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All throughout history, silver has been one of the world's most
precious and coveted metals. Silver's use in flatware began in
the late 1800's, and nearing the end of the Victorian era silversmiths
began to create fabulous designs in sterling silver flatware.
One of our favorites from that era that is still being made in
active production is Love Disarmed by Reed & Barton.
This paragraph appeared on
the home page, but I'll repeat it here in case you skipped over
it. Federal law from 1906 requires that companies who call their
flatware "sterling" make sure that it contains at least
92.5% pure silver. The rest is usually copper, which gives it
more strength. Pure silver is too soft to be used effectively
as flatware, and forget about ever scooping ice cream with a
pure silver spoon. Some silver items are marked "925",
which refers to the 925 parts of pure silver out of 1000.
The Cost
Sterling silver flatware is the most expensive out of all the
metal alloys. With the recent higher price for raw silver, prices
have gone up by about 60% in the last 12 months. You can expect
to pay about $200 for a 5-piece Place Setting in an entry level
pattern. The best patterns in the world will run you about $700
for a 5-piece Place Setting. Why? Well, I'll explain that in
the "How It's Made" section. There really is a difference,
but you have to decide whether those differences are worth a
$500 premium.
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