Collection: Argent

What to Look For When Buying

Establish the metal first. Sterling and its Continental equivalents are solid silver throughout and carry marks that state the standard. Silver plate is a thin layer of silver over a base metal, and it will show its origins where wear is heaviest, at rims, feet, handles and high points of decoration, as a warmer or greyer colour breaking through. Plated pieces frequently carry marks designed to resemble hallmarks, including letters in shields, and terms such as EPNS or EP indicate electroplate rather than solid silver. A plated piece can be well made and worth owning, but the distinction should be explicit.

With hallmarked silver, check that the marks are struck rather than cast, that they sit in a plausible position for the form, and that the metal around them shows no ripple or distortion that might indicate a mark cut from another object and let into this one. Look for erased crests and monograms, which were often removed when pieces changed hands and which leave the metal thin in that area, sometimes visibly dished when the piece is turned to the light or breathed on. Later decoration is another common alteration, where a plain Georgian piece has been chased or embossed in the Victorian period to make it more saleable, which usually shows as decoration that cuts awkwardly across the original form or crowds against the marks. Weight is a useful general indicator, since better pieces were made from heavier gauge metal. We assess and document these things before listing, including where a piece has been altered or repaired.

Caring for Your Piece

Tarnish is a surface reaction rather than damage, and the best protection against it is regular gentle use and prompt washing. Wash silver by hand in warm water with a mild detergent, dry it immediately and completely with a soft cloth, and never leave it to air dry, since water marks and pitting follow. Never put silver in a dishwasher, and never allow it to contact salt, eggs, mustard, vinegar, citrus or perfumed products, all of which corrode the surface, sometimes permanently. Pieces with hollow handles, applied feet or loaded bases should not be immersed, as water enters and cannot easily be dried out.

Polish sparingly. Every polish removes a small amount of metal, and the cumulative effect over a long life is the loss of crisp detail and eventually of the hallmarks themselves. Use a proprietary long term silver polish or a treated cloth, work gently, and avoid polishing directly over marks and engraving. Leave the darkening in recessed decoration in place, since it gives the design its depth. Store silver in tarnish inhibiting cloth or acid free tissue, never in newspaper, never secured with rubber bands and never sealed against plastic, all of which accelerate tarnishing or leave permanent marks. Any repair, replating or removal of dents should go to a silversmith experienced with antique work rather than a general jeweller.

Periods Worth Knowing

Georgian silver is the most sought after and the most restrained, with form, proportion and gauge doing the work rather than surface decoration. The Regency period brought heavier, more sculptural pieces influenced by classical models. Victorian silver is the most various, from finely engraved and cast presentation work to densely embossed decoration applied with considerable technical skill. The introduction of electroplate in the 1840s changed the market entirely, putting the appearance of silver within reach of a far wider public, and good early plate by the leading manufacturers is now collected in its own right.