Sterling silver flatware has been a beautiful accompaniment to meals for many decades. Families have often passed it down through the generations as a precious keepsake. In today’s fast-paced world and informal lifestyles, though, the formality of ornate sterling flatware seems out of place for most meals, so it sits in a drawer or closet, going unused. Sterling silver prices have been high for the last few years and possibly going higher, so if you are thinking that your sterling flatware has value that you could be using for something else, like a family vacation, money to invest or to help out with your finances, now is the time to find out how much your sterling silver is worth. Following are four simple steps you can follow to find details on your sterling flatware’s value.
1. Identify Your Flatware
Examine your sterling flatware and look for defining marks that will tell you the country in which it was manufactured and a few other details. For example, flatware made in the United States will be marked with “silver” and the manufacturer’s name. These marks are called hallmarks, and there are many reference books and online guides that show pictures of these marks and help you identify your flatware with them. English sterling flatware may have hallmarks showing the manufacturer’s name, date, city of origin and “sterling.” Most sterling silverware will also be marked 925, which stands for 925 parts of pure silver to every 1000 parts of metal. Before 1906, there were no laws that required the stampings, so older flatware may still be sterling, even without this mark.
2. Identify your pattern
Once you have been able to identify your sterling flatware’s manufacturer, it becomes easier to identify the pattern because you only need to look through the patterns of one manufacturer. However, if you have not yet been able to identify the manufacturer, you will have to look at a lot more patterns before you can locate your pieces. Keep in mind that some companies will re-issue certain patterns periodically and the value will vary based on the year of issue.
3. Research the Value
While looking for information on the hallmarks and pattern of your pieces, take note of the prices you find in guidebooks and online resources. You might not find your exact pattern, but chances are, you will find something very similar. If your sterling flatware is quite old, you may also have additional utensils that are not included in more modern sterling flatware sets, such as bon bon spoons or finger sandwich tongs. Unique pieces like these will be worth much more. Sets from the 19th century often had over 100 different pieces, including many utensils not used today.
4. Adjust the Value
Finally, you will need to adjust the value of your own sterling flatware based on its condition. If your pieces show extreme signs of wear and handling, this will definitely reduce the value your pieces would bring as antiques, compared to prices quoted in books and price guides. If your silver flatware is tarnished, this is not considered bad, and you are best off not attempting to clean it. Older pieces of sterling acquire a patina that collectors prize, and you may actually devalue the pieces by cleaning them.
That’s all there is to it. Finding the value of your sterling flatware is not a difficult process, but it does take some steps and the right information to help you narrow down the items you have and their exact value. When you examine your flatware and identify it, you can get a better understanding of whether your pieces have value as antique or rare flatware pieces. Even if these factors do not increase the value, you still have the sterling silver itself, so your flatware will always hold a certain amount of value. Especially with the high prices of silver right now, if you have been considering selling your sterling flatware, now would be a great time to do so.