by silversearch
on 19. Apr, 2010
in Antique Silver
General Overview
Before it was customary in setting a table with cutlery or flatware was introduced in the 17th century spoons and knives were personnel possessions everyone had their own spoon and fork. It was normally only the rich who could afford silver flatware. To have silver flatware was a great advantage over any other type of flatware as germs cannot grow on Silver. Spoons have been used since before the Roman times and because of this more spoons have survived than any other type of flatware.
Read more on Collecting Silver Flatware – Part 1…
by silversearch
on 17. Apr, 2010
in Antique Silver
General overview
Silver Candlesticks are one of the most popular and common collectable silver items, this is not surprising as they were used by everyone for daily lighting. Most candlesticks made before the mid 17th century are rare to find, because they were melted down for coins or because they were worn. These candlesticks were very light as they were made from thin sheets of silver, however by the late 17th century the expensive and sophisticated technique of using casting to make solid silver candlesticks had been developed by Huguenot craftsmen who fled from France.
Read more on Collecting Silver Candlesticks – Up to the Georgian Period…
by silversearch
on 16. Apr, 2010
in Antique Silver
Once you have started to Collect Silver you will need to look after your items, depending on how heavily tarnished they are will have an effect on how you clean your items. Also storage of you Silver collection will depend on whether you are going to display your items or not. You will also have to look at insuring your collection and making sure you keep it up to date.
Read more on Care and Storage of you Silver Collection…
by silversearch
on 15. Apr, 2010
in Antique Silver
Very few people are fortunate to inherit a collection of Silver, so they have to build up their collection from scratch. Silver Collectors are very lucky that silver has a long and well documented history and takes in all the major decorative styles and there is normally quite a bit of it too choose from, so its not only available in quantity but quality as well. The only time this is not true are for rare items and items assayed in closed assay offices such as York.
Read more on Buying and Collecting Silver Checklist…
by silversearch
on 22. Mar, 2010
in Antique Silver
Most silver items are quite durable and any silver pieces in fairly good condition require very little care and only occasional cleaning and polishing to prevent tarnish building up. More delicate piece of silver can easily be damaged by overenthusiastic cleaning. So care should be taken when polishing.
Read more on Looking after Antique Silver…
by silversearch
on 21. Feb, 2010
in Antique Silver
In today’s troubled times of limited interest rates and the worry of investing in volatile stocks and shares, a great way to invest spare cash is to buy solid silver items. The main decision would be what kind of silver articles you wish to invest in there is a lot to choose from. Everything from tea sets to small silver boxes or tea spoons to silver trays the list is endless. You can even decide what periods of history you wish to collect i.e. 18th, 19th or 20th century. Another way time periods are calculated if you want to be more specific is for example the Georgian period or Victorian period.
Read more on Collecting and Investing in Antique Silver…
by silversearch
on 21. Feb, 2010
in Antique Silver
Counter boxes were mainly used during the 17th century for holding counters which look like small very thin coin like discs, often used for gambling. Normally the container was a round tube like box or a round box a bit like a patch box depending on how many coins it was designed to hold. Due to the age and rarity of these boxes they are very expensive. Another quite rare type of silver box is the Skippet and sealing wax box. These boxes have been used for centuries but if you do come across any they will probably date from the 17th to 19th century, however they a quite a rare item and so will be expensive to purchase.
Read more on Collecting Silver Boxes Part III…
by silversearch
on 21. Feb, 2010
in Antique Silver
A good and cheap way to start collecting silver boxes is to start collecting Vesta cases. Vesta cases are normally much cheaper than buying Snuff boxes or Vinaigrettes. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; you will however pay premium prices for novelty Vestas. Some Vesta cases were originally Snuff boxes which have been converted to Vestas. A Vesta case is a case which was for holding old fashioned non safety matches on the base would be a rough edge to strike the match on. Some were highly decorated with engraving or enamel. High prices will be paid for novelty shapes and enamelled Vestas but normal Vesta cases from the early 20th century can be picked up for as little as twenty to thirty pounds. When buying Vestas watch out for splits in the case, make sure the hinge is good and the best ones to collect make sure they snap closed properly and the spring is ok.
Read more on Collecting Silver Boxes Part II…
