How to Care for Antique Silver

Russian silver antiques New York is delicate, malleable, and easy to tarnish. With these characteristics, you must consistently pay a close attention and take care of the silver items to ensure they survive long and their value is intact.

This blog will help you get valuable tips to ensure your priceless silver possessions are always glowing.

Use a Gentle Polish

First, you need to go for a gentle polish in the market. This polish must be made for silver and not a general metal polish.

Do it When Necessary

Polishing is good but should only be done when it is absolutely necessary. The negative part of this process is that polish takes some parts of the metal which eventually reduces the value of the silver. This especially happens when the item is plated which exposes the base metals.

Store Appropriately

You will need a case or a bag that is tarnish-proof to store your silver antique items. When you use these you will prevent the need for polishing.

Immediate Wash After Use

Acids actively cause corrosion of your vessels. They can get in touch with your silver antiques after you have eaten eggs or acidic foods. To avoid this, make sure you clean immediately after use and dry them for storage.

Use Your Non-Archaic and Practical Piece

The reasons you have decided to go into the silver antique collection is to enjoy your items (an unconventional pleasure).

Use them to reduce the need for polishing. Meaning that your Russian silver Faberge New York will not just sit on the shelves - instead, it will be frequently washed after use.

Avoid Exposing Them to Hash Environment

Exposing your items to conditions where they can be scratched, broken or corroded should be avoided by all means. You should be cautious especially when washing, storing and moving them.

A Buying Guide for Silver Antiques

This is an invaluable antique silver buying guide to help you reach a conclusion on the best item you wish to collect. Russian silver antiques collectors New York will ensure you have the required knowledge so you can come up with informed decisions while buying your products.

One thing you must know before you begin this journey is that on very rare occasions will you find a solid piece of silver. One of the initial steps is using a magnet which will attract silverplate and fail to respond to sterling. Here are some of the things to consider:

What is Your Style?

What is your taste? It would be useless to own a valuable item that you do not value or like. What is your lifestyle? You should know how often you will be using your silver. You can check on the design, the manufacturer, patterns, type and the era of the item.

What is Your Budget

If your budget cannot afford an item then this will just be a wish. Sterling is usually more expensive compared to silver-plated items. If you have just started, begin with silver- plated candy dishes, buttons, salt shakers and many others which are less expensive.

Know Their Value

A Russian enamel pictorial store can show you the value attached to a given item. You should know the silver hallmarks which will help in knowing the origin of a given item and the year it was made.

Look out also if the item is engraved - this will make them more valuable especially if they have a royal origin. In addition, authentication must happen and the melt value is established.

You can also watch out for the market trends so that you can purchase in a season when they are cheaper from the Russian enamel pictorial store.

Tips to Help You Buy Antique Silver

When you see Russian antiques for sale you might get overwhelmed by the available choices and the price tags. To help you come out of the dilemma whenever making antique silver selections here are few tips to consider:

Hallmark Identification

You must learn how to identify the hallmarks to prove the authenticity of the silver you intend to buy. You can do this by comparing your choice with the hallmarks in an online encyclopedia. By doing this you will learn about the manufacturer and the date of production.

Silver Documentation

This is important because you want to know what the previous auctioneers and dealers had to say about that item. Find out also if the sources are credible to confidently trust their documentation and proof.

Extended Warranty

Someone must have paid for authentication if there is a document serving this purpose. Ask for that ‘someone’ and ask what warranty is extended to you to be covered in case the authenticity is erroneous.

Know the Background

The history of the item you want to buy should be available because you need to know the provenance of it.

A Condition Report

By getting this from a Russian silver antiques New York store you will understand if there are any alterations. Are there any damages? Or has it been restored in any way? This can be even better when pictures are provided.

Bid in Advance

If you are a bidder in an auction then register to do the advance bidding and benefit from it.

Research Before the Bid

To avoid overpaying for the silver antique, research and ensure your bid is in line with previous prices.

Don’t Bid if Unsure

Every sale made at the auction is final, so bid if you need it.

Know the Terms and Conditions

Know about taxes, shipment, terms of payment and ask any relevant questions.

Know the Different Types of Antique Silverware Used for Dining

The growth of silverware for the dining table took place in the early 18th century. From soup tureens to sauceboats, there were different types of silverware items that had been used for dining in the 17th and 18th Century. Here we have discussed a few different types of antique silverware used for dining.

Antique Russian Silver Enamel Spoon

The gorgeous and awesome silver and enamel spoons are developed by Feodor Ruckert. These spoons were originally part of sets and had been broken up into their individual components over the years.

Russian Silver enamel spoons from Russian silver antique store in New York exhibit rounded style knops and the spoons were turned face side down when the table was set. This is because the detail work was on the back of the bowl so that guests would see the gorgeous workmanship when they sat down for dinner.

Tureens

Tureens are the extremely popular items to have on the dining table during the 18th Century. They were heavily ornamented and used as the centerpiece for the table. They come with a classic oval, rounded form, gadroon decorated borders and a grand domed cover supported by four cast volute scrolling feet. Some of these items even have an engraved coat of arms.

Sauceboats

Sauceboats were another dominant item at the dining table and were oval shaped with a single lip and one handle. They have round base followed through on to various items of silver from jugs to teapots.

Salvers

Salvers during the 18th century were circular, square or rectangular. Salvers were raised on a central foot or three or four supports. Some of these items have cut card work on the base and around the foot. This makes these pieces more desirable and attractive.

Talk to your Russian antique dealers in New York to find the best antique silverware that were used for dining in the 18th century.

What Type of Silver Antiques Should You Collect?

Collecting silver is a fun task but you must consider that there are several types of antique silver available. Silver is a soft metal and yet very useful and valuable. We present here information about the available types of silver to help better your collection.

Fine Silver (Pure Silver)

This silver contains 99.9% of silver with 0.1% impurities. Fine silver is very sleek and has no much use except for silver investments and bullion bars.

Sterling Silver

This one contains 92.5% of silver with the remaining percentage comprising other metals like copper. Because of this, sterling silver is capable of holding a particular shape for as long as allowed to if care is taken.

This is evident from the available 19th-century items which are still clearly marked with the name ‘sterling’ or the figure ‘925’ on them to-date which makes them the most sought-after silver by Russian silver antiques collectors New York.

Silverplate Silver

When we call an item silver-plated we mean it is covered by a layer of silver. The base material in most cases is nickel. The exterior of such items is usually written “silverplate” to indicate what they are.

Sheffield Plate Silver

This is a mixture of copper and silver layers. They are specifically used to bring down the cost of sterling silver appliances.

Unmarked Silver

As the name suggests, these are not marked. Chances are they are silver plated but we need not assume. Use the following instructions to be sure:

• Dip the item in hot water

• After some minutes, check the temperature

• Then after a minute check the temperature again

• If the item is sterling silver, it will remain very hot for a while. On the flipside, a plated item will cool much quickly or will not attain the water temperature. Russian antiques for sale are usually marked but you still need to be cautious.

3 Notable Qualities of a Successful Antique Dealer

If antique collection is your hobby, chances are finding a reliable antique dealer in your area is pretty important to you. The number of antique stores around the country has been increasing day after day, which makes it hard for the customer to pinpoint the right person who offers a good experience for Shoppers. When you are looking for Russian antique dealers in New York, make note of the following three qualities:

Great experience

An antique dealer will be successful by earning experience. Established and reputable antique dealers will have several years of experience in collecting the most authentic antique pieces from the right source. So if you are looking to buy a valuable antique, always look for the person who has experience and knowledge in the same.

Customized service:

If you are interested in buying a certain type of antique, a dealer would be highly committed to help you with that. Customer service is of prime importance to them, and they will do whatever it takes to offer you a pleasant experience. Search for dealers who will offer customized service to fulfill your requirement.

Availability of specialty collections:

Recognized antique dealers will make it a point to collect specialty pieces.  They search and procure valuable and unique items such as jewelry, fine art work, music boxes and more that are offered to their customers. They will also be heavily interested in collecting rarities provided by sellers.

Having good knowledge of the market and experience in antique business will set a successful antique dealer apart from the crowd. Start researching your area and find the best store offering great Inventory of Russian silver antiques in New York at the best rates.