We have developed a multistep inorganic synthesis experiment for our second-year undergraduate teaching laboratory that introduces students to modern organometallic chemistry. The ligands are prepared in two simple steps and the preparation of an air-stable silver carbene complex is accomplished in the third step. The students are introduced to multinuclear NMR ([to the first power]H and [to the thirteenth power]C) spectroscopy and a modern area of chemistry, as well as prepare an important class of ligand, namely N-heterocyclic carbenes. We have used this experiment to introduce students to novel coordination geometries and valence states of carbon. (Contains 3 figures and 1 scheme.)