Sterling Silver Flatware, Tableware & Serving Sets
For those looking to sell sterling silver flatware and serving pieces, one must first determine whether or not the items they have are made of sterling silver or are silver plated. Plated silver flatware has little to no intrinsic silver value and is not worth refining.
Sterling silver, on the other hand, always has value even if it is mangled beyond recognition or branded with monograms or initials. Because sterling silver contains 92.5% silver, it has an intrinsic value related to this precious metal content.
Sterling silverware made in the United States is generally marked either "Sterling", ".925" or "925/1000" while plated silver is often depicted by an A1 or the like. If the flatware was made in the US after the 1850's and does not have one of these sterling marks, it is probably not sterling.
Arch Enterprises specializes in the refining of sterling silver flatware and serving pieces to ensure the maximum amount of silver is extracted from the flatware. It must, however, be noted that many sterling silver knives contain stainless steel blades and support rods that increase their weight while lowering their precious metal value.