hand crafted jewellery, Uncategorized
A History of Pewter Through the Ages
Feb
One of the things we are most proud of at The Craft Corner is our ability to supply handcrafted gifts of the highest quality. Of course, that means being very selective about the materials used and that’s why pewter is one of our choices.
Here are a few things you might not know about the fine lead-free pewter that makes up some of our wonderful handcrafted jewellery.
Bronze Age
Pewter is an alloy made up of the same stuff as bronze and it’s old. Really old. In fact, it dates all the way back to the Bronze Age. It’s been used in a variety of different ways from as far back as the 17th century until the middle of the 19th century for forks and spoons so you’re in good historical company if you decide to pick something with pewter in it today.
It is no surprise that you can trace this material back to Quebec when you’re looking at the history of it on our shores and there is even evidence that the people who lived in New France and British North America used it exclusively. Thomas Menut of Montréal is one of the historical figures here in Canada that can be identified by the markings on the pewter pieces he produced in the 1850s.
Québec City
There are also records dating back to the 1700s and Québec City where David Smellie is considered one of the people who took the time to craft a small amount of pewter back in those days.
English steelware began to replace pewter in the mid-1800s as the most commonly used material for tableware. However, Basic Spirit from Pugwash in Nova Scotia still keeps this craft alive today. For those of you who are interested in unique handcrafted offerings in pewter, take a look at our online gift store.
**Discover a world of creativity in our Craft Store, where you’ll find a variety of unique stencils and other fun craft accessories to inspire your next project. If you’re looking for more DIY ideas and inspiration, be sure to browse through our blog posts.
We also have some ready-to-give gifts, pewter gifts, such as charm bowls, necklaces, plaques, earrings and pendants, keychains, spoons and pet tags, as well as other hand-crafted jewellery for any occasion in our Craft and Gift Store.