Sterling and Plate – Silver Is Great!

Collecting silver can be a challenge since the price of silver shot up but there are plenty of places to find hidden treasure. Although I’ve found amazing deals on plated flatware at auction, you are not likely to find any auction deals on sterling.


The best deals you will ever find come from sifting through secondhand stores and junk shops. Start digging when you find silverware mixed with ordinary stainless flatware.


Sterling almost always is clearly marketed as such and the same is true stainless steel. Plated silver flatware is the tricky find. Often stamped with a manufacturers mark, plated can be misleading to an inexperienced collector. Look for wear in place you would expect to see wear to determine if the areas of plate have worn completely through to the base metal. Typically an even discoloration of tarnish is a good sign of what is underneath. Once polished, keep in an airtight bin to slow the oxidation process down to a crawl.


These settings are from an all-time favorite blog nordingarden.blogspot.com… tack! Silver is to be used and enjoyed every day so pull out good stuff and live (and dine) to the fullest.

D.


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