During the sixteenth century, Antwerp became an epicentre for skilled gold and silversmiths, organising themselves in the Saint-Eligius guild. This guild excluded women from registering as masters, and therefore, from working as goldsmiths. However, women did enjoy certain privileges in early modern Antwerp – wives of goldsmiths were authorised by their husbands to conduct business, and widows administered the atelier of their deceased husbands. Although the unique status of women in the city has been recognised, their contributions as makers remain underexplored in art historical research. Rediscovered archival sources preserved in the Felix Archives in Antwerp, discussing the establishment of a parelgaterambacht, reveal that the craft of pearl drilling was mostly a female occupation. Apart from a small publication in 1924, these documents have hardly been studied, and neither has the technique of pearl drilling, especially in relation to the objects containing pearls. By revisiting these archival sources and an up-close analysis of gold and silversmithing techniques as drilling and setting pearls into precious metalwork, this article demonstrates the complex role of women in the early modern silversmith’s atelier, as they participated in the technical and creative making process of the objects.