Silver-plated Water Pitcher with Gilded Handle
Fjerdingstad

Charles Christofle becomes a goldsmith after acquiring patents for electrolytic gilding (gold plating and silver plating using electrolysis). This was the birth of silverware in France.

La Maison Christofle supplies King Louis Philippe tableware for the Chateau d'Eu.

Christofle became renowned for its silverware following a considerable order of over 4,000 tableware pieces, which included silverware for the Emperor Napoleon III.

Now recognized for their tableware, La Maison Christofle is called upon to supply other foreign Kings and Emperors, such as Maximilian of Mexico, Sultan Abdulaziz of the Ottoman Empire, the Tsar of Russia, the Kaiser of Germany and the Austro - Hungarian Emperor.

With the development of new techniques such as large-scale electroplating, enamel, patina, and natural imprints, and the opening of new factories in Saint-Denis, France, and Karlsruhe, Germany, Christofle has become one of the leading goldsmiths of the century.