Hello Collectors!

from Chip deMatteo

Welcome to The Silver Tidings, Hand & Hammer's online collectors' newsletter! It's great that you found us among all the other wonderful internet sites out there. As you can see, we have included pictures of all of the sterling silver ornaments we've made over the past 20 years. I like to take this opportunity to tell our collectors about the special pieces we're making in 1999, so they can get a jump on their "Christmas List". It's great fun to have so many loyal collectors of Hand & Hammer silver ornaments online--I hear from many of you via email. Thanks a million for all your support over the past 20 years. You've made Hand & Hammer ornaments one of the premier collections out there!

My plan is to eventually get the pictures of all the ornaments and their numbers on the web site. To do this, I'm going to impose on our good friend and best silver ornament collector, Peggy Hart, to lend me her collection so I can photograph all the ornaments. Believe it or not, we don't have one of every ornament we've ever made here at Hand & Hammer, but Peggy does! She's a dyed-in-the-wool collector, there's no doubt about that. In the meantime, I'll tell you about some of our latest projects for 1999, what kinds of pieces you can look for in the future, and where you'll be able to get them

Our hottest piece so far this year isn't a 1999 ornament at all, but a Turn of the Century 2000 ornament. It will be made only in 1999 so there's just a limited time to find one this year. Of course we've also issued the latest pieces in our three dated series, 1999 Silver Bells, 1999 Star, and 1999 Peter Rabbit. They also will be crafted only in 1999. The latest in our Twelve Days of Christmas series is 7 Swans a Swimming, available in 1999 as well. .

I'm proud to show you our latest very limited edition ornament, Hands Together, designed by P.D. Crowe here at Hand & Hammer Silversmiths. Limited to 2500 pieces, this large sterling ornament depicts children from around the world at play. It's a very special piece and we'll be donating a portion of each sale to the National Children's Medical Center in Washington, DC. It comes in a beautiful red velvet box with a special numbered card. As with all our sterling silver ornaments, it's handmade in our shop in Virginia.

Our association with the world famous Museum of Fine Arts Boston is long and productive. This year we add the 1999 Snowflake to their long-running series of dated snowflakes. You can request one of their great catalogs by calling 800-227-5597

Another one of our favorite stores is Shreve Crump & Low in Boston. Our series of Boston landmarks has grown this year with the addition of the popular wedding site, the King's Chapel. Look for the Customs House as Shreve's year 2000 addition. Their number is 800-225-7088.

Last year I told you all about our friend Peggy Hart and her amazing collection of Hand & Hammer ornaments. Each year she designs and sells a limited edition silver ornament which we're proud to make for her. This year she has doubled her efforts and come up with two designs, Heart of Christmas 1999 and Heart of Christmas 2000. Reach her at 703-444-6155 for more information.

Our longest series of ornaments is made for the United States Historical Society, based on stained glass designs of angels from cathedrals around the world. Contact them at 804-648-4736 for information on their 1999 Tiffany Angel.

One of my favorite customers is the Old Salem Restoration in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We've made custom jewelry for them to sell in the museum since 1980. This year we made two sterling ornaments, also available as brooches, based on a wedding quilt which was featured in an American quilt show they presented. One ornament represents a tree of life design and the other is a heart. They are really lovely and will be featured in our next catalog. They are available from T. Bagge Merchants in Winston-Salem, 910-721-7314.

We have been making ornaments and jewelry based on the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC for several years now, and the three new ornaments we've done this year are really great. The Horse, Fire Carriage, and Rooster are based on antique weathervanes from the Index of American Design in their collection.

Hall's is certainly one of the nicest department stores in the country. They've asked us to make a silver ornament depicting the beautiful Plaza in Kansas City. The Plaza is the picturesque center of the city and the unusual Moorish architecture and fountain which are the centerpiece are represented in the design dated "1998".

My favorite place, other than Woodbridge, is San Francisco and the folks at Shreve & Company have a series of ornaments based on the sights of San Francisco which we design and make for them. This year we've added the Conservatory, which is located in Golden Gate Park. Their number is 415-421-2600

I had the chance to reproduce the beautiful Huguenot Church in Charleston, South Carolina this year. One of the prettiest churches in a city known for its churches. This sterling ornament, first in a set, is available form Mara Fine Silver, 803-722-0022.

It's always fun for me to be able to work with a character who's very well known. The Disney Stores will be carrying a terrific Mickey Mouse 1999 ornament this year. Mickey's famous face is shown on a beautiful Art Deco design with leaping deer in the background. Check it out at a Disney Store near you.

Of course, we're still making Beatrix Potter designs. The annual series of Peter rabbit and friends started in 1990. This year, Peter watches as Mrs Rabbit cooks up some turnips. These ornaments are dated and limited to the year of issue. We've also made an engravable ornament which many had requested for baby gifts. Along with Peter Rabbit et al, we're happy to be making Paddington designs. This is his 40th birthday.

One of the nicest jewelry stores I know is Schwarzschild's in Richmond, Virginia. We've made a series of Richmond landmark ornaments for them for many years. They presented the entire set of them to the Governor's wife last Christmas. This year's addition is the stately Governor's Mansion.

Our old friend Jeff Stewart of Jeff Stewart Antiques in Newton NC has commissioned us to make a Year 2000 collectible this year. His Y2K Eiffel Tower is available now, call him at 813-627-9805.

We've made several silver ornaments for the Marine Corps. This year we will make a Core Values collectible for them. This will be a hunt for many collectors, as they are sold exclusively at Marine Corps exchanges around the world. Happy hunting, Collectors!

As many of you know, we make a lot of sterling silver and 14 karat gold jewelry, as well as our ornaments. Often we make custom jewelry for stores and catalogs. For you lighthouse buffs, we've just made a lighthouse brooch for a neighbor called the Virginia Company. It's exclusively theirs and they can be reached at 800-568-2746. They have a great catalog full of things made here in Virginia.

Two new ornaments which we've made in the past year are for a lovely jewelry store in Virginia Beach called Facets. In 1998 we made a special ornament for them depicting the city of Norfolk, Virginia. This year we've done another nifty ornament representing Virginia Beach and its attractions. Their number is 757-428-1117.

It's hard to believe we're in our sixth year of our 12 days of Christmas series. This year's Six Geese a-Laying has a nice symmetrical design. Actually we're finishing up the next one, Seven Swans. By the time you're thinking about Christmas 1998, we're just finishing up Christmas 1999. We work on our catalog over a year in advance, I hope you'll e-mail or call for a catalog.

Well, I think I've covered it all for now, We can update this website as things happen, so this is the best place to look for what's new. We love to hear from you, so feel free to e-mail, write or call our toll free number 1-800-SILVERY.

Chip