'It's a lifetime's work': Silversmith 'devastated' after thieves stole 'irreplaceable' jewellery

Séamus Gill, whose pieces have been presented to Pope Francis, had his collection stolen from his studio over the Easter weekend. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

An award-winning silversmith, whose pieces have been presented to Pope Francis among others, has issued a public appeal for help after his Dublin studio was broken into over the Easter weekend.

Séamus Gill, who uses traditional skills to design and create jewellery, silverware and sculpture, said it was with a “heavy heart” he shared the “devastating news” of the robbery.

“Decades of work have been taken: original jewellery, including one of a kind legacy pieces, prototypes, and the full creative development of my upcoming collection. This is more than a theft — it’s the loss of a lifetime’s creative journey.

"These pieces are not only of deeply personal significance, but they also are a part of Ireland’s contemporary design and craft story — irreplaceable works that represent years of exploration, learning and craft.” 

The cruet set by Séamus Gill which was presented to Pope Francis when he visited Ireland in 2018.

In addition to Pope Francis, Mr Gill has designed pieces which have been presented to Bob Geldof and Cillian Murphy, among others.

He is appealing to members of the public who might have seen or heard anything — no matter how small — to come forward.

“Your information could help recover these works and bring some light back in to what has been an incredibly dark time. Please contact the gardaí at Pearse Street.” 

Mr Gill told RTÉ  he was deeply upset at the loss of 40 years of his work.

""For every jewellery collection that I would make, I’d make an original piece with the original hallmarks and the date letter in it. That was all taken, so work over the last 40 years.

"It's a lot of one-off pieces, it's a cultural legacy as well as my work, my lifetime’s work. 

"All the work is silver, which is unusual, there aren’t many silversmiths left ... it has an identifiable signature, and it carries the Irish hallmark.”