Scottish silversmith John Fraser Inverness

Scottish silversmith John Fraser Inverness
In his youth, John Fraser gained valuable experience in silver and watch making workshop of Medlock and Craik located at 6 Bridge Street, Inverness. Young and sporty, he had strong hands, and talent for arts, in particular, jewelry making. Having begun his career as an apprenticeship in the 1930s, one of his first pieces was a gold paper knife. However, his apprenticeship didn’t last long, as his silversmith teachers didn’t want him to “get his hands damaged” and advised him to find another job. According to Mr Fraser, it was terrible blow. But John didn’t give up, he continued jewelry making. Unfortunately, these were war years and much of the jewellery that he had produced back in his apprenticeship days disappeared. Yet, there could be very few pieces indeed that are still in existence from the thirties, mostly in private homes.
Active from 1930-s to 1982, Fraser was one of the well-known makers of clan badges, kilt pins in classic Celtic design, rings, brooches and pendants with the use of silver, and semi-precious stones.
He marked his pieces with stamps “JF INS” (John Fraser of Inverness), also “Edinburgh silver” and the year of manufacture.

Scottish silversmith John Fraser Inverness

The Scottish Crest Badge is a heraldic badge worn to show devotion to an individual or membership in a particular Scottish clan. Traditionally, they consist of a coat of arms and a motto / slogan. These elements are heraldic property protected by law in Scotland. These badges were made by artisans by order of the clans. However, the crest badges are now freely available from the vintage jewelry market and can be worn by anyone.
In fact, Crest Badges do not have a long history and owes much to the romanticism of the Victorian era, and have only been worn since the 19th century. According to belief, the original badges used by the clans were specific plants worn in hats or hung from a pole or spear.