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Sterling silver flatware has a long tradition of use as an integral part of any table setting. Today, most meals at home are accompanied by stainless steel flatware. But, still the tried and true sterling silver is brought out for special occasions, holidays and more formal get togethers. Under any circumstances, you can't really make a mistake in choosing silver flatware for wedding gifts, showers, anniversaries and other events. For a better understanding of the history and tradition behind sterling silver, take a little time to read the following interesting article we came across.

The Silver Heritage

As a woman from the south, I have a heritage that many fail to understand. I am not spoiled, and I am not rich. But I do own a great deal of silver flatware and curios. In many households since Colonial times, and even before, silver flatware has simply been a way of life, and as essential to a home as linen table clothes and bone china.

Yes, these things come with a price tag, but I didn't actually purchase them myself. Sterling silver, along with the other traditional trappings, is the primary gift given at weddings, showers, and christenings. Towels might be a more practical gift, but you can't argue with the beauty, style and investment of fine sterling silver utensils and serving ware.

The History

Silver flatware has had a long history of use in the United States and around the world. Beginning before the Civil War it was simply the accepted set of utensils of middle and upper class homes. Flatware sets contained dozens or even hundreds of pieces. There were basic utensils, elaborate utensils, serving utensils, platters, trays, bowls, tea sets and much more.

This heavy use of silver flatware and accompanying pieces continued through the decades until around the 1940s. But it didn't die out completely although it did diminish to some degree. Families that had the tradition and means continued to collect and gift sterling silver. Other held on to the silver they already owned as a family heirloom. Not only did the collection of silver continue seventy years ago, it is still alive and well today.

The Uses

There are many uses for silver table settings. Obviously flatware is used for meals, but the meaning and ceremony behind its use is most significant. Silverware might have been used for every meal a century ago, but today it is only pulled out, polished and laid out for the most important meals. Using silver takes a great deal of work as the pieces must be polished to remove tarnish and each item must be washed carefully by hand.

Silver serving platters and trays are used for these same special occasions, and are also often displayed in dining rooms and china cabinets. Cake cutters and servers are popular gifts at weddings where they are often engraved with the initials or names of the bride and groom along with their wedding date. Finally, some of the more unusual pieces find their way to curio cabinets or display nooks. Demitasse spoons are just one example of silver flatware being used in collections and for display.

The Traditions

Like the cake knife and server, there are many traditions involving silver. The largest, at least in my neck of the woods, is the selection of your pattern. When a girl becomes engaged, she with her fiancé, or more likely with her mother, select a china pattern, linens and other items for the new home. They also register for the silver flatware, but there is often no need for selection.

The basic patterns of silver flatware have been in use for decades if not centuries. Most girls (or boys, in our modern age) select the same pattern as her mother or grandmother. This ensures that when the silver flatware passes through the family as the heirloom it is, all of the pieces will coordinate and the collection will continue to grow in tradition and value.

Discover more information on silver and other items of interest, including silver coins, visit Silver.Biz

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Tags: dinnerware, flatware, silver, sterling silver flatware, wedding gifts

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Tags: dinnerware, flatware, silver, sterling silver flatware, wedding gifts

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm and is filed under flatware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.