- Stainless steel flatware consists of an alloy that contains chromium and nickel. The chromium is durable and resistant to corrosion, rust and stains, and is most often added at 18 percent. Nickel is added to imitate the shine and color of silver, and is added in 8 to 10 percent amounts. The higher the amount of nickel, the more your set is likely to cost.
- Silver plate is when the manufacturer covers a cheaper flatware like brass or copper with a thin layer of pure silver. Unfortunately, due to small amount of silver used, silver-plated flatware is more expensive to buy, but has no value other than for its intended use. Silver-plating can be expected to last up to 20 years if treated carefully and well. With heavy use, the plating has a tendency to wear off the flatware.
- True sterling silver flatware tends to be a prized possession, often passed through generations as an heirloom. Silverware can last 100 years or more when kept carefully. Sterling silver bears the mark of 0.925 or a fraction of 925 over 1,000 to indicate its purity. This is an industry standard that is government regulated, and any silverware manufactured since the middle of the 19th century is required to bear one of these marks. Sterling contains 92.5 percent silver and is rounded out and hardened with copper to make what is normally a soft metal hard enough for use as tableware.
- If your silverware is from England and is pure, it will be stamped with a series of hallmarks, including the lion passant, city, date, maker and possibly the face of the monarch in power at the time of pouring. European flatware is three times larger than the American standard and also as much as three times heavier.
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