DC Silver

“Silver is meant to shine!” is a phrase that has echoed through hundreds of conversations on silver polishing. This elemental metal is much beloved in part for its ability to shine, brightening homes and moods wherever it is placed. And for many types of silver it is true. In this brief review, we will discuss some aspects of silver polishing, products, and other nuances of silver finish. If you are unsure of whether to polish or not yourself, it is recommended you consult a professional, as poor polishing materials and technique can cause dramatic damage. What is tarnish? As silver is exposed to air, its outermost surface binds to sulphur compounds in air and forms silver sulphide that give the silver a dark, eventually near black, finish. Additionally, many silver items are made of alloys that include other elements such as copper that similarly discolor. As an aside, these alloyed elements are the reason that, contrary to some beliefs, means that items made of gold too can tarnish. ...

A typical silver collection. It happens all the time. Mom and Dad pass away and you never asked all the questions you should have about the silver and other antiques in the house. What can you do? What should you do? People around the world are faced with these questions every single day. Before you take those items to a charity shop, there are some things you should and should not do. Lots of places are happy to look at your silver and there are pros and cons to each. Clean-out companies : Many of these companies are predatory, charging families hundreds to haul away their junk-- as well as their priceless antiques and silver. I always think this is the worst option, but sometimes when all the family is far away, this may be the best option. Just know, if they spot a gold coin collection or a midcentury Rolex in the mix, it's gone baby gone. And it would have paid for your plane ticket around the world to be more responsible. Appraisers : Appraisers are useful, but you ...

Decades ago, someone gave my grandfather a saber, or maybe he found it left behind in one of his many rental properties. The sword was made by N S Mayer Inc probably in the WWII era. My grandfather had it hanging in his den for many years. At some point, he gave it to my cousin. This past weekend, my cousin asked me to take it and find the descendants to return the sword to their family. It didn’t take long to find out about war hero, Hughes, who was tragically KIA in Korea and was described as, “SNA Class of 1949, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hughes was the pilot of a F4U-4 Corsair fighter with Fighter Squadron 821 aboard the carrier USS PRINCETON (CV-37). On August 9, 1951 at CU 520395, his aircraft was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire, crashed and exploded. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.” I began to explore his family through the help of genealogy and then was able to find the obituary of his brother. Fro...

Ana Tkabladze On a warm May evening in old town Alexandria, a small silver shop is buzzing with activity. There is excitement in the air and the ice-cold Cha Cha is flowing. Ana Tkabladze has a show. The entrance hall is jammed and people spill out into the historic brick-lined street. Inside, there is a bar, but more importantly, Ana's work is upstairs. Working in any medium to produce art is difficult, but Ana works in multiple: silver and enamel, and also gold and gemstones. She is also facile working in copper. Combining materials in this way has challenges in spades, and those multiply when one of them is enamel. The smith must first anneal the metal properly, hitting the right temperatures to shape and texture the material (which differs with the type of metal) without causing later structural issues. Even then when everything is executed perfectly, to add enamel is literally another layer of extreme complexity. Each piece carefully laid out in advance and the...

Howard Street in Baltimore at one time was known as one of the mid-Atlantic's hottest antiques markets. I went out today to survey the scene. It was a place where women wore white gloves in the streets. As the dealers there tell it today, there was the installation of the rail line in the street in 1992 that really hit them hard, and it never truly recovered. At that time, nearly 42 dealers led a bustling trade that spilled out onto the sidewalks. Today there are 7 or 8 active dealers. As I passed by the Imperial Half Bushel was packing things up for good at 831 N. Howard. It was a storied antiques store with a penchant for local Baltimore silver and many other items. They rebuffed me when I tried to enter the shop. Baltimore has things in common with Philadelphia and New Orleans. Economically polarized and not much leadership from politicians, a failing educational system, a flagging tax base. This has been much commented on by Washington area antiques dealers, who grow a bit m...

Chris Trimble Trimble's Tavern Colonial Shoe Buckles, a pewter pap boat and riding spurs To spend a few hours shopping at Trimble's Tavern is an extraordinary privilege. And if you chance to engage Chris Trimble, two things become immediately evident. Firstly, you are speaking with one of the most expert pair of eyes in the mid-Atlantic antiques business and secondly, you have come to a place that has been overtaken by an extreme passion for history. From the imposing and rare large scale furniture pieces to the smallest coin, everything here exudes a past-- and when he's able to avail himself (only because he is in such high demand), Chris Trimble will be your guide. His formal education and a lifetime of scholarly study of colonial American history is instantly accessed as he recalls the stories of how he acquired a piece and why it's so important. You will find his shop just as you enter the small town of White...