[Jewelry making - Article 00826] - Re: [Orchid] The term Nickel silver

[Kevin]

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    Just to add a bit to what Peter said.  although the meaning is clear
    enough, trade practices (and by that I mean _retail_ trade, not the
    production side) in England and English speaking nations (and no
    doubt elsewhere) have exploited several oportunities to confuse the
    purchaser. 

    Cutlery may be described as EPNS, for electroplated nickel silver,
    which usually means that the plating is silver, even though the name
    doesn't specify silver.  All fine.  But when the letters EPNS are
    stamped along the stem of a spoon, each letter within its own shield
    shape, it's clearly intended to look somewhat like a set of
    hallmarks. 

    Then we have the term "silver plate", which refers equally to high
    value solid silver plates, dishes and trays, but also to cheaper
    wares that are silver plated. 

    Sheffield plate, or Sheffield silver, is an interesting case, in
    that it never was intended to deceive.  The silver layer is
    relatively thick, and the items were, by and large, made by "proper"
    silversmiths using traditional techniques.  Sheffield plate is now
    collected in its own right.  Strangely today it would probably be
    more expensive to use Sheffield plate than solid silver. 

    Then there's the case of "Brittania metal", some sort of low melting
    casting alloy, used especially for statuettes, clearly intended to
    be confused with Brittania grade silver. 

    Speaking of statuettes, my real pet hate of this day and age is
    "cold cast bronze", which is resin coloured to look like bronze. 
    Some of them are very good, but I'm always surprised that the term is
    tolerated. 

    Then there's the plastic pipe that's made to look like copper, and
    copper earthing strap that's mainly coloured plastic, but that's a
    whole other rant! 

Kevin  (NW England, UK)


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