The history of the Mstyora jewelry industry began in the 18th century. Its origin is inextricably linked with icon painting. Skilled craftsmen decorated icons with oklads (covers) made of silver and brass.

Talented artists and masters of the “Mstyora Jeweler” factory preserve the best traditions of Mstyora jewelry art. The modern-day products of the factory are distinguished by a unique recognizable design, perfect lines and the shine of the purest silver. In the 1980s, an experimental group of jewelers was organized at the factory.

They created original filigree items decorated with gilding, silvering and oxidizing (antiquing) techniques, as well as costume jewelry with colored glass inserts. They also revived ancient methods of working with enamels. The Mstyora style of filigree has been forming for several decades. It is distinguished by a fine floral and geometric ornament, where every detail repeats and emphasizes the shape of the product, as well as by a complex decorative pattern, typical of Mstyora metalwork. Nikolay Nikolaevich Ivanov was a member of the experimental group.

Nikolay Ivanov, a specialist in artistic metalworking, was born in Mstyora in 1949. He studied at the Engraving Department at the Mstyora Art Vocational School (1965–1968), and also graduated from the Krasnoselsky Metalworking College.

His tea set “Charm” is made of nickel silver. Nickel silver, or melchior, is a durable alloy of copper and nickel, which is widely used for the manufacture of tableware and inexpensive jewelry items. In its appearance and beauty, this alloy is in no way inferior to silver. High strength ensures the durability of the products.

The upper part of the elegant cup from the “Charm” set is made in the shape of a cylinder. Its lower part is made in the form of an inverted truncated cone. The artist used silvering for the inside of the cup and the bottom. The cylindrical part of the body is decorated with an overlay filigree stripe of plants with two enamel medallions. Inside the medallions there is an image of a flower. The décor of a round, silver-plated saucer with a low sloping rim echoes the filigree pattern on the cup.