W hen we host a cocktail party, we like to extend the invitation to our top brands, including Gorham Manufacturing Co., Tiffany & Co., Christofle, Georg Jensen and Buccellati. We have selected some of our favorite pieces of barware for a distinguished toast.
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The American silver manufacturer is known for their adventurous approach to design. Founded in in Providence, Rhode Island, they continue to be especially sought after for their antique vessel ware and flatware patterns. Gorham’s silver designs belong to collections throughout the world and have been used by major political figures over time, including the White House service first purchased by Mary Todd Lincoln. Gorham’s name today is synonymous with the American contribution to silver manufacture and design.
Add some merriment with a pour of claret from Gorham’s elegant antique silver forms. This American Art Nouveau cut-glass and sterling pitcher is decorated with branch rims and a high-looping leaf-mounted handle.
A significant manufacturer of Scandinavian silver works, Georg Jensen’s workshop was founded in Denmark in and emphasized well-made approaches to jewelry, hollowware and flatware. The international scope of the company allowed for the incorporation of many style variations, including Art Nouveau forms, Minimalist designs and Scandinavian Modern, among others. Jensen’s works belong to major collections such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Today, Georg Jensen silver is revered for its skillful craftsmanship and functional design.
Celebrate your guests with a full Georg Jensen silver bar set, including a cocktail shaker, an ice bucket and four cocktail cups on a tray. We will surely raise a glass to this Art Deco grouping!
The American-founded Tiffany & Company is one of the most well-known retailers of jewelry, hollowware, flatware and sculptural objects. Tiffany was founded in in New York City and gained enormous popularity during the Gilded Age. Since its founding, their dedication to original, high-quality luxury products has long been admired. Tiffany’s works have remained in the spotlight for over 150 years and continue to capture both public and celebrity attention, such as with their recent collaborations with Beyoncé. They have also been the focus of books and movies, most notably the Hollywood production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn. Their prolific contribution to American design is still enthusiastically celebrated today.
This vintage Tiffany American sterling silver cocktail shaker will make the perfect gin fizz. The sleek modern design has a tapering bowl, curved shoulder, scroll-bracket handle and short inset neck.
The award-winning French silver manufacturer was founded in Paris in , and the popularity of their work is owed to their collaborations with artists and developing new manufacturing techniques. Their acclaim has also been distinguished by royal patronage, in particular by King Louis-Philippe, but also by Napoleon III. Christofle’s works can be found in collections such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
To deliver the perfect array of cocktails, a large classic serving tray is ideal. This Malmaison motif is one of the most well-known Christofle patterns, and depicts a frieze of delicate palm and lotus leaves throughout the symmetrical design. It is a handsome addition to any dining or sitting room.
Founded in in Italy, the retailer of jewelry and watches is esteemed for their surface textures and inventive use of Renaissance ornamentation. The world-renowned brand was brought further acclaim by the papal sponsorship of Pius XII with a commission for Princess Margaret. Their international praise has continued to grow in recent years as the company has expanded through Milan, Rome, New York, Tokyo and London.
A sophisticated and well-placed piece of shiny Buccellati bottle adornment boosts the experience. These textural sterling labels acquaint guests with the presentations for the evening.
The first step in reading silver hallmarks is to locate the marks on your item. The location of the marks varies from item to item, but there are some general rules. For example, the hallmarks on silver flatware are usually located on the back of the piece, on a flat edge.
If the hallmark is unclear then you can breathe on it – like you would to produce condensation on a window, and the mark should become a little clearer.
Now that you know that your item is silver and the purity of your item, it is time to find out where the item was assayed.
Each assay office (where items are tested for purity and stamped as sterling if they meet the requirements) has its own distinct mark, known as the town mark. The town mark in this example is the leopard’s head mark for London.
You can look up the most common town marks here.
The maker’s mark tells us in whose factory the item was made, as opposed to the specific person that made the item.
Since the standard composition of a maker’s mark has been the initials of the maker. Prior to this, the first two letters of the maker’s last name and sometimes objects or devices were used as maker’s marks.
This website is a great tool for cross-referencing maker’s marks. Once you have ascertained the year of hallmarking, it is much easier to find the maker’s mark, as you have some idea of the period in which the maker was operating.
Again, make sure you are looking closely. Something as small as a slightly slanted letter can mean the difference between one mark and another.
Silver hallmarks are used to identify the origins and purity of an item of silver. Silver hallmarks comprise four main elements to tell you this: the town mark, the date letter, the maker’s mark, and the lion passant. During the period between - a duty was placed on gold and silver, leading to the introduction of the duty mark.
The combination of marks on your silver items mean different things. The lion passant on an item of silver guarantees that the silver is at least 92.5% pure, which is the sterling standard. From to the standard was increased to 95.83% pure, also known as Britannia silver. A new mark, the figure of Britannia, was introduced to account for this. The rest of the marks tell you who made it and when.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of industrial silver platers. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
The first record of hallmarks used to regulate purity dates back to , when Edward I decreed that the leopard’s head mark would guarantee sterling silver. Silver hallmarks have changed and evolved many times over the centuries, making some hallmarks difficult to place.
Some items of silver plate carry marks that look very similar to hallmarks but which do not indicate that the items are silver, marks such as A1 and EP are used on silver plated items. Some silver items made outside the UK have different marks due to different ways of registering silver.
Henry II is credited with the creation of the Goldsmiths Guild in London, allowing them to use the leopard’s head hallmark in .
Henry III made the earliest attempt at regulating the standard and gold and silver in . He passed an order that commended the mayor and the aldermen (a co-opted member of an English county or borough council, next in status to the Mayor) of the City of London to choose six London-based goldsmiths to superintend the craft. This is when the idea of assaying for purity was introduced.
However, it was not until Edward I that an actual standard for purity was introduced. In Edward I decreed that the leopard’s head mark would guarantee sterling silver (92.5% silver). Gold had to be at least 19.2 carats. This was enforced by ‘Guardians of the Craft’ who would go from shop to shop in London and assay the pieces produced there, applying the leopard’s head in the pieces met the minimum purity standard. Goldsmiths outside the capital were also expected to adhere to this standard.
The maker’s mark was introduced in under Edward III and was required alongside the leopard’s head in order to identify the maker.
In Edward VI introduced the Quality and Marks of Silver Work Act, requiring every assay office to have its own mark.
was an important year for hallmarking. The gold standard was lowered to 18ct. The Goldsmith’s Company was made responsible for wares found to be below standard and for the penalties that had to be dealt. This led to an overhaul in the system used for assaying, and the establishment of the first assay office which was overseen by a Common Assayer. The need to differentiate between old and new plate following the change in standard led to the introduction of the crowned leopard’s head mark. A date letter was also introduced. This not only identified the year in which the item was assayed but also identified the Touch Warden responsible. It is thought that the term ‘hallmark’ comes from the use of the Goldsmith’s Hall as the first assay office.
By the sterling standard was restored but Britannia silver remained as an alternative. A tax on silver plate was also introduced during this time, meaning that many goldsmiths went to great lengths to avoid having their pieces properly hallmarked. A duty mark was introduced in to show that the appropriate duty had been paid for the purity. This mark depicted the king or queen’s head. This was used until .
In there was a crackdown on the composition of maker’s marks. At various points in history different styles had been used. Prior to , the maker’s mark had consisted of initials or devices. This was changed and maker’s now had to use the first two letters of their last name. The reintroduction of the sterling silver mark led to some confusion over the correct composition of the maker’s marks. All goldsmiths had to destroy their old marks and register new ones at the hall, using their initials and a new style of lettering. It was hoped that this would help to detect counterfeit marks. In , counterfeiting hallmarks became a felony, punishable by death.
By , the large-scale manufacturing and the increased use of machines for silver production in Birmingham and Sheffield led to calls for assay offices in these cities. This was opposed by the Goldsmith’s Company, but the proposal went ahead thanks to a special inquiry by the House of Commons.
In , the sovereign’s head mark changed from facing left to facing right.
saw changes to existing hallmarks: the leopard’s head lost its crown, and the lion passant was no longer guardant, instead facing to the left.
In , 22ct gold was finally recognised with marks featuring a crown and the number ‘22’.
In , 9, 12, and 15ct gold was introduced, indicated by marks denoting their actual fineness, e.g. 375. In , gold wedding rings were made liable for hallmarking for the first time.
saw the introduction of a mark on imported gold and silver items, an ‘F’ in an oval escutcheon. Marks used to indicate foreign plate changed frequently, making them particularly difficult to recognise.
In , the tax on silver and gold was withdrawn, and with it the use of the sovereign’s head mark.
12 and 15ct gold standards were cancelled in and replaced by 14ct gold.
During the Second World War the utility mark was introduced, indicating that the fineness of gold wedding rings had been reduced to 9ct and a weight of less than 2dwts. The utility mark also indicated that they had been produced with government authority.
Creating a streamlined system of legislation spanning many hundreds of years was quite a challenge, but in Royal Assent was given to a measure that repealed all existing hallmark statutes and consolidated them into a single Act: The Hallmarking Act of . This act came into effect in . This act also introduced hallmarks for platinum, featuring an orb and a cross.
The weight of your item will help us to understand the quality of your silver. But how?
Silversmiths like Paul Storr produced many items to the same design, but depending on the wealth of their client they would adjust the amount of silver that they would use for the commission.
As such a tea pot may be 500g or it might be 1,300g. Without being able to handle your items in person, providing the weight will give us a very good idea of the gauge of the silver used and thus we will be able to give you a very good idea of the value. As ever, the more information you can provide the better.
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