21st International Silver Triennial of the Society for Goldsmithing and the German Goldsmiths’ House Hanau | Cool Brilliance | Ethnographic Highlights in Silver

Exhibition opening with children’s preview

The Pforzheim Jewelry Museum is presenting selected works from the 21st International Silver Triennial, which were previously on display at the DIVA Museum in Antwerp. Since 1965, the Society for Goldsmiths’ Art and the German Goldsmiths’ House in Hanau have organized this competition to promote contemporary silversmithing. Through presentations at home and abroad, it has become a globally recognized exhibition series. This time, too, exceptional silver objects will be on display, demonstrating artistic refinement and precise craftsmanship in their design and craftsmanship.

Cool Brilliance – Highlights of the Jewelry Museum Made of Silver and Diamonds.
Everything that glitters attracts attention. No metal can reflect light as strongly as silver. It has a warm, bright white tone. This gave it its Latin name “argentum.” The cool brilliance of diamonds is only fully appreciated when set in white precious metal, which corresponded to the excessive desire for luxury and extravagance in the Baroque and Rococo periods. Until the 19th century, diamond jewelry was often made of silver, as white gold had not yet been invented and the processing of platinum was not yet fully developed. Thus, silver could easily surpass gold in terms of taste. The historical collection highlights the multifaceted significance of silver; a multimedia presentation presents the metal from a cultural and historical perspective, and a large display case offers interactive exploration.

Afghanistan, Syria, or the Black Forest? Silver Highlights from the Herion Ethnographic Collection.
The oldest silver finds date back to the fifth millennium BC and were excavated in the mountainous region between Anatolia and Afghanistan. Silver remains popular worldwide as jewelry and a means of payment, as evidenced by the collection of Eva and Peter Herion in the Jewelry Museum’s exhibition “What is Jewelry?”. The exhibition area can be rediscovered from this perspective, not least with a digital excavation table that turns visitors of all ages into archaeologists. With a little skill, silver treasures from all over the world can be uncovered – interactive fun for the whole family. The originals can be admired in the various areas of the exhibition.