What Is It? What Is It Worth? Silver

What are these silver collectibles worth? Country Living's experts identify and evaluate your collectibles and antiques.

Silver Sweetmeat Baskets

What is it?
The dessert table of the 18th and 19th centuries was a sight to behold. Elaborate displays of colorful cakes, fresh fruit, and succulent sweetmeats showcased the wealth and taste of the master and mistress of the house. Befitting the formality of the scene, finely crafted silver baskets large enough to accommodate fruit and cakes were positioned around the table; smaller baskets -- none standing much taller than six inches -- held bite-size sweetmeats. It is the latter category that has caught the eye of antiques collectors in recent years, in part because the scale is so appealing and the range of patterns so vast.

"There are ornate designs and very simple ones," confirms Dr. Peter Kassai, owner of R & P Kassai, LLC, a New York City shop specializing in antique silver. "Some people fall in love with a single beautiful piece while others try to find as many different styles as they can."

According to decorative-arts historian Ellenor Alcorn, a consulting curator for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in Richmond, sweetmeat baskets were often made in pairs (to be placed at either end of a table) or in sets of four or six (to be suspended from the arms of an elegant epergne). Few matching sets remain intact. "Many of the baskets that turn up on the market have been separated from the epergne or from their other half," Alcorn says.

What is it worth?
The majority of sweetmeat baskets found on the market today date from the late 1700s through the early 1900s. Expect to pay $200 to $400 for partially machine-made Victorian designs and $1,000 to $3,000 for handwrought examples from the 18th century. In addition to age and craftsmanship, condition influences value. "These are lightweight wares, so small dents and signs of over-polishing are common," reports Leslie O'Neill, a specialist with S. J. Shrubsole, a source for 18th-century silver in New York City. Although traditional sweetmeats are rare in modern-day households, the baskets made to hold them can still function as they were originally intended, as candy dishes on a dessert table. Displayed alone or in a group, antique sweetmeat baskets are themselves a sight to behold.
Baskets Courtesty of S. J. Shrubsole and R & P Kassai

Vintage Charms

"Various American companies produced sterling-silver charms from the 1950s through the 1960s — among them, Wells Sterling and Beau Sterling. Charms were sold individually, but they reflected broader themes, such as states of the Union and holidays, with Valentine's Day always being one of the most popular for charms (as seen above). No matter what the theme, though, every charm has a special meaning for its owner, so much so that people build a collection to signify key moments and events in their life, much like a scrapbook. Typically, people attach a collection of charms to a bracelet or string just one on a chain. As a collectible, vintage charms not only remain affordable but are also highly personal mementos.

Valued at: $35 to $100+

Burcu Avsar

Sterling-Silver Cigar Lighter

My sterling-silver cigar lighter (6"W) is marked VAN BUREN. I am curious to know more about my lighter.


These lighters, also known as vesta cases, were fashionable from 1880 to 1920. They were made in a variety of forms and materials. Van Buren is either a retailer or an unknown manufacturer. The name is not listed in Dorothy T. Rainwater's Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers (no longer in print). The case features a dragon's head finial, which is desirable to cigar collectors.

Valued at: $600

Antique Silver Ring Boxes

A gleaming collection of early-20th-century English ring boxes illustrates the various motifs, hand-engravings, and shapes produced for the market.

What is it?
From the late 1880s through the early 1950s, various manufacturers in England and the United States produced sterling-silver ring boxes for many high-end jewelry retailers in the United States and Canada, including Birks and Tiffany & Co. In 1906, Birks started a special wedding and engagement ring premium, where they produced 22 different styles of boxes that changed every five years. The style of box reflected the price level of the ring and the year it was purchased. Each box was personalized with the initials or name of the recipient. "If a box isn't monogrammed on the top of the box, it was probably a spontaneous purchase for a birthday, spur-of-the-moment engagement, or Valentine's Day," says Elda Woolliams, a Vancouver collector. Most jewelry establishments of the day that dealt in silver would have a hand-engraver on the premises.

Today, ring boxes are coveted by collectors who appreciate their aesthetic appeal and craftsmanship. "It's so impressive to see the detail and work that went into making a box that was once just a giveaway," says Arkansas collector Courtney Hildebrand, whose collection is featured on these pages. Collectors try to find one of each style to complete their collections. "Birks is one of the only shops that cataloged their boxes, so it's easier to find out which styles you're missing." Finding them is a challenge, but Hildebrand scours flea markets and the Internet.

What is it worth?
Prices can range from $100 to $1,000. Adds Woolliams, "I just love them because they are things of beauty."
Wendell T. Webber

Hotel Silver

At your service: Silver-plated wares once used in hotels both grand and humble are attracting collectors.

Scour flea markets for smaller items such as miscellaneous utensils, sugar bowls, and ice-cream dishes. Domed servers, samovars, and other large pieces are more likely to be found in antiques shops or through dealers specializing in this material.

Hotel silver ranges in price from about $2 to $25 at a flea market, and up to $50 to $300 through a specialty source. Value depends greatly on size, age, and rarity of design (teapots are common, ice buckets rare). Pieces inscribed with a hotel's name are prized; the more prestigious the hotel, the greater the demand.

In addition to Lynn Goldfinger-Abram's site, parishotelboutique.com, try tias.com, rubylane.com, and eBay. Exercise caution when buying unmarked pieces described as hotel silver. If a hotel's name or insignia is missing, review the seller's return policy before making a purchase.

The popularity of hotel silver has spawned lines of respectful reproductions by such firms as Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma -- everything from flatware to serving pieces. Once you're familiar with the real thing, the shiny, nick-free surfaces of the newer items become easy to spot.
Charles Schiller
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