The number of gold, silver and goldsmiths in North Holland is increasing significantly, according to figures from the Chamber of Commerce. For example, four years ago the province still had 361 of its own companies, and this has increased to 270 by the end of 2024. Why is this craft so popular again?
29-year-old Anne van Kampen from Wervershoof has been working independently as a goldsmith for a year, under the name AvK. She also works as a goldsmith and watchmaker at Juwelier van den Mosselaar in Hoogkarspel.
She explains how she got into the profession: “I grew up next to my grandfather and grandmother, and my grandmother really loved jewelry. That’s how love was born.” She is also very precise, and that also helps when making jewelry.
In 2017 she will start training as a watchmaker at Zadkine Vakschool Schoonhoven. She also works as a watchmaker. Because it only involves repairing watches and Anne also misses customer contact, she switches to a jeweler in Hoorn. There they repair jewelry and watches, but they also make them themselves.
Goldsmith training
That is the reason for Anne to start training as a goldsmith at the same vocational school in Schoonhoven in 2020. “I noticed at the jeweler how beautiful it is to give shiny and precious jewelry to the customer.”
And it turns out she is not the only one who starts training as a goldsmith at the vocational school in Schoonhoven. Pieter Vermeulen is a teacher there and is also affiliated with the Gold and Silver Federation.
He says that the number of students has increased in recent years: “We started this year with 175 first-year students. That amounts to four full first-year classes, previously there were two or three.”
Read further below the table about the increase in the number of gold, silver and silversmiths in North Holland
Several reasons
According to him, there are several reasons for this increase: the image of the craft has improved and the appreciation of the profession is increasing. “Ten years ago it was still seen as old-fashioned.”
And by making your work as a goldsmith visible, for example through YouTube videos or social media, customer appreciation also increases. “Consumers are looking for experience and attach more value to experience. If they know they are getting something special and unique, they are willing to pay for it,” says Vermeulen.
Emotions
Anne recognizes that too. “With my own company I visit people at home. Where they show one piece of jewelry at the jeweler, they show me several pieces of jewelry.”
According to Anne, these are the beautiful stories: “Emotion is released. Then people quickly say ‘this was my mother’ or ‘this is what grandma wore every day’.”
Anne now works two days a week at Juwelier van den Mosselaar, three days a week as a watchmaker at Schaap and Citroen and she also runs her own business. She is not alone in this, says Vermeulen: “About 65% of our students are self-employed and 35% work as a repairman at a studio or jeweler.”
Own business
Although it is not easy to start as a self-employed person, it is possible, according to Vermeulen. “You don’t need much: just a workbench and tools. The biggest problem is finding a property.”
And when asked whether there is money to be made in it, Vermeulen says the following: “You can make a good living with it, but you are responsible yourself. And you also have to dare to ask a good price for it.”
Anne agrees with this, although she believes it depends on several factors: “If you are a novice goldsmith, you still have a lot to learn.” And in addition, having your own company is not always easy. “You have to keep up with Instagram, the accounting, customer contact and you also make the jewelry.”
But Anne isn’t thinking about quitting yet: “No, not for a long time. I enjoy it way too much!”