Silverplate Giftware

Silverplate is a term for metal products made from a base metal that has been coated - actually, electroplated - with a thin layer of silver. There are no specific legally-mandated quality standards for silverplated products, which can be made from a variety of base metals and thicknesses of silver. Heavier thicknesses of silver enhance wearability over time. Silverplate will tarnish much like sterling, and the care of silverplated products is similar to care for sterling silver. Silverplated products can be magnificent, but do not have the intrinsic value of solid silver items, which by definition are made entirely from precious metal.