Of all the medieval craftsmen, the goldsmith worked on the two most valuable materials - gold and silver - and set them with rare stones and classical gems. He produced a wide variety of objects, from cups and chalices to rings, seals, and crowns. Such rich objects were often put to the service of God, and today it is in the treasuries of churches that we find much of the surviving material.

Combining documentary, archaeological, and pictorial evidence, the author describes how goldsmiths worked for both the Church and for royalty. By the fifteenth century their trade was centred in the principal ccourts and cities of Europe. John Cherry describes the organization of the craft, including the supply of raw materials, and follows the careers of individual goldsmiths, some of whom rose to high positions in society.