Designed and created for a Royal Palace, The Palace Epergne has stunning engravings, bright polished basins and is an interesting example of gold-plating techniques in practice.
Thomas Lyte holds a Royal Warrant as Goldsmith and Silversmith to Her Majesty the Queen. We craft masterpieces, bespoke gifts, objet d’art, and silverware of unparalleled quality for private individuals, governments, corporations, clubs, five-star restaurants or hotels and some of the world’s most exclusive brands, like Louis Vuitton. We’ve collected some of the best examples of our work into case studies with photos and insight. Read on to discover more about The Palace Epergne.
An epergne is a type of table centerpiece, typically made from silver, used to hold any type of food or dessert. It may also be used as a designer piece to hold candles, flowers, or ornaments. In traditional use, an epergne is used to display side dishes, fruit, or sweetmeats.
To achieve the wonderful golden engravings that stand out upon the sterling silver base of the epergne, our craftspeople first engraved the piece, and then used a plating process called “stopping off”. This is where a lacquer is painted onto the surfaces that you wish to remain untouched during the plating process, leaving only the areas that you wish to plate uncovered. To achieve the level of detail seen on this piece you must be highly accurate so that only the engraved lines are gold plated, leaving the remaining surface area with a bright polished silver finish.
Our team make the conceivable possible, while preserving traditional skills, pioneering modern methods, and promoting authentic British craft across the globe. Combining the latest technologies with centuries of knowledge, Thomas Lyte’s silver workshops in London, England house world-class facilities for an elite team of designers and makers, masters of their craft. Learn about 3D printing, electroforming and other new technologies that our team have introduced to our sustainable handcrafting process.
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Materials. Sterling Silver + 24 Carat Gold Plate
Workshop Processes. Spinning, Filing, Casting, Soldering, Polishing, Plating, and Engraving
Thomas Lyte’s master craftsmen and women were proud to present this beautiful epergne.
Take a glance at these fast facts about this stunning bespoke piece.
