Why Real Silver Matters

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver, a precious metal with intrinsic value. Unlike plated or coated metals, sterling silver does not wear through to reveal something cheaper underneath. It is silver all the way through. Sterling silver has been regulated and hallmarked for over 700 years. The "925" stamp is a guarantee of composition, not a marketing claim.

Not every jeweler who says "silver" means it. The word is used loosely in the jewelry industry, applied to silver-plated base metals, stainless steel with a silver finish, and alloys that contain little or no actual silver. At Waresmiths, we are precise: every listing states the exact composition (sterling silver, coin silver, or antique silver plate) so you always know what you are buying.

Antique silverware has already proven this point. The cutlery we source for Waresmiths pieces has survived 80, 120, sometimes more than 200 years of use. Sterling silver does not degrade. It tarnishes on the surface (a natural and reversible process), but the metal itself is permanent. A ring made from sterling silver today will still be sterling silver in a century.

Sterling silver is hypoallergenic for the vast majority of wearers. The most common cause of jewelry-related skin reactions is nickel, a metal frequently found in base metals used under silver plating and in cheaper alloys. With solid sterling silver, nickel contact is not a concern.

Sterling silver has precious-metal value that tracks with the silver market. A substantial sterling silver ring contains a meaningful amount of actual silver. When you buy real silver jewelry, you are buying something with intrinsic worth beyond its craftsmanship.

Every genuine piece of old sterling silver has hallmarks that tell a story: the maker, the assay office, the year, the city. A ring made from a London-hallmarked 1903 dessert spoon carries verified, documented history in its silver. You cannot replicate that with new metal. The provenance is real, and it is permanent.

Antique silverware sometimes comes silver-plated: a base metal coated with a layer of silver. Silver plate has a shorter lifespan than sterling, and the plating can wear through over time. But antique silver-plated cutlery can still be beautiful, well-crafted, and historically interesting. When we find a silver-plated piece with exceptional pattern work or provenance, we will use it, and we will tell you exactly what it is.

The difference between Waresmiths and many other silverware jewelers is not that we refuse silver plate. It is that we never misrepresent it. Every piece is clearly described. Sterling is sterling. Silver plate is silver plate. You decide what matters to you.

Every piece of cutlery we acquire is examined before work begins. We test silver content, examine hallmarks, and document the composition. The majority of our collection is genuine sterling silver and coin silver. When we work with antique silver plate, it is because the piece earned its place on merit, and it is always clearly labelled.

That transparency matters because when you wear a Waresmiths piece, you know exactly what you are wearing. Genuine antique silverware, documented composition, real craft, nothing hidden.