Helen Gaffney, a fourth year student at Glasgow School of Art, has won the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Young Designer Silversmith Award 2004.

The brief for the competition, which was open to any student in the UK under 30 on a BA or Master’s degree course, was to design a salt mill and pepper mill for an elegant dining table. 

Rosemary Ransome Wallis, Curator, at the Goldsmiths’ Company, said “Helen was chosen because her delightful design for a salt mill and pepper mill inspired by chess pieces was truly celebratory in the spirit of the 10th anniversary of this important award”.

One of the unique aspects of this award is that it provides the young silversmith with the experience of making a piece for a national museum collection in a leading London workshop.   Helen made her salt and pepper mills in the Clerkenwell workshop of master-silversmith Clive Burr and the award winning piece will now join the Glasgow Museums Collection.

The prize of £3,000 will enable Helen to buy the silver which she used to make her winning piece and to cover living expenses during her placement period.

In addition three other students from Glasgow School of Art were recognised in the competition – Tessa Kelly was awarded joint third prize and Catherine Fraser and Abigail Percy were both commended. 

Helen is the fourth student from Glasgow School of Art to win this award.  Previous winners Marion Kane, Douglas Blair and Jennifer Paterson also have their award winning pieces in the Glasgow Museums Collection.

In his speech at the award ceremony the Prime Warden congratulated their tutor Professor Roger Millar, Head of the Department of Silversmithing and Jewellery for his continuing success in producing such skilful students.  Professor Millar is also a Freeman of the Company.

The Goldsmiths’ Company’s Young Designer Silversmith Award was started in 1994 with the aim of encouraging the design of studio silver as part of the Company’s objective to promote excellence of design combined with dexterity of craftsmanship.