This collection of silverware has been sourced from England and Australia. Vintage and antique pieces, which are generally stamped.
What is sterling silver? What is the difference between Old Sheffield Plate and Sheffield Plated? Is white metal, silver? How can I tell if a piece is solid silver or electroplated silver?
Silver is one of the seven metals of antiquity along with gold, mercury, iron, tin, lead and copper that were discovered by prehistoric humans in Europe and the Middle East.
Old Sheffield Plate
Invented in the middle of the 18th century by Thomas Boulsover, a Sheffield cutler. Old Sheffield Plate was made by fusing a layer of silver onto copper, slightly alloyed with zinc and lead. It was placed in a furnace and when cooled rolled.
Principally used in making flatware and everyday vessels, it is now admired for its soft, glowing lustre. Design and quality were of a similar level to their sterling counterparts and many early pieces were stamped with marks resembling silver hallmarks.
This practice was outlawed in 1773 and as a result, Old Sheffield Plate pieces carry no marks between 1773 and 1784. Later items may or may not carry a mark. Within the Potts Point Galleries collection of Caravanserai Trading Company, there are a number of beautiful pieces of Old Sheffield plate silverware, featuring gorgeous copper under silver plating.
Electroplate or EPNS (Electroplated Nickel Silver)
In the 1842 the process of electroplating was perfected by Elkington & Co by using a pure sheet of silver, placed in a solution of potassium cyanide.
A low-voltage current was then drawn to the article to be plated, which acted as an anode, sticking the silver to its surface. Depending on how long the item was immersed, determined the thickness of the plating.
Nickel silver was found to be the best base for electroplating. It is an alloy of copper, zinc, nickel silver and nickel. The silverware is often stamped EPNS (Electroplated Nickel Silver) and is often accompanied with the stamp A1 to denote best quality.
Silver plated pieces are less expensive than sterling silver, although can still have the same graceful designs, making them popular and affordable.
