Skip to content
Purely Silver
  • Home
  • Silver Information
    • Gemstones and Silver
    • Silver Items
      • Bottles
      • Flatware
        • Spoons
      • Jewellery and Watches
      • Sewing Implements and Accessories
        • Pin Cushions
      • Vanity Items
  • Silver Hallmarks
  • Silver Makers
    • Birmingham Silver Makers
    • Chester Silver Makers
    • Edinburgh Silver Makers
    • Exeter Silver Makers
    • London Silver Makers
    • Sheffield Silver Makers
    • International Silver Makers
      • American Silver Makers
      • Canadian
      • Danish Silver Makers
      • German Silver Makers
  • Styles / Periods
  • Subjects in Silver
    • AnimalsGallery and information on animals depicted in silver.
      • Pigs
    • Birds
      • Swans

Silver Information

Silver has been in use since 4000BC and has been used for both practical purposes and ornamental. Not only are there different purposes for silver, but there are also different types.

If an item is marked Sterling, it means that the silver content is at least 92.5% silver. American silver usually has the word Sterling stamped on it whereas British silver may have either the word Sterling or the Lion Passant. Both indicate that the silver is at least 92.5% silver.

Coin silver was used before sterling silver in America. Coin silver is usually 90% silver.

In addition to sterling silver there is Sheffield Plate, Electroplate and German Silver. Sheffield Plate was one of the earliest types of silver plate. Sheffield Plate was copper with a layer of silver on the top and bottom so that the copper does not show. Sheffield Plate is quite collectible as it is quite rare. Sheffield Plate is no longer used as Electroplating took its place. Sheffield Plate is rarely marked and has a blueish tinge to it.

Electroplating is the process which involves taking a base metal, such as copper or brass, and plating it with silver. Electroplated goods are often stamped EPNS but there are some excellent silver makers which carried out these tasks and electroplated items can also be collected according to their makers.

German Silver actually contains no silver at all. German silver is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc.

Home » Silver Information » Page 6
Johan Rohde Danish Silver Makers Mark
Posted inDanish Silver Makers International Silver Makers Silver Information Silver Makers

Johan Rohde

Johan Rohde (1856-1935) was originally trained as a medical doctor and turned to arts quite late in life. After a few years of private studies, in 1881 he began his…
Read More
Posted inDanish Silver Makers, International Silver Makers, Silver Information, Silver Makers
Hans Jakob Baur Silver Makers Mark
Posted inGerman Silver Makers International Silver Makers Silver Information Silver Makers

Hans Jakob Baur

Hans Jakob Baur. There were several silversmiths with the name Hans Jakob Baur and are often described as I, II, III, IV and V. Below are some examples of their…
Read More
Posted inGerman Silver Makers, International Silver Makers, Silver Information, Silver Makers
Neresheimer of Hanau German Silver Makers Mark n in a shield.
Posted inGerman Silver Makers International Silver Makers Silver Information Silver Makers

Neresheimer

Neresheimer was founded in 1890. It was a partnership of August and  Ludwig  Neresheimer and Jean Schlingloff.  Neresheimer made a range of high quality silver items including  nefs, silver animals,  tankards,…
Read More
Posted inGerman Silver Makers, International Silver Makers, Silver Information, Silver Makers
Slim rectangular case with hinged lid, decorated with a geometric pattern in green, black and white
Posted inSilver Information Styles / Periods

Art Deco

Art Deco became popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s and was a movement against the naturalistic feel of the Art Nouveau designs. Art Deco drew together various elements, such…
Read More
Posted inSilver Information, Styles / Periods
Mirror Silversmith:Johann Valentin Gevers (German, ca. 1662–1732)
Posted inSilver Information Styles / Periods

Baroque

Baroque  is a highly ornate and often extravagant style of architecture, music, painting, sculpture and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th until the mid-18th century. It…
Read More
Posted inSilver Information, Styles / Periods
Birks silver makers mark
Posted inCanadian International Silver Makers Silver Information Silver Makers

Birks

Birks was established in Montreal by Henry Birks in 1879. It is a high quality company often referred to as the Tiffany's of Canada  
Read More
Posted inCanadian, International Silver Makers, Silver Information, Silver Makers
A French Art Nouveau silver-gilt box and cover Circa 1900, maker's mark 'BERTRANDT'
Posted inSilver Information Styles / Periods

Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau style was developed internationally in the 1880's and lasted until around 1914. Art Nouveau styles were seen in metal work, including silver, public buildings, advertisements and private…
Read More
Posted inSilver Information, Styles / Periods
Frame for a miniature: silver gilt with rococo scrolls and cherubs.
Posted inSilver Information Styles / Periods

Rococo

The Rococo style of art and design began in France in the early 18th century and was soon introduced to England in the early 1720's. It followed on from the…
Read More
Posted inSilver Information, Styles / Periods
An egg-shaped silver-gilt and cloisonné enamel pendant icon, 11th Artel, Moscow, 1908-1917
Posted inJewellery and Watches Silver Information Silver Items

Pendants

Pendants. The word pendant derives from the Latin word pendere and Old French word pendr, both of which translate to "to hang down". It comes in the form of a…
Read More
Posted inJewellery and Watches, Silver Information, Silver Items
A German parcel-gilt silver-mounted shell centrepiece, Eduard Wollenweber, Munich, circa 1870
Posted inGemstones and Silver Silver Information

Abalone

Abalone makes an excellent complement to silver and is popular in jewelry as well as items such as trinket boxes and ornamental silver items. Abalone are a type of gastropod…
Read More
Posted inGemstones and Silver, Silver Information

Posts pagination

Previous page 1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 15 Next page

“When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.  Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Google Adsense.”

Copyright 2025 — Purely Silver. All rights reserved.
Scroll to Top

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

Purely Silver
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.