Standard Mark
The standard mark identifies your item as being silver. The mark that indicates sterling silver is called the lion passant. Two variations of this mark have been used throughout history. The first was known as the lion passant guardant, with the lion's head facing towards the viewer. The modern lion passant, with the lion's head facing to the left, was introduced in 1822.
You may find that your item does not bear the lion passant, but rather the figure of Britannia, indicating that the item is of 95.83% purity.
The Town Mark
Now that you know that your item is silver and the purity of your item, it is time to find out where the item was assayed.
Each assay office (where items are tested for purity and stamped as sterling if they meet the requirements) has its own distinct mark, known as the town mark. The town mark in this example is the leopard's head mark for London.
The Date Letter
A common misconception is that the date letter tells us in which year the silver item was made. In fact, it tells us when the item was assayed. Date letters were also used to identify the Touch Warden responsible for the assaying.
Reading date letters requires a pocket hallmark guide, which you can purchase here. Alternatively, online guides are available to help you.
Different assay offices use different date letters, so it is important that you identify the town mark before the date letter.
In addition to this, the shapes of the shields and the style of the script varies from office to office and year to year, so these marks must be observed very carefully.
The Maker's Mark
The maker's mark tells us in whose factory the item was made, as opposed to the specific person that made the item. Since 1739 the standard composition of a maker's mark has been the initials of the maker. Prior to this, the first two letters of the maker's last name and sometimes objects or devices were used as maker's marks.
You can easily identify silver silverware by using a magnet.
Silverware, also known as flatware, is typically made from stainless steel or silver, although it can also be made from other metals such as gold or bronze. The process of making silverware typically involves the following steps:
Melting: The raw metal is melted in a furnace and poured into molds to create ingots.
Forging: The ingots are then heated and hammered into flat sheets or rods.
Cutting: The flat sheets or rods are then cut into smaller pieces, which are the rough shapes of the silverware pieces.
Stamping: The rough shapes are then stamped into their final shape using a die and a press.
Polishing: The stamped pieces are then polished to remove any surface imperfections and to give them a smooth, shiny finish.
Plating (if applicable): If the silverware is to be plated with silver, a layer of silver is added to the surface of the pieces through a process called electroplating.
Final inspection: The finished pieces are inspected for quality and any necessary touch-ups are made before they are packaged and shipped to customers.
The term "silver mark 925" refers to a standard for silver jewelry or silverware, indicating that the item is made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper). This standard is commonly used because pure silver is too soft to be used in jewelry or silverware, so the other metals are added to give it strength. The '925' mark indicates that the item is of high quality and has a certain level of silver content.
Silver tarnishes because it reacts with sulfur compounds in the air, creating a thin layer of silver sulfide on the surface. This reaction occurs more quickly in humid or polluted environments.
Silver sulfide is a black or dark grey material that can detract from the appearance of the silver. The formation of silver sulfide can be accelerated by exposure to light, heat, and moisture. Other factors, such as the acidity of the air or the presence of certain chemicals, can also contribute to the tarnishing process.
To minimize tarnishing, it's important to store silver in a cool, dry place and to keep it away from sources of sulfur and other contaminants. Regular cleaning and polishing can also help to prevent tarnish from forming and can restore the shine to tarnished silver.
To clean silver, you can use one of the following methods:
Soap and water: Clean the silver with a soft cloth dipped in warm soapy water, then rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
Baking soda and aluminum foil: Line a bowl with aluminum foil and place the silver in it, then add boiling water, a tablespoon of baking soda, and a tablespoon of salt. Let the silver sit in the mixture for a few minutes, then remove it and rinse it with water.
Silver polish: Apply a silver polish to a soft cloth and use it to gently rub the silver. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label.
Toothpaste: Apply a small amount of toothpaste to a soft cloth and use it to gently rub the silver. Rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth.
Regardless of which method you choose, it's important to handle silver gently and to avoid using abrasive materials that can scratch the surface. If your silver has tarnish, it's best to remove it as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming more difficult to clean.
1. Grand Baroque by Wallace
The Grande Baroque sterling silver flatware is a pattern that is produced by Wallace Silversmiths. The pattern was specifically created by William S. Warren, in 1941. Overall, it took Warren four years to develop and perfect this pattern and he did so with the mission of the design “to reflect the very essence of merriment and adventure, of artistic progress.”
When Warren originally began designing the pattern, the intent was that it was only meant to be a flatware pattern but then, later on, hollowware was added to the collection line. Then, once the demand for the Grand Baroque pattern increased, a Golden Grande Baroque was introduced. Besides the traditional place settings in lunch, dinner, and continental size, there are now over a hundred flatware pieces in the Grand Baroque pattern.
2. Repousse by Stieff
The sterling silver flatware pattern Repoussé by Stieff was introduced in 1845. The hollowware pattern Repoussé was introduced in 1828 and features an intricate floral design along its entire stem and handle. To develop the design that made the Repoussé pattern so unique, the relief design, the pattern has to be pressed through the back of the item. This pattern was named after the art of repoussé (the process of embossing metal from the back by hammering), originally used in European silversmithing. What is also a key trait in this pattern is that Repousse sterling silver flatware pattern is flat on the opposite side. Because of the intricacy of the pattern and the work that it takes to develop the flatware, the Repousse by Stieff is highly desired and sought after.
3. Francis 1st by Reed & Barton
The Francis 1st by Reed & Barton flatware pattern is an American sterling silver tableware pattern, that was introduced in 1906. The Francis 1st pattern was designed by Ernest Meyer, a French silversmith. The pattern was named after King Francis I of France. Meyer's goal was to create a pattern that surpassed the Renaissance-Baroque metalwork of Benvenuto Cellini. Cellini was a court artist and sculptor in the court of King Francis I, who ascended the French throne in 1515.
Identifying the Francis 1st pattern relies on the uniqueness of the design. Unlike many other flatware patterns, the Francis 1st pattern has fifteen different fruit-and-flower clusters and each of the handles contains one of these detailed designs. Many claims that the design idea was inspired by many tableware patterns of the Italian silver manufacturer, Cesa 1882.
To identify the pattern, the original backstamp featured a lion, an eagle, and the letter “R.” Around 1950 a new back stamp was used and that read “Reed and Barton.”
4. Eloquence Sterling by Lunt
Lunt Silversmiths sterling silver is known for the unique design elegance that its patterns have and it has been part of the Lunt family heritage since the early 1900s in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Beyond the elegance, Lunt sterling silver has a variety of patterns over years of existence, all patterns representing outstanding quality and craftsmanship, like their Eloquence sterling silver pattern. Eloquence was debuted in 1953, and it is considered a”flagship” pattern for Lunt. The pattern consists of wonderfully ornate handles that are pierced in four places, which isolates the plain center, making it stand out in elegance.
Lunt and Bowlen Company took over A.F. Towle Co. in 1902, which had original sterling patterns dating back to 1883 that became a part of Lunt sterling flatware. In 1935, they changed their name to Lunt Silversmiths.
5. King Richard by Towle
The design inspiration for the King Richard pattern by Towle, shields carried by knights, comes from the Crusades. Because of that design inspiration, it is fitting that the richly ornamented King Richard pattern is named after the most famous Crusader of all, Richard the Lion-Hearted. The pattern was developed in 1932 of sterling and doesn't have any monograms.
The sterling silver King Richard set consists of a pointed oval top and a richly ornamented shield in the center of the handle. The design of the handle takes so much time to be modeled that it seems to be more deeply and finely carved than any pattern that is comparable. King Richard's design inspiration simply sets it apart from all other decorated patterned sterling silver.
The use of silverware, also known as flatware, dates back to ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. They used silver for utensils and tableware, and it was seen as a symbol of wealth and status.
However, the widespread use of silverware as we know it today only became common in the late 17th century, during the reign of King Louis XIV of France. At that time, silver was more readily available and more affordable, and the French court set the trend for using silver utensils at formal meals.
From there, the use of silverware spread throughout Europe and eventually to the rest of the world. Today, silverware is a common item in many households, although it is often made from stainless steel or other metals, rather than pure silver.
