Intrigued by the result of his mistake, Boulsover tried fusing together a block of copper and a block of silver, rolling the two together into sheet form. The silver was bound to the copper by heavy steel wires.
The two metals were then fused by a furnace at a high temperature. The fused metals were rolled into sheets. At this point processes varied, depending upon the article to be manufactured. When the item was made, the underside was covered with molten tin to conceal the copper. Then the final product would show silver on both sides. Most Old Sheffield Plate pieces were shaped from a flat piece of metal by hand-hammering. Many flat pieces — tea trays, salvers, dishes — were stamped with hand-cut dies.
Both methods were tremendous feats in their day and required an untold amount of knowledge and skill. Old Sheffield pieces invariably had fancy mounts. They were filled with a metal composition and carefully soldered to the item. Handles and feet of trays, waiters and dishes were made in a similar manner. The final process included hand-burnishing of all silver surfaces.
Although used more sparingly today, the precious metal was historically a key component in setting a proper table. The use of sterling silver in fine dining was most prevalent between and , with the biggest surge between and During this time, the production and merchandising of silver ramped up considerably to accommodate the growing demand. During the Victorian era, it was frowned upon to ever touch or handle food without the use of a utensil.
The ultimate criterion for a fine dining table was sterling silver flatware, a must when setting a table for a formal meal in the United States and Europe. Silver flatware collections were extensive, often including up to pieces. Formal dinners in the late s and early s were long, extravagant affairs, sometimes including up to 10 or more courses, each of which demanded its own set of silver utensils.
It wasn't uncommon to use several different types of sterling silver forks, spoons, and knives during a typical dinner. Sterling silver was also used for serving pieces, such as large forks, cake knives, carving knives, soup spoons, and gravy ladles.
In addition to its pleasing aesthetic properties, silver's heft and stability made it a serviceable tool for cutting and serving food. Often, silver serving pieces were embellished with hand-carved designs and ivory accents. And it didn't stop there. Decorative table accents included sterling silver napkin rings, coasters, and elaborate silver candlesticks. And not just one dining set for a family, but hundreds of pieces of sterling silver to host large dinner with lots of courses.
It was not uncommon for people of the Victorian era, , in both Europe and the United States, to host meals with courses. Throughout those meals, there were several wine glasses, champagne glasses, forks, knives, and spoons of sterling silver used. In addition to dinner forks, there were many other special forks, such as medium, dessert, fish, oyster, lobster, terrapin, salad, berry, pie, fruit, ice cream, beef, sardines, bread, olives, asparagus, pickles, etc.
The list is practically endless. Meals would last for hours and hours with all those courses. The more food a person had to serve, and the more sterling silver they had to serve with, the wealthier and more powerful they looked. Wealth and power were very important for social status. It was also popular to have church silver, tankards, beakers, tea sets, tea caddies, trays, salvers, porringers, braziers, and candlesticks made of sterling silver. Social status was a big deal during the Victorian era and owning lots of sterling silver was a good way to show that you had money.
It has the highest metallic lustre of all the metals and that is why it is so desirable. It was also important to have sterling silver serving ware. You needed spatulas, soupspoons, cake knives, etc. The status of sterling silver as flatware declined in the s due to life becoming busy and people not having time for such long, luxurious meals.
Sterling silver is not only a popular metal for flatware but also palaces, cathedrals and temples. Many buildings throughout Asia, Europe, and America contain sterling silver for its durability and shine. Silver has helped the world grow economically, socially, and aesthetically.
Silver has literally given us currency with coins. It has given us the ability to show-off our social status with our without it. Any background space remaining is filled with an assortment of foliate scrolls or interlace. In the upper left panel is Taste, with one hand in his mouth, the other holding a foliate stem, while profiled Smell, in the top right, is flanked by two plants, and has his hands behind his back.
Touch, in the bottom right panel, places his hands together, and Hearing, in the bottom left, appears to be running, and cupping his hand to his ear. Everything is set upon a nielloed ground. The back is plain and the pin mechanism is now missing. Two small holes at the top may have been for suspension. As society developed and trade routes to the east were re-established gold retook its old position of being the most popular metal for fine jewelry again.
Nevertheless, it was this same trade that allowed a large middle class to develop whose members started to adorn themselves in a way that was previously only reserved for the wealthy rulers.
Those on a budget would opt for silver jewelry as it was more affordable. The versatility of jewelry increased, moving away from mainly functional items towards purely decorative and, to a large extent, symbolic items. Finger rings, bangles, pendants, etc. By the end of the Middle Ages, silver jewelry and silverware became submissive to hallmarking. Medieval Silver Hinged Cuff Bracelet c.
Medieval Silver Penannular Brooch c. Medieval Silver Spiral Ring c. Silver Fede Ring c. Medievel Gilt Buckle c. Medieval Silver Armlets c. Medieval Trefoil Ring c. Viking Silver Thistle Brooch c. Early 10th Century. Trade with the Levant intensified over the last two centuries of the Middle Ages. The European population recovered after its decimation by the plague and there was an expansion of trade centers in the Northern coastal areas like the Netherlands. Here a large middle class developed and cities grew exponentially.
The Byzantine Empire fell in , and many exiles from the areas now controlled by the Ottoman Turks fled to Europe, bringing knowledge that had been forgotten through the Middle Ages. Italy became the center for many developments, having wealth from trade with Asia and Europe, as well as the power of the Church. Following the discovery of America, a great age of exploration followed. Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English explorers fought to claim the world for their countries. Christopher Columbus led Spain into the forefront of world exploration when he claimed the Americas for Spain.
Silver mines provided vast amounts of silver for trade from on when significant deposits found in modern-day Mexico. Some of this went directly from South America to China, to secure Asian items. Silver working techniques remained the same as in medieval times, the big difference with the preceding era was the availability of silver which was brought to Europe in large quantities from the Americas.
With a growing population and level of prosperity in Europe, this was a welcome event that allowed silver to remain to be used as a currency and relatively affordable as a precious metal for jewelry.
Early 17th Century Locket. Reliquary Pendant, South American Silver, c. Silver Medal with Bust of Elizabeth, The Baroque period, spanning from around to , saw an increasing amount of South American silver being brought to Europe.
Many battles with the Spanish and English navies were fought, often over rich loads of silver on board of ships returning from the New World. Although silver working techniques remained the same as in the preceding centuries a few things did change. Timepieces were a complete novelty and were often executed in silver. Another novelty was the use of silver to set diamonds. The white metal complimented the absence of color in these stones which were now trickling into Europe through intensified trade with India after European sailors started settlements on the Indian peninsula.
This enabled them to conduct direct trade with Indian diamond dealers in contrast to earlier times when Arabic merchants acted as middlemen and few good diamonds reached Europe.
Flowers and Leaves Brooch. Silver Miniatures, Rococo Badge, c. During the Georgian era, new silver finds in South America occurred on a very regular basis and production was booming. The fashion of setting diamonds in silver which had begun in the Baroque period became common. Diamonds were flowing into Europe in numbers never seen before from India and from on from Brazil where new deposits were discovered. The manufacturing technique of die striking started to be used for jewelry in
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