In Russia, people used niello for purposes of artistic metal treatment as early as the X century. The procedure of niello decoration consists of fusing a black alloy (it consists of traditional elements of silver) into the basic metal (gold or silver) to make the color contrast. In the process, the craftsmen make small furrows while graving and fill them up with melted niello.

The first documentary reference to nielloed silver articles is believed to date from 1683. The ancient town Velikiy Ustiug was the jewelry art capital of northern Russia in the XVII-XVIII centuries.

Velikiy Ustiug was a town of craftsmen and explorers; it was situated at the northern crossroads of research expeditions to Siberia, the Far East and Alaska. Niello from Velikiy Ustiug influenced the activity of all main artistic centers of Siberia and even Alaska. The craftsmen from Velikiy Ustiug developed a number of artistic and technical methods that lead their art to the top of its blossom. Velikiy Ustiug's craftsmen were often called to Moscow to share their experience in this king of applied art.

The artel “Severnaya Chern” used the rich 250-year experience of craftsmanship and unique traditions in starting to produce nielloed silver articles in 1933. The total volume of output grew and, in 1960, the artel was renamed into a factory. In 1973, the facility acquired the status of a plant (a big factory).

Now the closed joint-stock company “Severnaya Chern” is a large jewelry producer; it leads a unique trend in Russian jewelry art that continues with three-century-old traditions of national artistic trade.  About 600 people work at the factory. They process several tons of silver every year. The main products include silverware sets that can be used to decorate tables for festive celebrations. There is a broad selection of various jewelry items too. 

A special group of products are religious articles. They are executed in accordance with all canons of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is for that reason that Severnaya Chern makes all personal orders of the Saint-Danilov cloister  the residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexiy II.  The characteristic features of items produced by the “Severnaya Chern” work-shop are: work done by hand, skill and high level of artistry. The craftsmen of the factory cherish and develop the creative heritage of the trade. The factory produces about 1000 jewelry articles and has more then 300 regular partners. There is a great demand for the goods of the factory in Russia. The nielloed silver articles made by the craftsmen of “Severnaya Chern” are often exhibited at home and abroad; they have received awards and public recognition of their quality.

CONTACT

INFORMATION:

Phone  ++8173822707

Fax      ++8173824366

Severnaya Chern

Uglovskogo Street 1

Velikiy Ustiug

Russia 162340

e-mail: chern@vologda.ru

www.vologda.ru/~chern/