In my travels, there is so much silver plate that runs through my hands. Some of it’s dreadfully black with tarnish, some has been kept beautifully, and some is in terrible condition. It is unloved and not well thought of. Of which, I find quite surprising, in spite tarnish. Gladly, I’ll take it off of someone’s hands. The newer silver plate is not heavy and the plate doesn’t wear well. I pass on that stuff. The old silver plate is just wonderful with the patina of age and I quickly buy it when it comes in. It’s cleaned up, polished brightly, and then put into my silverware drawer for everyday use.

Have to tell a story here. My mother decided she liked the silver plate in my silverware drawer and asked me to be on the look out for serving pieces. Well, a bee-u-tee-ful cake/pie server came in just before Christmas. It cost hardly anything and was the deal of the day for me. It was very ornate and had a shape similar to a trowel. It’s just perfect to serve with. It was shown to my sister for approval and she looked very longingly at it. Now she wants some of the silver plate and my mother loved, loved the cake/pie server.

The thing about the older silver plate servers is that they are unique, have specific uses, show true craftsmanship, and mix wonderfully with a table set with sterling. Sterling servers can sometimes be a bit pricey on their own. But the alternative of silver plate is practical in price.

Taking care of it is easy. If it doesn’t have a hollow handle, you can put it in the dishwasher. I don’t know about you, but easy is good. The dishwasher cleans it wonderfully. Just put in ½ of the dishwasher detergent unless you are using NEU dish soap. That is THE best dishwasher detergent…..BAR NONE. The other NEU products are just as wonderful. It’s safe for sterling too. Just put a few pieces in the dishwasher basket. Here again, no hollow handles. When finished, put it in a Ziploc bag with all of the air out of it and it will stay polished if you use it for special occasions. Otherwise, just use it and that will keep the polish.

When you get your new-to-you silver plate, polish ONLY with paste polishes. Never, ever use silver dip. It will absolutely ruin the silver plate or sterling and the patina. The patina develops over time. Patina gives silver plate and sterling a glow that can only be achieved through time. The large auction houses only use paste polish. If the auction houses use paste, then I’d be strongly inclined to use paste too…..and I do. I am a sister of the black hand…..the color that your hands get from polishing silver with paste polish.

Old silver plate is ornate. You will find that the back of each piece is decorated, not just the front. Victorian pieces are highly ornate on the back. It’s hard not to appreciate even a lowly little pickle fork that is as beautiful on the back as it is on the front. There is one in my drawer that dates to 1880’s with sweet little Forget-me-nots on the front. The reverse side has the same but what would be the backside of the flowers and leaves. It is just darling.

Now to set your table: Mix everything. There is something to be said for everything that matches on a table. AND, there’s a lot to be said for mixing everything on the table. Last Thanksgiving, I was given the table to set at my sister’s house. I mixed everything all together. Sterling, silver plate, mother of pearl handled flatware, crystal and plain glass were all on the table. My sister was in the kitchen with the pecan pie while I finished the table. It was perfectly lovely. I had brought my servers and other flatware from home. Previous to that moment she wasn’t quite convinced about silver plate until she saw it all out on the table. She was amazed and you will be too.

There were different kinds of servers that were originally intended for very specific uses. Not any more. At Thanksgiving they went to other jobs instead. The thing to remember: There are NO rules about how you use your servers. They can be re-tasked. I use a silver plate bullion spoon for my everyday tea scoop. It’s just the perfect amount for a pot of tea.

You can’t exactly come out on a buy with me to get these lovelies. What you can do is hit your local garage sales, check your grandmother’s silver drawer, or look in antique shops. People just don’t want to polish and you can pick up some deals for little cash. Sometimes you can even hit a jackpot and pick up a sterling item. While looking for that piece, make sure there is no copper or brass shining through. There should not be excessive use either. Look for the items that are in very good condition. Don’t get scared away by tarnish either. You can polish it back to beauty.

Now you, too, know the secret of a beautiful table that’s not going to cost an arm and a leg. A table set with polished silver or silver plate is a sight to behold for a special occasion as well as every day use. The fancy serving pieces will always get comments from a guest. You can just smile and let someone think that it’s sterling that you use for everyday. Besides the nice thing about silver plate is, if it wears out, you can just throw it away without any guilt. Happy hunting!