All About Antique Silver

Silver items are always relevant and do not go out of fashion over time, especially vintage items and jewelry that keep some secret of the past. For connoisseurs of silver, antiques are of particular importance, because most often they are rare items that have artistic and historical significance and have been preserved from ancient times. Old silver is of great value not only for real collectors, but also for ordinary lovers of various jewelry. Artistic taste, design and method of metal processing by the master play an important role in evaluating antique silver objects.

Pure silver refers to noble metals, which are usually not capable of oxidation under the influence of oxygen... Nevertheless, on some silver items made from alloys, over time, a barely noticeable plaque appears. This forms a natural patina, which does not impair the appearance of the product, but, on the contrary, gives it a certain charm of antiquity.

The patina that covers silver is an integral process of aging and oxidation of the metal. The formation of a patina on silver items gives them additional attractiveness and helps to protect the metal from further corrosion.

It so happens that on objects made of this precious metal artificial patina is specially applied, so that it takes on the appearance of antique silver. This process can be described as preserving silver for a longer shelf life.Silver products with patina can only be compared with a newlywed, who is dressed in a wedding veil.

The main characteristic feature of antiques is item age... It is the time of manufacture that is of great importance in attracting collectors and ordinary amateurs. Antiques - these are profitable things for investing funds. At all times it was considered quite prestigious to have antique silver in the house. It indicated a high level of wealth of the owner and his excellent taste in valuables. Due to advanced age silver items are highly appreciated.

There are several more basic features of antiques. Antique silver must necessarily carry material value, and also have artistic and historical significance. Antique connoisseurs also look at stigma, which is located on the surface of the silver product. It contains information about the place of production, metal sample and the name of the master. Antique silver is noticeably different from modern jewelry in its unique style of performance, decor, brand and surface condition of the object.

Only professionals are able to distinguish between antique silver and high quality metal... One of the most notable features is thermal conductivity silver. In the hand, the silver ring will quickly heat up to body temperature. Also, silver is by no means does not magnet. This method allows you to quickly distinguish real silver from a product made of any other metal. The authenticity of silver can be determined with a drop of iodinethat needs to be dripped onto the surface of the product: if the metal becomes black, it means that it is real silver.

Pure silver (fineness 999) without the addition of any impurities is very elastictherefore, small amounts of other metals are added to create a strong alloy. This approach makes silver resistant and prevents it from breaking. Due to the fact that since the manufacture of silver items the content of impurities was different, it was necessary to introduce the definition of "sample".

Fineness 800 indicates that the alloy weighing 1000 grams contains 800 grams of pure silver, and the rest is impurities. This test is used in the manufacture of cutlery and tableware. In the USSR, for the manufacture of cutlery and candlesticks used sample 916, but now it is no longer applied. Other outdated silver samples are 84, 720 and 750.

The additional component of the silver alloy is usually copper... Its presence makes the product durable. Fineness 800 contains too much copper, which makes the metal look yellow, its application is in industrial applications. Samples 830 and 875 also contain a lot of copper, so they are more suitable for making dishes. Fineness 925 represents sterling silver, which is actively used to create jewelry. Fineness 960 - it is high-quality silver, but it is too soft, therefore, most often it is used to make decorative items for jewelry.

Silver is an excellent material for creating cup holders... It can quickly absorb some of the heat, keep it for a long time and thus maintain the temperature of the tea at the proper level for a long time. Also for this purpose were created and silver spoons. Real tea gourmets know a lot about tea drinking, they drink it from a glass in a silver glass holder, stirring the drink with a silver spoon.Thus, tea is able to reveal its best taste, because it stays hot for a long time, which makes the tea ceremony especially pleasant.

The history of silver cupholders is unique. This product appeared at the end of the 18th century. In the middle of the 19th century, the cup holder became very popular. From an ordinary thing, it becomes a work of art with various intricate designs, exquisite ornaments and artistic carvings. The craftsmen showed their creative imagination and created whole masterpieces. In those days, all workshops producing silver items necessarily produced cup holders decorated with patterns from the best jewelry craftsmen.

In the USSR, they took the manufacture of silver cup holders as seriously as possible. They always had a very interesting decoration that made each of these items unique in its own way.

No less popular today are exquisite silver cigarette cases. They first appeared in the 17th century. Wealthy people used them to showcase their wealth. Silver cigarette cases were decorated with precious stones and artistic painting. It is still very popular these days. antique cigarette case by Carl Faberge... This exquisite item can be a wonderful gift for a person who deeply appreciates old traditions and has excellent taste. An antique cigarette case looks very elegant and is able to attract only the enthusiastic glances of others.

Antique hunters will not pass by and silver belts... The decoration of these things is quite varied, which makes them unique in its kind, because each craftsman has brought his own particular flavor to the creation of a belt made of silver. Just like in the old days, these luxurious products will be able to demonstrate the dignity and excellent taste of their owner.

In great demand among collectors of antiques are antique candlesticks. Times and tastes of people have changed significantly, and most objects simply disappeared from our everyday life, but candlesticks have not lost their relevance even now. These products, in addition to their main function of lighting a room, are able to create a special atmosphere of comfort.

For an overview of antique silverware, see the following video.