Judaica - Silver Plated Kiddush Cups

Jerusalem Kiddush Cup Silver Plated Lacquered Non-Tarnish Goblet Featuring a Jerusalem Scene K115 2250	Pair of Blue Kiddush Wine Goblets Gold Plated Base 2pcs /set K3080BG	Kiddush Cup Gold and Silver Plated Contemporary 6 1/2" k503 g/sp 2010
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Silver & Gold Plated Kiddush Cup and Tray 5" Cup K2218 1300	Kiddush Cup Scene of Jerusalem Pewter 6 inches K401 1350	Silver Plated Kiddush Cup K393vb
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Silver Plated Large Kiddush Cup Great for Elijah or Miriam Cup Stand 9" K2000 1200	Silver Plated Kiddush Cup Includes a Velvet Box K1414 1000	Silver Plated Kiddush Cup and Tray Includes a Velvet Box K149 700
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Silver Plated Kiddush Cup and Tray With Grapevine Design K1943 750	Silver Plated Kiddush Goblet K2039	Silver Plated Kiddush Cup 5 1/2" k176 600
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Origin of the term

The term "Sterling Silver", in reference to the .925 grade of silver, emerged in England by the 13th century.

The terms "sterling" and "pound sterling", seem to have acquired their meaning over a while, and from several convergent sources. The first mention is that of "sterilensis" in 1078, and by the thirteenth century (the 1200s) the term sterling had appeared. "Sterling" is believed to come from the Old Norman French esterlin (meaning little star) and Old English stiere (strong, firm, immovable).

Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver - Hallmarks

A sterling silver object that is to be sold commercially is, in many countries, taken to an Assay office for testing of the purity of the metal. The item is then marked, usually via hammer and punch, with the Hallmark of that particular nation. Because this process leaves sharp edges and spurs of metal, it is generally done before the item is sent for its final wheel polishing.

The British should be singled out for its excellent hallmarking system. The stamps on British sterling silver will tell you everything you need to know about a piece. First, a stamp to indicate the purity of the silver was applied. This was usually a Lion Passant, but there were variations over the years. Next was a letter to indicate the date. The typeface, whether the letter is uppercase or lowercase, and even the shape inside which the letter is stamped, must all be taken together to determine the year. Last to be stamped was a symbol to indicate the city in which the piece was manufactured. For example, a crown of a certain style indicated the city of Sheffield, while an anchor indicated the city of Birmingham (both well-known for silver production). This system of hallmarking is still in use today.

The French hallmark for sterling silver was the head of the goddess Minerva. In fact, the French standard for sterling silver was higher than that of other nations, requiring a silver content of 950 parts per thousand. Silver items with a slightly lower grade of silver, 800 parts per thousand, were also manufactured, and these were marked with the head of Minerva, next to which was a "2". (Pieces from other nations also were manufactured in this lower grade of silver, but are stamped "800".)

In some countries, such as the United States, no national hallmark was ever adopted, although the city of Baltimore did maintain its own assay office between 1814-1830. The words "STERLING", "925", or "coin" were simply stamped into the piece. Because of this, some companies within the U.S., such as Tiffany and Gorham, adopted their own marking systems. For example, pieces from the Gorham company can be identified by a Lion Passant (or Lion Rampant, depending on the year), an anchor and the letter "G", and sometimes an accompanying number to indicate the style.

In addition to the hallmarks, silver manufacturers often applied their own specific stamp. For example, the letters "T. and Co." indicates a piece manufactured by Tiffany and Company. As mentioned above, the letter "G" indicated the Gorham Company. These stamps were as unique as today's logos, and disputes often arose when one company copied another's stamp.

The difficulty with hallmarking systems other than that of the United Kingdom was that in most cases they could not pinpoint the manufacture to a specific year, but instead to a range of years during which the company was in business. Many larger companies did put out yearly catalogs, however, and these can be used as a reference to narrow down the date of a specific piece. In fact, there are people who make a good income doing research on the history of specific sterling pieces.

Due to sterling silver having a very special characteristic in sound resonance, some brasswind instruments manufacturers also apply 92.5% sterling silver as the material for making their instruments including the flute and saxophones. For example, some leading saxophone manufactuers such as Selmer, P.Mauriat, and Yanagisawa, have created some of their saxophones made from sterling silver which they believe the instruments will become more resonant and warmer in the sound performance.

Sterling Silver