Robert R. Fairbank

Robert Fairbank (1956-2016)• Founding Partner

Robert Fairbank, one of the original three founding partners of Goldsmiths 3, was a professional goldsmith for over 40 years.  His expertise in the craft spanned a diverse array of skills, from wax carving and casting to stone-setting to computer aided design.  Yet, throughout his career, he remained firmly rooted in the practice of hand-fabrication, especially the Scandinavian tradition of hand- forging. 

Having cultivated a love of metalwork from an early age, Robert spent several years apprenticed to Boston-area goldsmiths who worked directly in precious metal, achieving form and balance through the careful application of steel tools upon gold.  Through this experience, Robert gained an abiding respect for the creative opportunities that precious metals present, and how traditional, direct methods, vastly unchanged throughout history, can be used to create complex three dimensional designs, either abstract or representational.

Largely self-taught, Robert went on to study the finer points of jewelry making, becoming an expert stone setter, engraver, designer and platinumsmith.  Offering hand drawn renderings to communicate his vision, Robert created hundreds of unique custom pieces of jewelry, artifacts and sculpture for clients near and far. 

Robert’s skill as a craftsman led him to teach specialty workshops at institutions such as the Massachusetts College of Art, the DeCordova Museum School, and MetalWerx in Waltham, MA. 

Robert passed away in May 2016 after a defiant and courageous fight with multiple myeloma.   To say that he will be missed is an understatement.  His generosity, humor, integrity and aesthetic principles will influence our creative endeavors... always.