If you could share a drink with a friend, who would it be, where and what would you drink?  These three simple questions were the starting point for Silver of the Stars, a unique collection of contemporary Scottish silver which was unveiled today at Goldsmiths’ Hall in Edinburgh.

The collection, which will tour the world over the next two years, has been made by some of Scotland’s leading silversmiths and created in collaboration with ten of the most glittering names from the worlds of film, fashion, theatre, music and literature.

Michael Laing, the Deacon of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh explains “The idea for Silver of the Stars was to find a way of uniting creative talent from many different disciplines. Scotland is in the unique position of fostering a community of world-class silversmiths and we have also produced some of the biggest names in global entertainment.”

Best-selling crime writer Ian Rankin is amongst the celebrities involved and he was at the unveiling of the collection.   For Ian his choice of tipple was Irn Bru and his preferred company was his family in Fife.  He was matched with Glasgow based silversmith John Creed who fashioned a flask and tumblers in silver and gold which sit upon a tray made of steel, inspired by the girders of the Forth Road Bridge.   The airtight stopper on the jug ensures the Irn Bru stays bubbly.

Ian says ”I chose Irn Bru because it reminds me of fish suppers with my family when I was a child. Over the years I’ve also found it an excellent restorative on many a ‘morning after the night before’ and I still drink it a couple of times every week. I never thought however that one day it would be possible to drink it out of a silver tumbler, lined with gold.”

The Silver of the Stars collection goes on display in the Victoria & Albert Museum from 31 January 2007 and will be there during Collect.  After that it will be exhibited in New York, St Petersburg, Beijing and Kyoto before returning to Edinburgh in January 2008 where it will be exhibited at the National Museums of Scotland in time to coincide with Goldsmiths’ 550th anniversary.

Silver of the Stars is supported by the Scottish Executive, Edinburgh City Council, The Inches Carr Trust, the WM Mann Foundation and Gillespie Macandrew.