Awakening Towle
Vintage 1950s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Brass
Vintage 1930s English Edwardian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century Louis Philippe Glass
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Porcelain
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
1990s Sri Lankan American Classical Dinner Plates
Porcelain
20th Century American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century British Neoclassical Dinner Plates
Paste, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Dinner Plates
Gold
20th Century European Scientific Instruments
Glass, Wood
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Pitchers
Murano Glass
20th Century American Other Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Sterling Silver
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Antique Early 1900s French Dinner Plates
Gold, Enamel
20th Century American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Finding the Right sterling-silver for You
Dining and entertaining changed drastically when we began to set our tables with sterling silver for holiday gatherings, wedding receptions, engagement parties and, in some of today’s homes, everyday meals.
Often called the “Queen of metals,” silver has been universally adored for thousands of years. It is easy to see why it has always been sought after: It is durable, strong and beautiful. (Louis XIV had tables made entirely of silver.) Sterling silver is an alloy that is made of 92.5 percent silver — the “925” stamp that identifies sterling-silver jewelry refers to this number. The other 7.5 percent in sterling silver is typically sourced from copper.
Neoclassical-style sterling-silver goods in Europe gained popularity in the late 18th century — a taste for sterling-silver tableware as well as tea sets had taken shape — while in the United States, beginning in the 19th century, preparing the dinner table with sterling-silver flatware had become somewhat of a standard practice. Indeed, owning lots of silver goods during the Victorian era was a big deal. Back then, displaying fine silver at home was a status symbol for middle-class American families. And this domestic silver craze meant great profitability for legendary silversmith manufacturers such as Reed & Barton, Gorham Manufacturing Company and the International Silver Company, which was incorporated in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1898, a major hub of silver manufacturing nicknamed “Silver City.”
Today, special occasions might call for ceremonial silver designed by Tiffany & Co. or the seductive sterling-silver cutlery from remarkable Danish silversmith Georg Jensen, but there really doesn’t have to be an event on the calendar to trot out your finest tableware.
Event- and wedding-planning company maestro Tara Guérard says that some “investment pieces,” such as this widely enamored alloy, should see everyday use, and we’re inclined to agree.
“Sterling-silver flatware is a must-have that you can use every single day, even to eat cereal,” she says. “Personally, I want a sterling-silver goblet set for 12 to 20; I would use them every time I had a dinner party. Ultimately, there are no criteria for buying vintage pieces: Buy what you love, and make it work.”
Whether you’re thinking “ceremonial” or “cereal,” browse a versatile collection of vintage, new and antique sterling-silver wares on 1stDibs today.