GLOSSARY
FLATWARE: A term used to describe an eating utensil, as a knife fork or spoon. It also includes the serving utensils that might go with a flatware set, such as a large meat fork, ladle, or pie server.
HOLLOWWARE (also spelled hollow ware or holloware): A term used to describe any silver item that isn’t flatware. It could be decorative such as a vase or for the dinner table food service, a tureen, gravy boat, bowl, platter, tea service, etc.
EPNS: Mark found on the bottom of either hollowware or flatware which stands for Electro Plated Nickel Silver
CHASING: The decorative detailing of silver by striking tiny punches with a hammer onto silver creating decorative detailing, like flowers, leaves, designs.
ENGRAVING: Cutting shallow lines into metal to create monograms, initials, names, dates, etc. If this is done with a machine, it does not remove silver, but done by hand, it does remove silver in the process.
- MARKS — These 3 are all related and many people use the terms interchangeably.
HALLMARK: Stamped maker’s mark
- HOUSE MARK: Logo of a specific manufacturer
- MAKER’S MARK: Signature of a specific individual
PATINA: This has various meanings, but the most common use describes the color that silver takes on over the years. (Not tarnish) It describes an aging process that really cannot be gained any way except with time.
A secondary use of the term, is to describe the factory applied darkness to certain areas of a piece giving definition to the pattern or design. Generally, one wants to preserve the patina.
This is why it is not best to use liquid silver cleaners like you see advertised on TV because these actually remove silver in the process of cleaning, thereby stripping the patina, the elements that define the pattern.
REPOUSSE: (RE-PO-ZAY) Rough embossing from the back side which creates a pattern on silver. Newer patterns are made to look like repousse, but there are few that are actually done with this old method.
STERLING SILVER: A standard set by many of the world’s governments defining the quality or grade of silver must be 92.5%.
This is seen on silver marks as .925 or 925/1000 or simply as the word STERLING. (Pure silver is not used as it is too soft to be functional.)
SILVERPLATE: A process that covers other harder metals, such as copper, nickel, brass, steel, with a coating of silver.
This comes in various grades and is seen on silver marks as A1 , Quadruple, Triple Silver, Deep Silver and others.
If it doesn’t say STERLING, 99% of the time it is silverplate.
SILVER was mined as early as 2500 BC in Asia Minor as it was recognized for its beauty and malleability. It is harder than gold, softer than copper and found in many places on our precious planet.
The largest caches are in Peru and Norway, but is also plentiful in the American southwest and Mexico.
TARNISH on silver is principally silver sulfide or silver sulfate. The sulfur comes from the atmosphere and slowly combines with the silver turning the bright silver dull over time. This is best cleaned by polishes which do not damage the silver.
