A map is useful in the 'silver jungle'

The vast majority of sterling silver in the 19th century was marked in some way; if not with a company name, then with the maker’s name or initials. The value of a piece can rise dramatically when signed by one of the prominent silversmiths. Prestige names like Georg Jensen, Tiffany, Kirk and Unger, to name but a few, always add value to the item.

Prior to the mid-1860s in North America, most silver pieces were ordered individually through a silversmith or retailed in very limited quantities. The manufacturing and merchandising revolution that occurred in the late 1890s made silver items available to the middle classes in stores such as Tiffany at the higher end to Sears Roebuck and T. Eaton’s. It was elegance more and more Canadians and Americans could afford.

Silver designers are bewilderingly diverse. As a general rule, most North American silver was stamped “sterling” after 1860 while the English employed an elaborate system of symbols (hallmarks) that indicated the year of manufacture, place and maker. European and Latin silver had either hallmarks or numbers such as 925 or 800, or in some cases it was completely unmarked. There are many reference books to help you navigate the silver jungle.

Handmade pieces of the 18th and 19th centuries are quite rare, and most collectors concentrate on the period from 1860 to 1930. There are three main categories: flatware, personal items and hollow ware, which includes tea services and trays. The value of flatware and table serving pieces lies in the company name and pattern, and in some ways the market resembles a commodities exchange.

Victorians and Edwardians embraced silver to such a degree that the personal domestic products available bordered on the astounding. Everything from a hat pin to jewelry and dresser sets to serving implements, not to mention watches, necklaces and brooches. Silver was a reflection of the tastes and fashions of the period in which all the elaborate silver items represented the complicated and ornate style of the Victorian era. This was to change into the art deco style in the early 1900s, with sleek lines responding to the changing sensitivity of a sophisticated society that wanted to leave the fussiness of the Victorian era behind.

Silver plate was introduced into the market in the early 1800s, which again confused the market as the average person could not tell real silver from silver plate. Silver-plating is the process of putting a thin coating of silver on top of a base metal. However, with heavy use over the years, the silver wears away exposing the base metal and replating must be done, which in most cases is expensive and not worth the cost. Real silver, on the other hand, can be restored from a dark unsightly look by simply polishing the piece. Of course, you can polish silver plate as well, but eventually with constant polishing the base metal underneath will appear.

I would recommend that when buying either real silver or silver plate that is tarnished, you examine the item closely. Imperfections and minor dents are sometimes difficult to detect and then leap out after a polishing.

Peter Green is the former owner of South Meadow Farm Antiques and the founder of The Asheford Institute of Antiques. He spends the winter travelling the world looking for the unusual and the odd antique.