Wentz Edition No. 4: Gorham Silver
What's plated vs. sterling? And why do I need a silver toast rack?
I had never given much thought to silverware prior to this post. It of course had lived in my kitchen drawers for as long as I can remember — but, I guess my personal philosophy on the matter was something along the lines of “forks are forks and some forks are prettier than others, I suppose”. However, as it seems to be with everything I dive into lately, the history is not so simple. For instance, it really wasn’t until electroplating was possible that the majority of households could even think about affording “silverware”, as sterling silver was prohibitively expensive. Even today in the listings below, you’ll notice a significant price increase between sliver plated and sterling silver, which holds both the value of the object, but also the “smelt” price of the silver material itself. Sterling silver must be at least 92.5% silver to qualify, where as silver plated, true to the name, is just a thin plated layer applied to another metal. Other akas include electroplated, E&P, and silver soldered. You may see even more combinations like EPNS, EPCA or EPGS, which indicate the other metal (ex. electroplated nickel silver) or the country of origin (ex. electroplated German silver).
It’s interesting as well how these industries have had to be regulated, both in terms of worker and consumer safety as well as the need to prevent fraud — which is what necessitated the concept of “hallmarks”. In England, hallmarks date back as far as the 1300s, an engraved stamp to ensure sterling silver, was truly sterling silver (they actually had testing sites in London at the time). At one point, an additional mark was introduced to indicate if taxes had been paid on the silver piece, a tax introduced in England to cover the cost of that pesky American War. If you are intrigued by the history part of all this, check out more from this article.
In future newsletters we can dive into major silver makers across the world, but for the first article, I thought deep diving into Gorham, one of the top American silversmiths, would be a good place to start. Similar to our friend Josiah Wedgwood, the history of Gorham silver contains a family lineage of silversmiths (Jabez Gorham started the company, but his son John Gorham took it to new heights), a story of innovation and embracing the new scientific techniques of the age (hello, steam power), and an esteemed patron, Mary Todd Lincoln. In 1859, she ordered a tea and flatware set in the Josephine pattern for the Whitehouse. In fact, Gorham patterns are still used in the Whitehouse today, and the Chantilly pattern was purchased for service on Air Force One. Solid trivia facts in this post today, and if you haven’t subscribed yet, add your email so that this lands in your inbox (trivia facts and all) every Sunday night.
We’ve talked a lot about silverware, but the reality is that silver is crafted into all kinds of different pieces: silverware, salt cellars, decorative bowls, frames, candle sticks, wine holders, biscuit tins, animal figurines, and so much more. You an see my current range of finds below:
The fun thing has also been discovering new items, like the toast holder below, which perhaps I had come across in a hotel before, but it’s a fantastic little piece that keeps your toast from getting soggy on your plate.
And here’s a quick shot below of an example of the type of marking that will indicate if your piece is electroplated. You’ll notice the “EP” engraved on the bottom. The L&W indicates Lee & Wigfill and my condiment holder is likely late 1800s.
Alright let’s get to it, as promised here is the Etsy list with 60+ Gorham silver finds (remember to see if the piece is sterling or plated). I also added a few extremely high priced collectable items, over $5,000.00, just so you can get a sense of some of the really nice pieces made by them. It can help you hone your skills for identifying high end pieces in the future (or of course, go for it although I certainly can’t attest to pricing at that range).
What tureen dreams are made of at roughly $6,000.00. Intricate detailing and unique concepts, like the ram’s head here, often indicate the piece may be more rare and worth researching.
While we are in the extremes, here’s the opposite end of the spectrum both in terms of price and era. A $14.00 mid century Gorham bread basket.
Really fun full service tea set for $200.00, but also something to be aware of, this set is monogrammed. It’s fairly common to have family monograms, so just be sure to check for that. Every now and then you might find just a single initial that would match your last name, but otherwise you might not be so inclined. I just love the pattern and completeness of this set (so much so that I almost bought this one).
I love the detail and patina of this cake stand ($125.00). The beauty of silver is it really can be worked into your existing tableware. Would be fun for birthdays or holidays (or everydays).
As so many of these companies operated over a span of a few hundred years, and therefore cover a range of styles — from something fairly ornate to a very simple modern piece, like this vegetable platter ($106.00).
If you like patina and a well-loved vibe, these are a great pair of trivets for under $20.00.
A good example of how many different silver items exist in the world, these fun espresso cups come with the spoons and ceramic cups for $36.95.
Love these little salt and pepper sets that are sterling silver. Looks like there are two available and it’s $30.00 per set.
Midcentury coffee service set for $75.00, which would look great on a buffet or in a kitchen. The fun part of a coffee set is that while you can of course use it in your dining room, you can also easily do a breakfast in bed, take it outside or into the living room.
The last item is a sterling silver tableware set in the Chantilly Lace pattern (same as Air Force One) for $1,795.00. Honestly, I think it’s hard to find a sterling silver set for under $1,000 and of course, up to you how comfortable you are with buying something like this online.
Alright, here’s the Etsy list again with all 60+ Gorham items. As always, open and welcome to any feedback, comments or ideas for future posts! I actually snagged a set of sterling silver salt shakers while putting this list together, so I hope you find something you love too — and are staying healthy and sane.
Happy hunting,
Kelsea Wentz