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 ice tongs marked "sterling" are peeling on tip of claw
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| Author | Topic: ice tongs marked "sterling" are peeling on tip of claw |
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dmillercalif Posts: 3 |
posted 11-30-2015 04:55 PM
  
[26-2546] I have been collecting sterling sugar tongs and other sterling flatware pieces for ten years (since 2005). I just purchased [at auction] a pair of ice tongs in the Repousse pattern that are clearly marked "S. Kirk & Son Sterling" on the inside of both arms. I felt a bit of roughness on the tip of the longest claw, and it appears to be PEELING. I don't see how solid sterling can possibly peel. The pattern is absolutely crisp and clear, so the piece appears to be genuine, and not an illegal cast reproduction. There is no rubbing on the inside that would indicate removal of another hallmark. The hallmarks are imprinted (stamped and indented) very clearly, with no blurriness at all. Two questions:
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Lin56 Posts: 4 |
posted 11-30-2015 09:47 PM
Peeling is technically possible if the piece is made from sterling silver sheet. It usually means a flaw in the process of rolling out the sheet from an ingot. I have seen it more when jewelers make their own sheet to save money over buying the sheet in the gauge they need (I am talking about modern times here. I don't know enough about rolling mill processes in small workshops before large industrial precious metal suppliers) I saw it in fellow students' work when I was in grad school studying Jewelry and Metals. After I saw it, I never attempted to roll my own sheet. Too much of a learning curve to risk my labor. If made from sheet, I would think the older the piece, the more possible it was made by an artisan rolling their own sheet. It used to be standard practice. If the tongs are cast, it is highly unlikely. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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dmillercalif Posts: 3 |
posted 12-01-2015 01:34 PM
I managed to upload photos. There are 8 photos, and I did label them. Several are of the peeling tip, but not shown very clearly. I think I uploaded them twice; not sure. http://www.smpub.com/ubb/ssfgallery/index.php?cat=14363 Deborah IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 12-02-2015 12:18 PM
Is it possible that what's peeling isn't the silver, but some coating on it--for example, lacquer that someone applied hoping to prevent tarnish? IP: Logged |
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FWG Posts: 845 |
posted 12-27-2015 02:21 PM
I've also seen one or two examples of pieces that had been re-plated -- on top of sterling! Boggles the mind…. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 12-27-2015 03:13 PM
quote: When I come across plated sterling it is most often candle sticks or matching center pieces. This is done when one of the matching items has been repaired or replaced. On tongs it is often done to cover over a repair that shows. Sterling and silver plating are different hues. Sterling (.925 silver) is not as bright as the pure silver (.999 silver) in the silver plate because of the .075 other metal in sterling which is often copper. So to help the items to color match they are re-plated together. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 12-27-2015 07:26 PM
Another technique for hiding color differences is a gold wash. We have had several handles on presentation cups repaired and the silversmith suggested a gold wash for the interior to hide the color variation between coin silver and sterling. We have a friend that won a beautiful coin silver tea service set. When it tarnished she set it off to be "fixed". The silversmith silver plated the set and coated it with a varnish. It will not have to be polished for a long time, but not many would think this is a good alternative to an occasional polishing. IP: Logged |
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