antique silver cutlery Archives - The Crown Collection

Elegance redefined | Elevate your spaces with antique silverware

Categories: Articles, Blog, Style|Tags: Antique silver at The Crown Collection, antique silver cutlery, Antique silver napkin rings, Antique silverware, Silver food domes or cloches, Silver tea sets, SIlver trays|

If you are on the hunt for decor items that pair sophistication with functionality – for special occasions and everyday use – then antique silverware needs to feature somewhere in your home. Seamlessly blending the past with the present, and spanning centuries, generations and continents, every piece tells a story of craftsmanship, elegance and household entertaining.

The world of antique silverware encompasses a range of collectable treasures including cutlery sets, food domes, tea sets, trays, and napkin rings; making them the simplest and perfect starting point for transforming your living spaces and adding a touch of nostalgic opulence to your daily life.

If our great-grandparents used silver pieces every day, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t follow in their esteemed footsteps.

The art of dining | Cutlery sets

Elevating your dining experience with antique silver cutlery sets embodies the perfect fusion of form and function. Crafted with precision and adorned with intricate designs, these sets are more than just eating utensils; they are works of art that add a sense of luxury to your tablescaping and every meal shared. Each fork, knife and spoon reflects the meticulous detailing of skilled artisans, boasting intricate patterning that stands as a testament to a rich cultural heritage.

Silver cutlery sets not only scale your dining experience but also serve as conversation starters, allowing you to share the stories behind each piece with your guests.

From classic designs to contemporary options, you can explore our diverse designs of antique silver cutlery and flatware that seamlessly complement any style of dining. And incomplete sets can easily be mixed and matched for a personalised and bespoke dining experience.

Culinary drama | Food domes

Unveiling your culinary masterpieces beneath the gleam of an antique silver food dome – also known as a cloche – is the ultimate spoil for dinner guests. These domes not only preserve the freshness, warmth and aroma of your prepared meal but also serve as beautiful centrepieces for your dinner table, turning an ordinary dining moment into an extraordinary one.

Silver food domes are exquisite serving pieces, adding a striking patina to your tablescaping vignette. And when not in use, they become stunning display items on a sideboard or console table.

Time for a tea | Silver tea sets

Rediscover the romance and charm of afternoon tea (and a turn around the parlour) with silver tea sets. From delicately designed teapots, milk jugs or creamers and sugar bowls to cups and saucers, each piece is a nod to the ancient craftsmanship that went into creating these practical daily sets that embrace slow living.

The ritual of pouring tea (or coffee) from a silver pot – savouring not just the taste but the visual poetry of the moment – is reason enough to invest in an antique silver set.

A symphony of serving style | Silver trays

Transform your mealtime serving rituals with silver trays that blend form and function with practicality and sophistication. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or enjoying a quiet evening, these trays – with ornate handles and intricate engravings – add a touch of glamour to every occasion. From ornate designs to sleek, modern styles, antique silver trays are versatile accents that elevate the aesthetic of any space.

Whether you use them for serving refreshments or as decorative centrepieces, reflective antique silver trays transform the aesthetics of any room; from kitchen islands and coffee tables to dining room tables, dressing tables and bathroom vanities. Or go off script by hanging them as pieces of art.

Personalised elegance | Antique silver napkin rings

In some shape or form, serviette rings are always in vogue. But it’s antique silver napkin rings that really enhance your table setting with subtle sophistication. Guests will always compliment you when they find a silver napkin ring at their place setting. Besides floral arrangements – which work perfectly in a silver teapot – silver serviette rings are a personal touch and a special welcome to the table.

The humble beginnings of the silver napkin ring were purely utilitarian. In days gone by, folk would use the same cotton or linen napkin at every meal throughout the day. Personal monogrammed napkin rings were used to keep an individual’s napkin separate from others, ready for use at the next meal.

Crafted with precision and adorned with intricate patterns or monograms, antique silver napkin rings are the ultimate little decor element for your next dinner party.

Antique silver pieces are always desirable collectables and presuppose a legacy and family stories that have been passed down through generations and celebrate the past craftsmanship and traditions of artisans.

Infuse your spaces with timeless touches that transcend trends by shopping The Crown Collection’s shining array of handpicked antique silverware, either online or in-studio at 20 Ballyclare Drive, Bryanston.

Set the scene at your next dinner party with antique silver cutlery

Categories: Articles, Blog|Tags: Antique cutlery canteens, antique silver cutlery, silver flatware, silver-plated cutlery|

When does a meal become more than just a meal? The occasion has a lot to do with it, but we would like to suggest that an antique silver-plated (or gold-plated) cutlery set not only sets the scene but is the secret to making your next dinner party shine. Traditionally known as a canteen of cutlery, carefully chosen flatware becomes the bespoke tablescaping decor complement to enhance the ambience and atmosphere of any dining experience.

Know your fish knife from your table knife? A full set of antique silver cutlery is often quite extensive; typically including table knives, table forks, soup spoons, fish knives, fish forks, English teaspoons, dessert spoons, dessert forks, cake forks and serving spoons.

‘Finishing school’ or an aristocratic upbringing may make flatware etiquette second nature, but if you weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth you can still experience the exquisite dining pleasure of setting your table with antique cutlery.

An antique canteen of cutlery that has been properly looked after – despite missing a few pieces – is much sought after by collectors, wedding planners, restaurateurs and homeowners. (Full sets are a rare find and worth their weight in gold or silver).

Forget the flowers

If you really want to make a tablescaping first impression, then, before you pick your flower decor, antique silver cutlery needs to make it to your table. (An Edinburgh hotel restaurant experiment concluded that customers were willing to pay 15% more for a meal using higher quality cutlery compared to people eating the same meal with lower quality utensils).

Flowers, tablecloths and dinnerware may create an overall ‘ooh and aah’ moment, but antique decorative gold- or silver-plated cutlery makes each individual dinner guest feel special (as if they had received a formal invite to a royal banquet). Fancy flatware apparently also makes food taste better. (Who are we to argue?).

Embrace silver-plated

There is no debate as to the value of sterling silver cutlery. But authentic silverware, although incredibly beautiful, will, over time, succumb to a little wear and tear and inevitable markings. (This doesn’t, however, detract from its intrinsic worth). If you own a set, treasure it and show it off at your next soirée.

Antique silver-plated flatware will rarely show scratches and, to the naked eye, looks just as gorgeous as the genuine article. Silver-plated cutlery is manufactured using a variety of metals with a thin layer of silver on top. This makes these pieces more resilient and less expensive. They are also much easier to clean.

How do you know the difference? Authentic silver cutlery will have an imprint of the number 92.5 or ‘sterling.’ (This is the official indicator that it is made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals and will also justify the higher price tag).

Go mix and match

If you’re a lover of antique stores, you’ll quickly realise that in scouting for vintage or antique cutlery, it is rare to find a full canteen. (And if you do, the prices are dear). But that shouldn’t deter you from your search.

The timeless trend of mixing and matching special pieces creates a curated and relaxed elegance and gives a nod to the environmentally-friendly philosophy of sustainable recycling.

If done carefully, the artistic mixing and matching of individually beautiful and decorative antique cutlery items only make a table setting even more beautiful. (This really works well with alternate settings and will immediately capture your guest’s attention with an eclectic wow factor).

If you adore a table setting with personality and patina (that will have your guests reaching for their phones to capture the moment), then ‘mismatched’ sets of antique silver-plated (or gold-plated) cutlery will always be a showstopper and a timeless investment.

Pop in at The Crown Collection

The delight of popping in at The Crown Collection includes browsing all our collections, but especially our prized selection of antique silver- and gold-plated or bone-handled cutlery canteens. The cherished charm and historical designs give each canteen its own story; the perfect accompaniment to your next dinner party.