How to Care for Antique Silver

Russian silver antiques New York is delicate, malleable, and easy to tarnish. With these characteristics, you must consistently pay a close attention and take care of the silver items to ensure they survive long and their value is intact.

This blog will help you get valuable tips to ensure your priceless silver possessions are always glowing.

Use a Gentle Polish

First, you need to go for a gentle polish in the market. This polish must be made for silver and not a general metal polish.

Do it When Necessary

Polishing is good but should only be done when it is absolutely necessary. The negative part of this process is that polish takes some parts of the metal which eventually reduces the value of the silver. This especially happens when the item is plated which exposes the base metals.

Store Appropriately

You will need a case or a bag that is tarnish-proof to store your silver antique items. When you use these you will prevent the need for polishing.

Immediate Wash After Use

Acids actively cause corrosion of your vessels. They can get in touch with your silver antiques after you have eaten eggs or acidic foods. To avoid this, make sure you clean immediately after use and dry them for storage.

Use Your Non-Archaic and Practical Piece

The reasons you have decided to go into the silver antique collection is to enjoy your items (an unconventional pleasure).

Use them to reduce the need for polishing. Meaning that your Russian silver Faberge New York will not just sit on the shelves - instead, it will be frequently washed after use.

Avoid Exposing Them to Hash Environment

Exposing your items to conditions where they can be scratched, broken or corroded should be avoided by all means. You should be cautious especially when washing, storing and moving them.

What Type of Silver Antiques Should You Collect?

Collecting silver is a fun task but you must consider that there are several types of antique silver available. Silver is a soft metal and yet very useful and valuable. We present here information about the available types of silver to help better your collection.

Fine Silver (Pure Silver)

This silver contains 99.9% of silver with 0.1% impurities. Fine silver is very sleek and has no much use except for silver investments and bullion bars.

Sterling Silver

This one contains 92.5% of silver with the remaining percentage comprising other metals like copper. Because of this, sterling silver is capable of holding a particular shape for as long as allowed to if care is taken.

This is evident from the available 19th-century items which are still clearly marked with the name ‘sterling’ or the figure ‘925’ on them to-date which makes them the most sought-after silver by Russian silver antiques collectors New York.

Silverplate Silver

When we call an item silver-plated we mean it is covered by a layer of silver. The base material in most cases is nickel. The exterior of such items is usually written “silverplate” to indicate what they are.

Sheffield Plate Silver

This is a mixture of copper and silver layers. They are specifically used to bring down the cost of sterling silver appliances.

Unmarked Silver

As the name suggests, these are not marked. Chances are they are silver plated but we need not assume. Use the following instructions to be sure:

• Dip the item in hot water

• After some minutes, check the temperature

• Then after a minute check the temperature again

• If the item is sterling silver, it will remain very hot for a while. On the flipside, a plated item will cool much quickly or will not attain the water temperature. Russian antiques for sale are usually marked but you still need to be cautious.

3 Notable Qualities of a Successful Antique Dealer

If antique collection is your hobby, chances are finding a reliable antique dealer in your area is pretty important to you. The number of antique stores around the country has been increasing day after day, which makes it hard for the customer to pinpoint the right person who offers a good experience for Shoppers. When you are looking for Russian antique dealers in New York, make note of the following three qualities:

Great experience

An antique dealer will be successful by earning experience. Established and reputable antique dealers will have several years of experience in collecting the most authentic antique pieces from the right source. So if you are looking to buy a valuable antique, always look for the person who has experience and knowledge in the same.

Customized service:

If you are interested in buying a certain type of antique, a dealer would be highly committed to help you with that. Customer service is of prime importance to them, and they will do whatever it takes to offer you a pleasant experience. Search for dealers who will offer customized service to fulfill your requirement.

Availability of specialty collections:

Recognized antique dealers will make it a point to collect specialty pieces.  They search and procure valuable and unique items such as jewelry, fine art work, music boxes and more that are offered to their customers. They will also be heavily interested in collecting rarities provided by sellers.

Having good knowledge of the market and experience in antique business will set a successful antique dealer apart from the crowd. Start researching your area and find the best store offering great Inventory of Russian silver antiques in New York at the best rates.

How to Clean and Care for Russian Silver Antiques

Russian silver antiques in New York are the very precious and beautiful collectibles that can add a touch of elegance to any space. These beautiful collectibles also tarnish, scratch and stain easily since they are very soft and fragile. Many avid antique collectors find it difficult to clean their antiques due to the fear of damaging them.  

Many Russian antique dealers in New York stress on regular and gentle dusting rather than infrequent, over-zealous cleaning. 'Harring' with your breath and rubbing with a clean cloth is sufficient if the item is too tarnished. This action can remove dust and minor marks such as light fingerprints. For better results, you can also use a clean, cotton cloth or feather duster.

Invest in specialized cleaning cloths specifically designed for cleaning antiques and storage bags to protect your treasured item and reduce tarnishing.

Cleaning Antique Silver Flatware

Using silver flatware regularly shows less tarnish, and they develop ‘patina’ slowly. This patina is known only to enhance the beauty of the antique piece. If you are using antique flatware regularly, be sure to clean them right after the usage especially after contact with any acidic or corrosive foods.

Also, make sure that you don’t soak antique silver flatware overnight because extended immersion can damage the metal. Wash flatware using hot water and clean crevices with the use of an old toothbrush for better results. Also, avoid putting stainless steel and silver antiques in the same basket because the direct contact between these materials can cause severe damage to the silver antiques. Use a soft cotton cloth to dry the flatware and avoid spotting on the pieces.Now, put these tips to good use when cleaning your antique silver flatware bought from Russian silver antique store in New York to achieve the desired results. 

Expert Tips and Tricks to Buy Antiques

To buy antiques, you don’t have to be an experienced antique dealer. If you know what you are looking for and use the right approaches, you can find great bargains easily. From online internet auctions to local auction houses, the buyers have a multitude of ways to buy antiques. Here we have listed a few tips and tricks to buy antiques from a Russian silver antique store in New York like a pro.

• The golden rule while buying antiques is “Only buy things you like.” Buying the antiques. There is nothing worse than having an antique on your shelf that does not hold your interest. Buying an antique that is out of your interest means that you are not going to invest your time in discovering any hidden qualities.
• Buying antiques from local county showground or exhibition hall is expensive compared to buying from local antique dealers.
• The best antique one should invest in are antiques you like, the one you wish to keep for a life-term, or antiques that are in vogue or fashionable.
• No matter where your buy antiques from, always ask for discounts. Some professional dealers mark discount codes on the item and this will tell them exactly how low they can go.
• Avoid offering cash in advance before buying antiques. Pay only after agreeing on a price for paying by cheque or credit card.
• Whether you are paying by cash or credit card, always get a receipt and make sure it lists the items age, the material, any damage or restoration and its value.

The Bottom Line

Before deciding on to buy antiques, Increase your knowledge about auction procedures and become an auction bargain hunter. So, you can end up in buying the right item at the right price from reputable Russian antique dealers in New York.