What is a goldsmith? Is it the same as a jeweler?
Goldsmithing is an art that has deep roots in Macedonian culture and tradition. This craft involves making jewelry and other decorative objects from precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper.
- Goldsmiths traditionally make fine handicrafts from precious metals such as gold, silver, but also from copper or other metals.
- The focus is often on decorative objects, such as handmade jewelry, home decorations, items for religious or cultural rituals, and decorated vessels.
- The techniques used by goldsmiths are usually artisanal and traditional, including engraving, artistic forging, and fine carving.
- Goldsmiths specialize in the making, repair, and sale of jewelry made from gold, silver, and other precious metals.
- They often work with gemstones, which means their work may include setting diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and the like.
- Modern jewelers also use advanced technology such as lasers or computer-aided design (CAD) to produce jewelry.
Silversmiths are more oriented towards traditional craft and the hand-crafting of various metal objects with artistic value, while goldsmiths mainly focus on the commercial aspect of jewelry and its production.
Why it's good to study the craft of blacksmithing
- It takes less money to start your own business because the work is based on handcrafting using traditional tools. There is no need to invest in expensive machinery to start.
- Each product is unique, handmade by the master and has a greater value than mass-produced items . We usually work with clients who know the value of goldsmith jewelry and are willing to pay accordingly for quality goldsmith jewelry.
- There is not much competition in the market, because under the influence of mass production, goldsmithing is slowly dying out as a craft, but given the uniqueness of goldsmith jewelry, there will always be customers looking for unique jewelry.
Educational videos
We visualized the centuries-old knowledge accumulated by the experience and skills of generations of Macedonian goldsmiths with the help of artificial intelligence.
Learn the basic elements of modern goldsmithing and some traditional goldsmithing techniques by watching these videos generated entirely with artificial intelligence. You can watch them here and on the YouTube channel kujundzija.info
What is blacksmithing. History of blacksmithing
Meaning and origin of the word "silversmith"
Tools used in blacksmithing
Goldsmithing techniques - soldering
Goldsmithing techniques - engraving
Goldsmithing techniques - polishing
Specialized tools and protective equipment in blacksmithing
Savat - a traditional blacksmithing technique in decline
Dry gilding - a traditional goldsmithing technique in decline
Casting in clay molds - a traditional blacksmithing technique in decline
How will you learn more about the craft of goldsmithing?
- The old master goldsmiths are slowly dying out. To preserve their knowledge, we have used the most modern technique – Artificial Intelligence.
- We have also created an Artificial Intelligence-based Blacksmithing Course where you can learn about blacksmithing, test your knowledge, and chat with others interested in this topic. Register and get started here https://kujundzija.info/kurs
- We have created a Guide to Blacksmithing based on artificial intelligence. You can ask Master Klime anything you are interested in about blacksmithing (ask even the most unexpected questions or ask him to show pictures). Chat freely in Macedonian with text or voice. Register and get started here
https://kujundzija.info/vodic
Matovski Goldsmith's Workshop
The knowledge accumulated in the artificial intelligence comes from the stories of 90-year-old master goldsmith Kliment Matovski. The goldsmithing tradition of his workshop begins with Kliment’s grandfather, Leon, who was a goldsmith in Struga.
In Bitola at the beginning of the 20th century, goldsmiths and blacksmiths were Turks and Vlachs. With the departure of the Turks, goldsmiths and blacksmiths from Debar and Struga moved to Bitola. Among them was Kliment’s father – Božidar, who, after passing the master’s exam, opened the Goldsmith’s Workshop – Struga in the old bazaar in Bitola.
The tradition of his father is continued by Kliment, who continues to work in the goldsmith’s workshop and is a famous master – goldsmith, and together with his wife Penka (now deceased), a great collector of old goldsmith’s jewelry dating from 1850 to the present day, divided into three collections.
* The video quality is automatically adjusted by Youtube depending on your internet connection. You can adjust the quality (display resolution) yourself in the section Settings on Youtube.
* The video quality is automatically adjusted by Youtube depending on your internet connection. You can adjust the quality (display resolution) yourself in the section Settings on Youtube.
VIRTUAL WALK
Explore goldsmithing through a virtual walk through the traditional workshop and part of the jewelry collection of Kliment Matovski’s goldsmith workshop.
* Depending on your internet connection, it may take some time to display the interactive virtual tour.
Manuals
The success of any business depends heavily on marketing. We live in a time when many people’s activities are shifting to the digital sphere. That’s why digital marketing is crucial for every business, including traditional crafts like cooking . To gain skills on how to promote your business, we are sharing a Digital Marketing Handbook.
But in addition to knowledge, skills, and promotion, starting any business requires initial investment, financial planning, and entrepreneurial skills. You will find information about all these and many other things needed to start your own business in the Self-Employment Program.
