How to test silverware to determine if it is sterling silver or silver plated?

If your silverware is marked sterling it is likely sterling silver unless, of course, it is a forgery. See the article how to tell if silver is sterling or plate by the back stamp or marks for more details. Silver plated items typically have little intrinsic value. There are many silver plate marks that resemble sterling marks. If the item is not marked ‘sterling’ or one of the typical silver plate marks listed in the above linked article, it can be confusing and require advanced knowledge and experience with silverware to identify the mark. There are several tests that can be used to distinguish between the two. Continue reading “How to test silverware to determine if it is sterling silver or silver plated?” »

What is the difference between a COMPOTE, COMPORT and a TAZZA?

Sterling Silver Tazza, c1923, John Round & Son Ltd, Sheffield, England

Sterling Silver Tazza, c1923, John Round & Son Ltd, Sheffield, England

While looking through several books on antiques and searching on the Internet, I found the words compote, comport, and tazza interchangeably used to describe footed bowls or plates. For instance, several Millers’ antique books use all three. Table 1 gives some statistics of their use on select websites when viewed on the 13th of June, 2013. Continue reading “What is the difference between a COMPOTE, COMPORT and a TAZZA?” »