Weight of a Sterling Silverware Place Setting

Sterling silver place settings make an occasion feel special.

Among the dozens of sterling silver forks available in a variety of patterns, you'll find the berry fork, the corn fork and the snail fork. Sterling silver knives and spoons also come in a large array of shapes and sizes, but the typical five-piece place setting consists of a salad fork, dinner fork, soup spoon, dessert spoon and a dinner knife.

Silver Alloy

As an alloy, sterling silver must contain at least 92.5 percent silver, explains the Silver Superstore website. Pure silver proves too soft for flatware or anything with a functional use, so manufacturers usually add copper to the alloy because of its strength. Other metals used less often include germanium, zinc and platinum.

Silver Pattern

You can find sterling silver place settings in thousands of decorative patterns, from the very plain to extremely ornate. Some designs use much more silver, which adds significantly to the weight of a place setting.

Hollow Handle

A knife's status -- solid silver or with a hollow handle -- affects its weight. Most silver flatware manufacturers now utilize the hollow handle technique, reports the Silver Superstore, inserting a stainless steel blade into the hollow handle and holding it in place with an epoxy. A hollow-handled knife can feature a sharper and better blade for cutting, as stainless steel boasts more strength than sterling silver despite its lighter weight.

References

• SilverSuperstore.com: Introduction to Sterling Silver Flatware
• SterlingFlatwareFashions.com: Flatware Patterns