Applying for Goldsmiths’ Fair – Frequently Asked Questions

Applications for Goldsmiths’ Fair 2025 are open until 28 February 2025

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Dates of Goldsmiths’ Fair 2025

Week One: 23-28 September | Week Two: 30 September – 5 October 2025

Every year during the application process, we get asked important questions about how to shape an application. Thank you to all the people from recent years that have posed the questions below – we hope you’ll find the answers useful.

If your query is not covered here, get in touch with us at fair@goldsmithsfair.co.uk.

Read below for:

Application Criteria

Who is eligible to apply to exhibit at the Fair?

You’re eligible to apply if…

Do I have to be based in the UK?

Yes, if you design and make in the UK then please do apply! Applicants must be UK residents (spending at least 183 days in the UK each year).

Goldsmiths’ Fair follows the Goldsmiths’ Company’s remit to support craftspeople working across the precious metals trade in the UK, and so is open to UK-based makers. Goldsmiths’ Fair is one of multiple ways the Goldsmiths’ Company supports the trade.

Does it matter how long I have been making jewellery/silver for?

Not at all! Our panel makes its selection based on craftsmanship rather than numbers.

If you’re in the first six years of your business and have not exhibited at the Fair before, you’re eligible to apply for our Emerging Business Bursary (all details on our website), which offers financial and professional support to the next generation of jewellers and silversmiths.

I’m a student, am I eligible to apply?

If you’re in full-time education for an undergraduate or Masters degree, a postgraduate diploma or an apprenticeship (UK level 7 and under courses) you cannot apply for the Fair. If you are studying for a UK level 8 course (doctorates and equivalents), you are eligible to apply for the Fair.

The Fair requires exhibitors to be free for the full week and we recognise that participation would disrupt full-time studies.

Do you require applicants to have full collections ready when applying?

Not necessarily, though it will help your preparation for the Fair to have more work ready, and it may help you bring your application together if you can write about the experience of making your collection. You need images of five finished pieces for the application and then should have enough work to fill a display case by the Fair (September-October).

Can I apply if I’ve not yet set up my business?

That’s up to you. We’d expect applicants to be able to take payments for their work at the Fair, so you would need an element of business accounting established by then. You’d also need a good amount of stock ready to show. You could consider applying for our Emerging Business Bursary, which provides professional training and support from the Goldsmiths’ Centre that might be useful as you establish your business. Alternatively, you could start the application to see what it is like and then properly apply next year.

Should I apply?

We would encourage everyone thinking about applying to apply. If you’re undecided, or feel like you might not be quite ready to show a body of work in the autumn, you could start the application to see the kind of questions asked and then be in a stronger and more confident position to submit an application next year.

Additionally, for newer visitors, come see us at Goldsmiths’ Fair 2025 to ask us any questions in person and get a better feel of the Fair. We had 20 first-time exhibitors in 2024; read their stories here for useful and reassuring insights to how they felt before applying.

Submitting Work and Images of Work

What do I need to submit?

If it’s your first time applying for the Fair, you will need to physically submit a piece of your work and digitally submit five images of work.

If you’ve exhibited at the Fair before, but haven’t in the last three years (2022, 2023 and 2024), you will need to physically submit a piece of your work and digitally submit five images of work.

If you exhibited at the Fair in 2022, 2023 or 2024, you will need to digitally submit five images of work.

How do I physically submit my work for the selection panel and how is it returned to me?

You can send your work by post or drop it to us in person. A piece of your work must be submitted alongside your digital application before applications close on Friday 28 February.

Pieces must be securely packaged and clearly labelled with your name, email and telephone number. Parcels can be dropped off at Goldsmiths’ Hall (weekdays 10am – 4pm) or posted to:

GF Submissions, Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN

Please do not visit the London Assay Office entrance or the Goldsmiths’ Centre to drop off or collect your work. Find us at the main entrance of Goldsmiths’ Hall on Foster Lane.

After the selection process, if you would like to collect your work, items can be collected from the Hall from 11 March (weekdays 10am-4pm). Please email fair@goldsmithsfair.co.uk to let us which day to expect you.

Due to changes in Royal Mail’s prepaid postage, we have adjusted our postal returning process as follows:

To have your work returned by post, please include packing materials when sending or dropping your work to us. We will arrange insured special delivery via Royal Mail, charging a £15 postage and admin fee. Your work will be insured to the wholesale value provided in your application. If this value exceeds Royal Mail’s £2,500 limit, we will cover the additional value up to, but not exceeding, £12,500 through the Goldsmiths’ Company insurance.

Please pay for your return postage here. We will not return your work until we have received payment for postage.

Returns will begin on 11 March.

Note: Pre-paid labels are no longer needed, as Royal Mail’s pre-paid service expires too soon to cover our selection process.

Does all work need to be photographed on a white background?

Your work should be photographed on plain backgrounds, so that we can clearly see each piece, but backgrounds can be of any colour. We don’t want applicants to have to reshoot professional shots just for the application, so any plain background is fine. We don’t accept renders though.

Images should make it easy for the selection panel to understand your techniques and craftsmanship. The less stylised the shot, the easier it is for the panel to judge.

Work to be Exhibited

How many pieces of jewellery/objects would I have to have on display to participate?

There’s no rule; it’s completely up to you and depends on the size of your work. We’d recommend 20+ jewels and/or 10+ silver items as our standard display cases have two shelves (photos and dimensions of cases are given to exhibitors ahead of the Fair). You may want to bring extra work to replace items that sell so that your case looks full for the whole week. Exhibitors use their own display material, so you can plan your display at home before the Fair.

Is there a preferred price point for work on sale at the Fair?

We’re not prescriptive about price points and we don’t get involved with your sales during the Fair, so please price your work at points that reflect the materials, skill and all the time you’ve invested into it. Our exhibitors all have different price points for their work, which can range from £50 to £15,000 or more.

Are certain metals, gemstones or materials preferred?

No – we’re not specific about stones or materials except all work must include precious metal, whether silver, gold, platinum or palladium. All precious metal must be hallmarked ready for sale. Work can be assayed by any of the UK assay offices.

Gold-plating is allowed. A lot of exhibitors use plating to create interesting colour contrasts. The jewellery would need to be hallmarked ready for sale, so the body of the piece would have to be silver, platinum or palladium with the gold plating. If a piece is gold plated, it should be described as such so that the buyer knows what they’re choosing.

Whilst precious metals are a necessity, other materials can be anything! We have had exhibitors use found items, repurposed gems, organic materials (like leather), ceramic and 3D-printed materials – the list can be endless! The selection panel enjoys seeing how inventive and innovative applicants are with different materials.

Most of my work is made to commission; could I submit silver versions of pieces I have already made and sold? 

We recognise that making work for stock in gold and platinum can be very expensive. If you’re a new applicant or an applicant that hasn’t exhibited in the last three years, you will need to submit a physical piece as part of your application; the work can be in any metal (including at least one precious metal), and a lot of the work we receive for applications is in silver, but the piece should reflect your practice and the type of work you would be exhibiting on your stand at the Fair.

At the Fair, you would be expected to exhibit work that aligns with the work in your application. You will need a body of work ready to exhibit in the autumn, so it is worth considering which metals to invest in for your stock pieces that still reflect your style and practice.

If your work is typically in gold/platinum/gemstones, the selection panel would want to see images of this work to better understand your practice. Our selection panel looks for high levels of craftsmanship and design, regardless of the material. You could also mention in your description of your work that you largely make to commission in materials of your clients’ choosing, including the range of precious metals.

Do you accept grillz?

We accept anything that includes precious metals, so yes!

Application Process and Timeline

Is there an application fee?

No, there is no fee to apply for Goldsmiths’ Fair.

Can I pause my application whilst working on it?

You can save and pause your application for up to 30 days. All text will be saved, but you will have to reattach images. You can return to finish it at any time.

What else does the application form include?

As part of the Fair application process, you will be asked to complete the Goldsmiths’ Fair Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Survey because we want to learn more about the applicants we are attracting and recruiting to the Fair. Completion of the survey is mandatory and you will be redirected to it once you have completed your application form.

You will need to submit five professional-standard photographs of single pieces, on plain backgrounds (any colour) which best represent your collection. We advise that these pieces have not previously been used for application to Goldsmiths’ Fair. Images submitted must be photographs of finished pieces and not digital renderings or drawings.

If you have never exhibited at the Fair or not exhibited at the Fair in the last 3 years (i.e. exhibited in 2021, but not since), you must submit one of the pieces from your photographs for the panel to view. We encourage you to submit a major rather than minor piece from your collection.

You will need to include details of specialist trades used (e.g. casting/polishing/ engraving).

You will need to answer questions about education and business in precious metals.

You will need to provide an artist’s statement.

What does the selection panel look for?

• An authentic body of work with an original voice

• Inclusion of hand-making skills

• Excellent technical and finishing skills

• A cohesive body of work

• Professional images, not renders or CAD designs

• Commitment, professionalism, and ambition

What is the timeline for the application and selection process?

6 January to 28 February – Applications open (closing 12pm GMT)

28 February – All work must have arrived at Goldsmiths’ Hall

Week of 3 March – The independent selection panel meets

11 March onwards – Work is available for collection from Goldsmiths’ Hall. We will begin posting work for applicants that have requested and paid for return postage.

Late March – Applicants notified of the result of their application

When will you announce the successful applicants?

All applicants will be notified about the result of their application at the end of March 2025.

What happens next if my application is successful?

Once you have been notified of your place, you will be asked to formally accept your stand offer from us. We will then create you a log in for the Exhibitor Area of our website, which includes lots of information about upcoming opportunities and deadlines in the lead up to the Fair.

If I am unsuccessful, can I reapply in the future?

Definitely yes! There are no restrictions on the number of times you apply for the Fair.

About Goldsmiths’ Fair

Where is the Fair located?

Goldsmiths’ Fair takes over the impressive Goldsmiths’ Hall, in the City of London, every year during the last week of September and first week of October. We’re just round the corner from St Paul’s Cathedral.

Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN

Want to hear more?

Read our exhibitors’ stories about applying and exhibiting at the Fair

Balint Samad
Scott Smith
Poppy Norton
Shivani Patel