Alvin Sterling Chapel Bells
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
People Also Browsed
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1900s British Neoclassical Dinner Plates
Gold, Enamel
20th Century German Regency Dinner Plates
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
Antique Early 1800s English Georgian Beds and Bed Frames
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century British Tableware
Porcelain
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Ceramics
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Table Lamps
Ormolu
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Dinner Plates
Gold
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Crystal Serveware
Crystal, Ormolu
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century German Porcelain
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Dinner Plates
Porcelain
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.