How Do You Identify European Sterling Silver Flatware?
Buying and evaluating antiques has become a very popular hobby in modern cultures. Understanding and identifying what you have found can be the most difficult part of this process. Sterling silver in particular has many elements available to identify its quality and authenticity. These marks came about at different times in various countries and regions. For example, England introduced the sterling silver standard in the late 1800s, based on the metric system, and designated what the numerical markings would come to represent. This was the first widely used method for marking and evaluating precious metals and has continued into modern times, where all valuable jewelry is now marked with some sort of number and/or word that can identify and rate its overall value. Look for marks on the sterling silver items. Check your silver against these numbers. If marked .925, it is likely newer sterling silver. The .950 mark identifies older and slightly better-quality sterling silver, while .835
