Looking For Sterling Silver Table ? We"ve Done the Hard Work For You!
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 GREENBRIER GORHAM STERLING TABLE SPOON  US $109.99
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 MEADOW ROSE WALLACE STERLING TABLE SPOON US $119.99
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 PAIR OF TABLE SPOONS ELKINGTON CO EPNS ART DECO FINIALS US $31.35
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Find More Sterling Silver Table Below. Scroll Down Now!
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GREENBRIER GORHAM STERLING TABLE SPOON US $109.99
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MEADOW ROSE WALLACE STERLING TABLE SPOON US $119.99
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PAIR OF TABLE SPOONS ELKINGTON CO EPNS ART DECO FINIALS US $31.35
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 SPANISH BAROQUE REED BARTON STERLING TABLE SERVING SPOONS US $169.00
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 GRANDE RENAISSANCE REED BARTON STERLING TABLE SPOON US $138.99
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 SCHOFIELD La Rochelle Sterling Silver Cream Ladle US $69.75
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 Set of 12 Sterling International Chesterfield Knives US $310.00
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 Antique Vanity Brush with Sterling Silver Handle US $45.00
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 LANCASTER GORHAM STERLING LARGE COLD MEAT FORK US $109.99
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 Sterling French Hollow Knife American Victorian Lunt US $89.95
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 FOUNTAINEBLEU GORHAM STERLING TABLE SERVING SPOON US $109.99
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 Antique S Kirk Sons Repousse Table Serving Spoon US $99.50
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 Sterling Towle Dinner Knife Candlelight Pattern 1934 US $42.00
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 Sterling International Dinner Fork Joan of Arc Pattern US $85.00
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 Sterling Silver Seashell Motif Sugar Spoon US $225.00
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 NORTHERN LIGHTS BY INTERNATIONAL HORSERADISH SERVER US $59.00
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 Towle Sterling Silver Luncheon Fork Craftsman US $148.95
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 STATELY BY STATE HOUSE HORSERADISH SERVER US $59.00
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 Towle Sterling Silver Teaspoon King Richard US $114.95
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 STERLING LILY PAD TONGS UNIQUE R WALLACE SON 1871 US $99.00
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 FRENCH PROVINCIAL TOWLE STERLING HORSERADISH SCOOP US $59.00
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 SET OF FIVE VINTAGE ENGLISH SILVER SPOONS SHEFFIELD c1944 US $125.38
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 SET OF SIX VINTAGE ENGLISH SILVER SPOONS LONDON c1928 US $156.74
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 International Pine Spray Sterling Modern Hollow Knife US $89.95
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 MASTERPIECE BY INTERNATIONAL HORSERADISH SERVER US $59.00
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 DIAMOND BY REED BARTON HORSERADISH SERVER US $55.00
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 Wallace Sterling Silver Place Fork Violet US $132.95
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 Coin Silver Table Spoon Gorham Co Providence RI 1852 1865 US $90.00
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 MADEIRA BY TOWLE STERLING HORSERADISH SCOOP US $59.00
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 Lunt Sterling Butter Spreader American Victorian US $77.99
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 NORMANDIE BY WALLACE STERLING HORSERADISH SCOOP US $59.00
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 PS Sterling Silver Nassau Bahamas Spoon with Palm Tree Handle US $9.00
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 Towle Sterling Silver Sugar Spoon Craftsman US $92.95
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 Modern Dinner Knife 9 inch King Edward by Gorham US $34.95
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 Wallace Golden Rose Point Sterling Meat Serving Fork US $196.95
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 SWEETHEART ROSE LUNT STERLING ICE TEA SPOONS US $49.99
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 Alvin Bridal Bouquet Sterling Silver Butter Spreader US $76.99
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 Dinner Fork 7 1 8 King Edward by Gorham NM US $72.95
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 MANCHESTER STERLING GOBLET 808 This auction is for a pair of TWO goblets US $152.50
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History/origins of Sterling Silver Jewellery
Silver has been used for thousands of years as jewellery, tableware, ornaments, and even currency. In the periodic table, silver has the symbol Ag for argentums, which originates from the Indo-European "arg" for ‘white' or ‘shining'. Sterling silver is a mixture of silver and another metal, so that the material has qualities of both metals. The practice of producing this alloy is thought to have started in Germany around the 13th century. Recently, the most common metal to be combined with silver is copper.
Sterling silver is generally 92.5% silver and 7.5% another metal, normally copper. This has advantages and disadvantages. The problem with pure silver is that it is quite soft and malleable – but it is incredibly useful in other fields including medicine due to its antibacterial properties. The alloy of sterling silver means that it is stronger and more manageable, but the combination of metals means that sterling silver can be tarnished, unlike pure silver. Fortunately the tarnishing on sterling silver, which a lot of jewellery is made of, is easily cleaned.
The word "sterling" is thought to have originated from Norman coins which had stars printed on them in the 14th century. The "ster" part of the word comes from the description of the star on the coin, with the added suffix on "ling". The phrase "sterling silver" is most likely to come from the description of the new material, as it would shine "like a star".
Silver, unlike gold, is rarely found in metallic form. It is found as mineral ores that miners and refiners have to pass through various processes to extract the silver. The first mining of lead ores dates back to 6000 BC and the earliest silver jewellery dates back to 3000 BC. The origins of the mainstream creation of sterling silver comes from the early 1300s, when King Edward I ordered that all silver objects must meet the sterling standard of 92.5% pure silver, or sterling 925 (925 parts of silver per thousand). This is known as the sterling standard, and pieces that were then certified under this new rule would be stamped, or hallmarked to show their fineness.
As well as being used to make jewellery, sterling silver is also incredibly versatile. Sterling silver has been and still is used for tablewear, including cutlery, pots and during the height of silver's popularity in the early 20th century, shoehorns. Musicians have also used the material to produce instruments including saxophones and flutes have been made using sterling silver, giving them a unique timbre.
Sterling silver is now mainly used for jewellery. Peru is currently the world's largest silver producer, closely followed by Mexico, although silver is not confined to one continent, as it is also mined from as far afield as Russia and Australia. Silver is still a relatively cheap precious metal, based on current prices, silver is sold at around $18 per oz (May 2010), whereas gold sells at around $1140 per oz (May 2010).
Sterling silver remains one of the most beautiful and versatile materials for jewellery, a timeless and elegant metal that is also widely available mean that after thousands of years, silver will never go out of fashion.
About the Author
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For moonstone silver jewellery, he recommends Seriously Silver, one of the UK's leading suppliers.