Pewter has long history, stretching from ancient times through its heyday in 18^th century America to the present day revival. Pewter artifacts are known to have been used by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Pewter in medieval days was the material in universal use for the tables and sideboards of the middle and upper classes. Pewter was brought to America by the earliest settlers, who cherished it for its durability and quiet beauty. With the introduction of inexpensive porcelain wares, pewter production began to decline until most of the craftsmen retired or went into other areas of manufacture. Recently there is a growing appreciation of the new “shiny” pewter as opposed to the old. Modern pewter is a bright, shiny, non-tarnishing metal. The old dark pewter was adulterated with lead, a practice that is now illegal. Today pewter is cherished by lovers of the contemporary as well as the traditional for its warm and subdued decorative charm. Contemporary handcrafted pewter is scarce enough to be highly collectible in its own day since there are not enough pewter smiths to supply the needs of the public.

The alloy, pewter, has varied through the ages, but tin has always been the primary metal. In the 1760s in England, antimony replaced lead as an alloy component of pewter and the new material was called Brittania metal. It is unknown as to the exact makeup of Brittania metal as 18^th century pewterers made their own and kept their combinations secret. However, through scientific testing of older pieces, it is thought to be approximately the combination we use today for pewter. Today’s pewter alloy is a combination 0f 92% tin, about 2% copper, and the balance, antimony. The antimony serves to harden and whiten the tin while the copper adds ductility and desirable working properties. To the pewterer, it is a super metal that is easily worked and sells extremely well. To the public, it means sparkle and brightness, wrought in new-fashioned forms, contemporary with those of silver and silverplate.

For casting our jewelry and figurines, we use the same combination pewter alloy. We age the products and polish them. This makes them darker and helps to bring out the detail.