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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Continental / International Silver
 Chinese silver teaspoon- Maker? Silver or plate?
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| Author | Topic: Chinese silver teaspoon- Maker? Silver or plate? |
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nautilusjv Posts: 253 |
posted 11-27-2011 09:59 AM
  
Hi Everyone! I came across this ?Chinese? silver teaspoon and I liked the leaf and tendril engraving on the stem. The piece is marked on the back with 2 Chinese characters. Would this spoon be a lower grade of silver or plate? Thanks for your thoughts! IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 11-27-2011 10:59 AM
Very nice looking. I usually think Asian silverware is made for export but something is saying to me this was not the case. Does a magnet stick to it? IP: Logged |
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nautilusjv Posts: 253 |
posted 11-27-2011 11:12 AM
Thanks Scott. I magnet does not stick to it. Kelly IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 11-27-2011 11:53 AM
I don't handle much silverplate..... maybe other members will be able to say if there are other metals which look like silver (i.e. alpaca,etc.) or another base metal that won't attract a magnet. But since the magnet didn't stick you may have some sterling..... Next I would try the "Flex Test" Put in your hands a similarly sized and shaped piece of flatware which you know is Sterling (not silverplate). And also a similarly sized and shaped piece of flatware which you know is silverplate. Gently compare the flexibility of the sterling versus the silverplate. Silverplate is typically stiff and the sterling tends to have a springiness. Then see how your Chinese silver teaspoon compares to the control examples. Its not exact science but has been reliably used as a determining method. IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 11-27-2011 12:06 PM
I'm really bad with Asian characters, but believe that's the Japanese Jungin (pure silver) mark, have seen it, and another ideogram, Ginsei (made of silver), on solid silver, .925 or finer, dating from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century. ~Cheryl IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 11-27-2011 12:19 PM
Another suggestive (not definitive) test for silver is to pour out a cup of boiling water compare how quickly your spoon heats up when dipped in it compared to how quickly a known sterling spoon heats up and how quickly a known plated white metal spoon heats up. Silver is an excellent heat conductor and gets hot quickly. IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 11-27-2011 01:09 PM
I much prefer the "ice cream" test to hot water..... ~Cheryl IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 11-27-2011 01:13 PM
I believe Cheryl is correct about both the spoon and ice cream test  .The following is from the Japanese Mint: IP: Logged |
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nautilusjv Posts: 253 |
posted 11-27-2011 01:14 PM
I looked up the mark for Japanese sterling mentioned by Cheryl. The mark on this spoon looks extremely similar, but I cannot say so definitively. The Japanese mark was used primarily during the Meiji period 1868-1912 and for a short time after that. Could some else compare the marks? Thanks, Kelly. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 11-27-2011 02:03 PM
 IP: Logged |
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