The name C Leslie Smith has been synonymous with silversmithing in the Lehigh Valley since the 1950’s. Les started his silversmith career in the lower level of a barn in West Allentown,moving shortly after to a small basement location on 9th St. Before moving to his well know location in the heart of Allentown’s retail district, 921 Hamilton St. Les had an amazing skill and the talent to teach it to a number of students over the years. One student in particular, Tom Jones, has mastered Les’s techniques is still working at the Tilghman Street location. Together Les and Tom created the designs we recognize today; these designs have stood the test of time and are still sought after today.
In 1997 Cleo was in search of a building that she could bring both a store front and studio together and offer more to her customers. She found that in the southside location and brought the studio of C. Leslie Smith to Bethlehem for the first time. This union allowed Cleo the opportunity to offer her fathers designs as well as custom work and repairs.Cleo was fortunate to stumble on Jennifer Cameron, a very talented silversmith.Jenn is a graduate of Kutztown University with a Bachelors of Fine Art,majoring in Communication Design. She continues to design and produce jewelry with the same standard of quality that Les instilled during her apprenticeship.