It is not known where and when humans first used metals, nor whether gold or copper was the first to be worked (both share common characteristics: they can be found in nature in a pure state, are extremely ductile and malleable, and have vivid colors and shine). However, it is known that since the Chalcolithic (3rd millennium BC) and throughout much of the Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC), laminar objects were produced using only the techniques of hammering and repoussé (a process that already required knowledge of annealing, a heat treatment below the melting point, which restored the metal's malleability before hammering). In the Late Bronze Age (1st millennium BC to 800 BC), objects were already being cast in sand molds, demonstrating knowledge, though rudimentary, of soldering techniques. Between the Late Bronze Age and the threshold of the Iron Age (600 BC), the increase in knowledge about the behavior of metals, the discovery of metallic alloys, and mastery of the temperatures needed for soldering allowed for the refinement of production and decoration techniques. It is here that two complex decorative methods appear, which would mark the history of goldsmithing through the ages: granulation and filigree. The wires for the filigree technique were made by cutting narrow strips of metal, which were then rolled between stone plates to achieve a circular section (the drawplate would appear later, in the Hellenistic period and early Roman times, greatly facilitating the process).
The oldest archaeological traces that allow us to identify the regions of the world where gold and silver metallurgy was practiced and extraordinarily developed lead us to places like Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, and western Anatolia at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. Most likely, it was from these territories that the technology for working precious metals spread to other lands, namely Europe, Persia, India, China…

The wealth of the Iberian Peninsula in minerals—tin, silver, gold, copper, lead—was, from an early stage, a source of attraction for various peoples. Indigenous communities also engaged in mining and professions related to metal metallurgy, though using very simple techniques.

We know that in the Iberian Peninsula, and more precisely in Portuguese territory, from the 3rd millennium onwards, the production of works in precious metals flourished, resulting from the assimilation of various influences (Brittany, the British Isles, and the Eastern Mediterranean). The goldsmithing that emerged in this period is solid, with Celtic influence—bracelets and torcs—but there are also pieces that show Mediterranean influences, with great formal and decorative richness, where the techniques of filigree and granulation are found—such as beads, earrings, and pendants. In the later Iron Age, the earrings of Laúndos, Carreço, and Estela are examples, more of the splendor of the color and shine of gold than of the aesthetic development of the art, which was still extremely rudimentary. But, while on an artistic and aesthetic level the underdevelopment of goldsmithing remained a constant, over time and technically, new knowledge was acquired (it is believed that Iberian goldsmiths were able to hammer wire from an early stage).



Although there are references in Portugal to goldsmithing (the goldsmith profession) in the 11th and 12th centuries, they are scarce and little is known about the pieces produced. The strong medieval religious sentiment and the adaptation to the vocabulary of Romanesque and Gothic architecture marked the sacred art pieces of this period, often produced in workshops under the jurisdiction of monasteries themselves. The application of filigree decorations and mastery of repoussé, soldering, and chasing techniques are essential in the works produced.


Later (second half of the 14th century), and already in a climate of gradual liberation from religious hegemony, goldsmith workshops were established in urban centers, and silver and gold craftsmen organized themselves into guilds (gathered by streets), diversifying their clientele.
Until the 15th/16th century, Portuguese goldsmithing was influenced by foreign elements (mainly French art), with few resources, no artistic tradition, and little originality. In the 16th century, Portuguese goldsmithing asserted itself with a decorative grammar in the Manueline style. At this time, with the easy access to raw materials (as a result of the Discoveries and conquests, as well as mining in Portuguese territory), goldsmithing reached relative splendor, attracting foreign goldsmiths (French, Flemish, and German) who introduced new techniques, processes, and forms.
In the 17th century, goldsmithing improved technically and aesthetically, but by drawing on examples from the neighboring Spanish Renaissance (influence of the Spanish rule to which Portugal was subjected from 1580 to 1640). Marking the transition to the 18th century, and benefiting from a favorable economic situation (gold and diamonds from Brazil), goldsmithing increased its production, mainly due to royal and church commissions, reaching a high technical level combined with Baroque aesthetics. Filigree disappeared from erudite objects (tableware, liturgical implements, etc.), became "democratized" (in the words of Luís Chaves), and returned to more humble and popular models and patterns. From the 19th century onwards, filigree gained importance and an autonomous character within Portuguese goldsmithing, particularly in Porto, Gondomar, and Póvoa de Lanhoso, the latter two municipalities still considered today as emblematic "centers" of this traditional craft. However, from the second half of the 19th century, goldsmithing went into crisis, reflecting the economic, political, and social upheaval caused by the liberal wars, a crisis to which the extinction, in 1834, of the traditional craft structures responsible for teaching this art also contributed. From this period onwards, production reflects the lack of investment in training and is reduced almost entirely to copies of models and to hybrid and unremarkable pieces.

_{Source: Ramos, Graça, Specification Notebook for Certification, 2017}