DC Silver

This item is SOLD. Today I went to an estate sale.   It was an absolute bust.   On the way home, I spotted a sign that said “Attic in the Street”.   The whole block was shut down and it was full of yard sales.   I had to stop, because you never know.   I found parking and began to make my way through the tables.   A woman next to me started speaking with me and said she was an antiques dealer and there was a man with a jeweler’s loop studying cufflinks (which I later bought).   The competition was pretty rough.   A beautiful morning on a crowded street around 8:30. I was making my second pass through on the way out and I spotted something.   I’ve been reading about jade lately.   So, I have the tone of jade in the forefront of my attention.   Spectrum really, because jade has so much variation.   Jade, or nephrite, can be nearly white to deep green and lots of other possibilities as well.   Anyhow, I spott...

A customer wrote in today with the following question which I have gotten a lot over the years.   She asks, “Hi, just making sure about the content....you have .925 as a tag yet it says cement loaded. is this solid sterling or plated and what would the weight be of the sterling? thank you” It’s a great question and there are lots of misconceptions about silver, so I am going to address the question of what does it mean when something is “weighted” or “loaded” and is marked sterling.   Here’s my response to the customer: “Thank you for asking.   That's a good question.   This item is Sterling silver (92.5% Silver by content), not plated.   It has the stamp STERLING on the bottom and the maker's mark for Fisher, a well known producer of Sterling silver items.   Here's additional info should you want to know more: This piece is pretty typical for sterling silver candlesticks and some other types of serving items like bonbon dishes, compotes and so o...

 Gold Buddha  Today, I went for an adventure in Kensington, MD to check out antique row.  Amazing.  Very cool little area with more antiques than you can comfortably absorb in a day.  The shopkeepers were amazing and kept recommending the next shop in the row, which I have to say shows very good manners and respect for one's colleagues.  One shop was extremely enjoyable.  A cheerful young woman was working there and began to tell me the history of the shop and its owner.  As I was walking around, I had noticed the buddhas which were substantial and very attractive.  The shopkeeper explained that the owner's father had owned an auction house and had been a great collector of Asian antiques.  Although none of these beautiful relics were for sale, they were a real treat for the eye.  There was also a nice navajo squashblossom necklace (well over a thousand dollars) and an amazing small ivory buddha ($500).  Portrait of Frank L...

About ten years ago, on a weekend trip to Staunton, VA, I was browsing around in an antique shop called The Jolly Roger Haggle Shop.  On a bottom shelf, way in the back, I thought I spotted something.  It was a very old looking box and was in terrible condition.  The entire box seemed to be covered in pine sap or some other sticky, grimy substance.  Inside, the box was lined in blue silk and had an oval mirror in the lid.  I licked my thumb and rubbed it across the lid.  The lid was inlaid with small squares, and once I wiped away some grime, I immediately recognized that the inlay I had cleaned was tortoise shell.  Although it was in terrible condition, I wanted it.  No price, of course.  So, I took it up to the front counter and inquired.  "Where did you find that?"  The owner asked. "It was over there on the shelf gathering dust.  What do you want on it?"  I replied. The man said he would take $20.  I f...

All polished up. To someone who knows a great deal about sterling silver, this process will seem simple and routine, but for the novice, it can be nothing short of mystifying.  I want to lead you through the process of what sterling silver antiques you should be buying and why.  To do that, I want to show you the process of purchasing a pair of sterling candlesticks from the find to the listing on my shop. I was in a small disorganized (my favorite) antique store on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  After going through the whole shop, I spotted a pair of candlesticks.  Nearly black with patina, I picked them up for a closer look.  I could make out the stamp STERLING on the bottom.  This is crucial for modern American silver.  I see many candlesticks and seldom buy them for one of two reasons: 1.) They are too common 2.) They are overpriced. These were unique in that they were 10" tall.  That's fairly tall in the realm of...