Danmark sterling silver spoon marking

Discussion in 'Silver' started by Sidla, Oct 26, 2023.

  1. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member


    Have to say, after almost half a century of collecting, selling, and researching silver, flatware in particular (have a fairly extensive library, as well as thousands of period ads, catalogs, etc.), can't recall seeing manufacturers of silver tableware offering rhodium plated goods, though there may have been a few who dabbled with it early on in its use. While it was certainly done after market from the mid '30s ('Rhodanizing'), given the tendency for rhodium plating to wear, sometimes with chipping and peeling, in addition to the additional expense, wasting it on silver tableware, whether flatware or holloware, which typically incurs somewhat heavy usage, was and is pretty unlikely for the makers - and the bright shine not always desirable, also preventing the intentional oxidation for effect done on so much silver tableware. It was very much done on both silver and white gold jewelry from the 1930s on - and just as a note, for those who use 'magnet tests', probably shouldn't toss marked mid-20th century sterling jewelry as fake because it's magnetic, rhodium plating was (and often still is) typically underplated with nickel which is ferromagnetic, charms and light chains can often have a fairly strong pull...

    ~Cheryl
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2023
  2. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It is terrible, looks very harsh. And it also disguises the true colour of the silver or gold.
     
  3. the blacksmith

    the blacksmith Well-Known Member

    Quite true, but some magpies like that very shiny finish. They often equate shiny with quality. I dont necessarily like it personally, but there you go........
     
  4. Sidla

    Sidla New Member

     
    DragonflyWink and Any Jewelry like this.
  5. Sidla

    Sidla New Member

    Whew that is the mark I have been searching for thank you all so kindly for the spoon help.
     
  6. Sidla

    Sidla New Member

    Thank you so very much for kind reply and help.
     
  7. Sidla

    Sidla New Member

    My spoon has been a mystery and I have spent hours trying to reduce JPEG size on my 6th generation ipad so could send proper silver marking and still have not figured it out but amazing participants including yourself have come to the rescue so thank you one and all. This forum is the best.
     
  8. Sidla

    Sidla New Member

    Any Jewelry and komokwa like this.
  9. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member


    This is a mid 20th century cameo demi-parure that I've owned for around 45 years, it was always shiny with unremovable dark pits in the finish, finally my jeweler told me it was as marked, 14K gold, but yellow gold plated with rhodium, and under strong magnification those dark spots reveal the gold. With the cameos, removable of the rhodium plating wasn't really a possibility, so while still attractive enough to wear, those spots on the bit too reflective surface just kind of irk me:

    cameo-set-rhodium-plated-14k-yellow.jpg


    I did some research on rhodium plating years ago, and again, though it might have been done after-market many decades ago, or possibly used by a few small jobbers, it was not an industry norm, and was/is not "very often" or commonly used on silver tableware because it's unsuitable, impractical, and not cost-effective.

    Excerpts from a 1940 metals trade publication (apologies for the image quality):


    rhodium-plating-1940-Metals-and-Alloys-4 (1).jpg

    rhodium-plating-1940-Metals-and-Alloys-3 (1).jpg


    ~Cheryl
     
  10. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member

    Glad I could ID it for you - Hansen & Andersen was a quality maker.


    Welcome to the forums - there's a wide range of both knowledge and kindness here...


    ~Cheryl
     
  11. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    And you..... Cheryl......personify that !!!!:happy::kiss::kiss:
     
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