Silver Plate

Since the 1700s, silver plate has been a cheaper alternative to solid use of the precious metal. Silver plate has been used for centuries to produce a wide range of household items, such as decorative ware, dinnerware and cutlery, as well as musical instruments and jewellery. The first form of silver plate was Sheffield plate - deriving its name from its origins in the English city - which consists of layers of silver and copper. German silver - a copper, zinc and nickel alloy with a silver appearance - is often plated with the more precious metal, frequently serving in the past as a base metal for silver-plated cutlery and dinnerware. The silver-plated products of British manufacturer, Elkington & Co, were used in the luxury dining rooms on board the RMS Titanic, with over 44,000 pieces of cutlery sinking with the ship in 1912.