead.  The last type, known as "lay" or "ley" metal, was used for items that were not in direct contact with food or drink.  It consisted of tin with 15% lead.  These three alloys were used, with little variation, until the 20th century.

Vintage JJ Jonette haunted castle pewter brooch by Ida of AestheticsAndOldLace

Today, pewter is experiencing a Renaissance as craftsmen have rediscovered its beauty and functionality.  It can be produced to look quite like sterling silver but does not tarnish the way sterling has a tendency to do.   High quality, lead-free items are produced mainly in the US and the UK.  Buyers should be aware that some pewter that has come out of China has tested positive for lead. 

Fuschia-dyed turquoise, pewter beads and crystal/glass bead memory wire bracelet by Elizabeth Anne of IrishExpressions

Now you can see why I am fascinated with pewter, because of its history and amazing modern beauty.  I hope the wide-ranging pieces I highlighted in this post intrigue you as well.  Oh - and I almost forgot - I received an email from Happy Mango Beads this morning, and guess what was on sale?  Yep - pewter!  There is now a few more pieces winging their way to me (:  

Here is the necklace with the pewter Southwest-style petroglyph cross that started all this.  It is called "Hodeezyeel" which is Navajo for "peace", "harmony" and "tranquility".  I hope the lady who will be receiving it as a gift will find the peace and tranquility she needs.

Southwest petroglyph pewter cross pendant necklace with mookaite jasper, turquoise and sterling silver by Catherine of ShadowDogDesigns

I hope you enjoyed the short history of pewter and the pieces featured.  Make my day by leaving a comment!  And any promotion that can be done for the post will be greatly appreciated by all.  Thanks so much!

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