Arthur J. Stone Shop
Arthur J. Stone was regarded during his lifetime as the nation’s premier silversmith, though few today have heard of his name. His company operated relatively briefly from 1901 – or 1897 depending on the source – to 1937 when it was sold to one of its employees, carrying on business as Stone Associates until 1957.
Stone was born in England in 1847 where he learned his silversmithing craft, training in both Sheffield and Edinburgh. He immigrated to America in 1884 where he worked for various silver producers including Frank W. Smith where functioned as designer, salesman, and manager.
In 1897, he opened his own business in his home in Gardner, Massachusetts which prospered during its run of operations until Gardner’s failing health forced him to sell to Henry Heywood.
During his career, Stone was acknowledged as one of the most important contributors to the Arts and Crafts style in silver manufacture.
The firm appeared several times in The American Magazine of Art in the 1920s where his work was featured and extolled. chicagosilver.com cites Elenita Chickering, Arthur J. Stone 1847-1938: Designer and Silversmith, as the most comprehensive treatment of Stone’s work and contributions to silversmithing.
Stone was unique in that he allowed his employees to mark their wares with an initial which can usually be traced to a specific silversmith. As of this writing (2025) silvercollection.it holds a table of smiths, their marks, and dates of operation, obviously owing to other sources.
A wonderful reminiscence of a former employee, Herman W Glendenning, was published by the Society of American Silversmiths in 1996 which is a worthwhile read especially for its recollection about Stone’s personal traits.
