Jewelry for your Tabletop

Discover the lasting beauty of fine antique table silver

- Lidy Baars

Your table is a creative canvas where you can display the silver treasures you’ve gathered over the years, especially in the fall, with its intimate dinner parties and holiday feasts.

The tradition of fine dining is once again au courant, and there’s never been a better time for those of us who appreciate a beautifully set table.

HISTORY

Silver, sterling or plate, closely associated with elegant dinner table settings, has a history that goes further back than the gleaming silver we remember from our childhood holiday table. In fact, the tradition of sitting down for an enjoyable meal with family and friends dates back as far as civilization, but dining tables were not set with silver until the early 19th century. During the Renaissance, knives were the primary utensils used during meals, along with a wooden spoon. Forks were introduced as early as the 11th century, but were extremely controversial, scandalous and considered heretical, not gaining widespread favor in Europe until well into the 18th century.