Welcome to Silver Tidings, the online collector's newsletter of Hand & Hammer Silversmiths. If you're just discovering our sterling silver ornaments, where have you been? In the past 30 years we have created over 570 sterling silver ornaments! We know that there are several of you die-hard collectors out there who have complete sets of our ornaments. We also know that there are those of you that collect one type of ornaments; angels or birds or stars, for example. And there are those of you that have just a few, or just one, of our ornaments, with its own special memory attached to it.

I know how important Christmas tree ornaments can be to a family. My own family's tradition of making sterling silver ornaments began with my grandfather, who came from Italy to New York in the early part of the 20th century. Speaking no English, Guitano deMatteo got a job sweeping the floor at Tiffany & Co.; from there he worked his way up in the shop to become a master silversmith before creating his own studio in the 1930's. He would occasionally attach ribbon to small pieces of silver he'd made and hang them on his own Christmas tree. When my father, Bill deMatteo, followed in his father's footsteps, he went to Colonial Williamsburg, where he was Master Silversmith for 25 years. I remember fondly the twisted silver "icicles" he made to give as gifts one year--with those ornaments, a tradition was kept alive.

When we started Hand & Hammer Silversmiths, one of the first things we made was the #320 Angel Gabriel ornament, from an 18th century folk art drawing. We sold it for many years, and still get the occasional request to make one. In the early days there weren't many people making (or collecting) sterling silver ornaments, but over the years we saw an increase in interest. Soon we were making a dozen different designs a year, with collectors clambering for more. There are very few silver companies still making ornaments in the U.S.A. these days, but I'm proud to say Hand & Hammer is one of them. In these days of ever more mass produced "stuff" made for the holidays, a sterling silver ornament from Hand & Hammer will always be more valuable than a plastic thing which was mass produced in the orient.

Needless to say, I love designing and making Christmas ornaments. Each design is different, and because they are handmade in sterling silver, they will always be valuable, and they won't break unless you drop one down the garbage disposal. Even then, we can probably fix it (we really do mean, "guaranteed forever"!).

As always, we're making lots of special designs for special customers this year, too. Because of my childhood growing up in Williamsburg and my father's long association with them, I'm particularly proud of becoming a Colonial Williamsburg licensee, and have created three new ornaments for them. Look for the Compass Rose, 2003 Annual Williamsburg Wreath, and the Hotch Potch Noel ornaments in their catalog and at other fine retailers.

In our Boston series for Shreve Crump & Low, we're offering the The Lenny, a depiction of the Leonard Zakin Bridge, which now dominates Boston Harbor. This ornament is very popular with Boston commuters! You can reach Shreve Crump & Low at 1-800-227-5597. Schwarzschild Jewelers in Richmond is another beautiful guild jewelry store. We've added a stunning ornament to the Richmond Landmarks series with the War Memorial. Their number is 804-644-1941.

I've made a lovely snowflake ornament for the series at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. That series dates back to 1989. My friend Peggy Hart has another in her Heart of Christmas series this year. Peggy also runs a DC Silver Ornament Collectors' weekend in October. For this event we've created a new ornament depicting some of the monuments on the Mall in Washington, DC.

We've made a great new ornament depicting one of upstate New York's most famous landmarks, the Boldt Castle. These are available exclusively from Capt. Spicer's Gallery in Clayton, NY. Their phone number is 315-686-3419.

Our longest running series of ornaments is made for the United States Historical Society, based on stained glass designs of angels from cathedrals around the world. We've made ornaments for USHS since 1983. Wow! That's twenty years! Contact them at 804-648-4736 for information.

Our newest collection is really fun: the whimsical and timeless characters of Dr. Seuss. Check out our 2003 Grinch ornament, the third in that series. He joins the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch & Max, and Green Eggs & Ham ornaments, along with our Dr. Seuss charms. They come in special Dr. Seuss gift boxes, too. Look for The Cat in the Hat movie which is coming out this holiday season!

Of course I have added some new designs to our 2003 line of ornaments.In addition to the 2003 Songbirds, 2003 Peter Rabbit, and 2003 Annual Star, the months of the year series continues with March, coming in like a lion and out like a lamb, and 11 Pipers Piping is the next edition in the Twelve Days of Christmas. I've made eleven new ornaments for our Hand & Hammer catalog. I especially like the Basket of Stars Angel and Horse and Sleigh ornaments. Continuing with our Super Sized Series, I have a new Peace Dove, which looks very striking on a Christmas tree. As always, our sterling ornaments come individually wrapped and gift boxed for holiday giving.

When you add some of these to your collections, you'll be eventually thinking about polishing them. Sterling silver is guaranteed to tarnish. It's a natural process, a sort of corrosion, where silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the air. It makes silver look dark and ugly, but doesn't actually harm the piece or reduce its silver content. I get asked all the time what I recommend for polishing sterling silver ornaments. You can use any good quality silver polish. First, wet the piece to be polished, then use a small amount of the the polish and rub it into the ornament gently with a soft sponge or cloth until the tarnish disappears. Rinse the piece under the hottest running water you can stand, and don't let any of the polish get stuck in the crevices of the design. It will harden in there if you let it. Blot the ornament dry with a soft cloth, don't rub it like you're drying the dishes--this will put scratches in the silver's surface. Store the ornaments in as airtight an environment as possible when you're not displaying them. You will definitely cut down on the tarnish if you keep the air out.

Don't forget, I love to hear from you. Let me know what you like (or don't like) and what you'd like to see more of. Hand & Hammer's success is due to the loyalty of its collectors, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Check back to the website, I'll be updating it as we make new pieces. To request a copy of our catalog, please call 1-800-SILVERY.