Nature and wildlife have always been the greatest inspiration for silversmith and artist Mark Roger Shields (July 10, 1948 – April 3, 2020) of Virginia. Shields studied watercolour painting and later oil painting, capturing the natural beauty of his native land. However, the most important thing in his career was practice. Thus, he began his career as an apprentice at the renowned Colonial Williamsburg Company.

Under the tutelage of William Lawrence de Matteo (October 12, 1923 – May 14, 1988), he learned classical silversmithing techniques and earned the status of Master Silversmith. In March 1983, Mark, in partnership with Holly C. Shields, opened Master Craftsmen Shop Ltd at 32 Yeardleys Grant, Williamsburg, Virginia. The company also worked under the brand Mark Shields studio. Noteworthy, Mark designed animal ornaments for the Virginia Living, an open-air museum located in Newport News, Virginia for several years.

After seven years with the company, in 1990 he founded his own company, b. creative, ltd, registered at 282 Deerwood Dr, Blairs, Virginia. Shields designed jewellery until he retired in 2015, but b. creative, ltd ceased to exist in 2023.

Mark traditionally used pewter, gold and silver plating to create unique jewellery pieces – brooches, pins and earrings. The markings on the back of the pieces include “Shields”, “Pewter”, and/or “Handwrought”. His most famous line of pewter brooches features dog breeds and birds, which are now collectibles. The colour combination of silver, gold and pewter demonstrates the hand of a true artist, which Mark was.

Jewelry Art by Virginia Silversmith Mark Roger Shields