Many of the products on the Gothic Style website are fashioned from pewter. This page is to provide you with a little background information on this beautiful metal.

Pure tin, whilst being the 4th most precious metal in the world, is much too soft to be used in a pure form. To provide strength, small amounts of copper and antimony are added to the glowing molten tin. The resultant alloy, born from the fiery depths of the furnace, is pewter.

Modern pewter contains around 92% tin with a little copper and antimony for added strength. All the pewter items sold by Gothic Style are made from modern pewter. Owning one of our pewter items puts you in direct contact with a vein of knowledge and artistry that dates back many centuries.

Pewter can be polished to a deep, glowing lustre, similar to silver. A satin finish can also be applied using fine abrasives. The satin finish is highly attractive and distinguishes pewter from the other precious metals.

Pewter has a luxurious feel. It feels soft and warm and silky. Some say that pewter improves the taste of wine. Whether or not this is true, drinking wine from a finely handcrafted pewter goblet certainly enhances the experience.

The earliest recorded use of pewter is a two handled flask found in an ancient Egyptian tomb. The relic is thought to date to around 1450 b.c.

Pewter was introduced to England by the Romans in small quantities during the 2nd century. Production of pewter in England increased dramatically in the 13th century when it became the favoured metal for chalices, goblets, and religious artefacts.

In the 14th century pewter production increased even further. Most towns around this time had their own pewterer. The London Pewterers gained a Royal Charter from the King and established the Worshipful Company of Pewterers, an organisation which exists to this day.

Caring for your Gothic Style pewter

Modern pewter will retain its deep lustre with very little maintenance. If it does begin to tarnish, the lustre can easily be restored by buffing it with a polishing cloth. Straight up and down polishing strokes work best. Try to avoid polishing in circles.

Please remember: never place pewter items in a dishwasher.