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50 Years of Grant Macdonald London: Loving Cups 1960-Present

50 Years of Grant Macdonald London: Loving Cups 1960-Present

One of the defining strengths of the Grant Macdonald London workshops over the last half-century has been our commitment to tradition. This isn’t just expressed through the traditional silversmithing skills of our craftsmen, but sometimes in the pieces we produce, pieces that are so specialist, there are very few workshops with the skills and experience to take the commission.

A classic example is the Loving Cup, a ceremonial object that can be traced back to the chivalrous traditions of the Norman knights of the 11th Century, first recorded at Corfe Castle in Dorset (a favourite hunting spot for William the...


50 Years of Grant Macdonald London: Candelabras and Candlesticks 1974 – Present Day

50 Years of Grant Macdonald London: Candelabras and Candlesticks 1974 – Present Day

Grant Macdonald London’s candelabra commissions over the last five decades represent a fine study in both artistic interpretations of the form, and practical design concepts. The execution of the form needs to reflect the tastes and aesthetic preferences of the customer, however it also needs to function as effective table lighting. There is something special about the light from wax candles at an evening function that cannot be reproduced by electric bulbs, and it’s for this reason that people and institutions still commission candlesticks and candelabra from our workshops.

Many of our candelabra commissions have come from City of London...


Getting set for Royal Ascot with Grant Macdonald London

Getting set for Royal Ascot with Grant Macdonald London

Royal Ascot is one of Britain’s oldest racecourses, and it is as much a part of British sporting culture as Wimbledon and the FA Cup.  Royal Ascot is the horse racing equivalent of Le Mans, The Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500 all rolled into one, staged over five gloriously sunny (or miserably wet) June days.

The spectacle of Royal Ascot is instantly recognisable, the eye-opening parade of ever more unusual hats, the A-list celebrities and international royalty mingling with sporting heroes and the great British public, all dressed in their finest formal wear. It’s almost as though the...


The Goodman Trophy: A Grant Macdonald London Restoration

The Goodman Trophy: A Grant Macdonald London Restoration

This month, we saw the return of an old friend to the Grant Macdonald London workshop: The Goodman Trophy.

Its story is the very essence of Grant Macdonald’s mission to design and produce gifts and commissions, that are passed down through the years. Whether passed among family members, members of organisations or, as in this case – winners of competitions, in the words of Grant “Silver and precious metals, unlike other luxury items, go on forever. That’s incredibly powerful.”.

The Goodman Trophy was an early commission for the workshop, when in 1970, Mr Everard N Goodman approached Grant Macdonald to...


TUSK Q&A with George Macdonald, Grant Macdonald London

TUSK Q&A with George Macdonald, Grant Macdonald London

Grant Macdonald London are proud to support the work of the charity TUSK. ‘Ruaha’, our handcrafted silver lion measuring 51cm long will be auctioned at the TUSK ball at Kensington Palace on 9th May.  Retailing at circa £50,000, we are delighted to donate this work of art to TUSK.  

How did you first become involved in TUSK?

I have admired the work of Tusk for many years and because of their connections to craftsmanship and the arts, it made perfect sense to work on a partnership with the charity. Silver sculptures of elephants, lions, rhinos etc are nothing new, a...