Entertaining, like everything else, has changed over the years. A full set of sterling silver serving pieces isn’t considered practical today because it requires so much care and attention to maintain. Today, many people prefer easy-care stainless and alloys (and relatives and friends who forego the white glove test when gracing your home with a visit). Still, the old saying about having it and flaunting it cannot help but apply. If you have some nice old sterling, you might as well use it. The more you utilize it, the less it needs polishing.
Sterling in dining ware is nearly solid silver with a bit of copper and antimony added for hardness and durability. Silver plate is silver-coated base metal, and the best has a thick coating and offers a wear warrantee, which you should look for when in the market for a silver set. Avoid overly elaborate designs because they are tarnish collectors and harder to keep clean. Using them frequently renders an elegance to your everyday dining experience and is a good way to avoid silver tarnish. Reed and Barton, longtime silver makers, claim that silver can even be washed in the dishwasher if you follow these simple rules:
1. Do not wash other metals along with silver. (It doesn’t like company even though it serves them well.)
2. Use a powdered detergent rather than a liquid.
3. In hard water, use a rinse agent like Jet Dry.
4. Do not use newspapers or plastic for the storage of your silver pieces. Wrap in tarnish-proof flannel instead.
Select your set of flatware from three available sizes. (Too bad this can’t be done with waists, thighs and other human body parts!) The largest and most expensive is the “dinner setting.” “Place setting” is the most versatile and the “luncheon settings” are usually the smallest and least expensive. Any one of the three is appropriate and interchangeable (unlike some guests). Cut initial costs by supplementing sterling pieces with other metals. You can even combine gold silver and pewter on a table without causing migraines to Emily Post or Martha Stewart.
So use your silver and enjoy it. Treat it like a beloved companion, like the Lone Ranger doted on his old equine buddy, handsome Silver. And when you grow tired of it, merely say adieu and, “Hi. Ho, Silver. Away….”
Related Articles:
“The Dining Room Floor: What’s On Yours? ”
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