HAND SPINNING

Spinners pull metal over a form by exerting up to 900 pounds of leverage per square inch into precise curves and contours.

NICKEL SILVER

Composition of copper, nickel, and zinc.  When used as a base metal for electroplating, it's referred to as EPNS

OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

Made by fusing silver to both sides of a base metal to create a silver sandwich.  Widely used method from 1765 to 1840.

OXIDIZING

Method used to accentuate the beauty of ornamentation by applying an oxide which darkens the metal.  Eventually, a natural oxidation forms on all silver as oxygen reacts to the metal.

PATINA

A special soft sheen, color, and feel which develops years after using the silver.

PEWTER

A soft alloy because its primary element is tin.  The combination of tin and antimony gives pewter its strength.

SAND POLISHING

A felt or leather spinning wheel removes all marks, creases and major porous openings.  A sand polisher uses pumice as an abrasive between the wheel and metal.

SILVER

Often incorrectly referred to as solid silver, sterling silver is 925 parts pure silver and 75 parts alloy, usually copper.  continental silver varies from .800 to .833.  In England, .925 is always called silver, not sterling.

SILVERPLATE

A base metal, usually and alloy of nickel, copper and zinc, which is plated with silver.

STAINLESS

An alloy made of steel which is composed of iron, chromium, and nickel.  18/8 and 18/10 refer to the ratio of chromium and nickel.