The Silver Antiques Insider

Happy Thanksgiving From Nelson And Nelson

At Nelson and Nelson, we're grateful for so many things: our families, our customers, and much, much more--including the fact that we get to spend our work days surrounded by spectacularly beautiful objects of art!

20th century figural silver toothpick holder. For more information, click here. 

To celebrate the season, Nelson and Nelson is happy to announce our Holiday Sale, with 30% off every item over $10,000, and 25% off all items under $10,000. It's a wonderful time to buy that special gift for the special someone on your list! To make shopping even easier, we will also be open the first three Saturdays of December (the 3rd, 10th, and 17th). 

From our family to yours, warmest wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Celebrate Thanksgiving With Beautiful Antique Sterling Silver

It may be hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is only a week away, and the more industrious of us are already unpacking the china and polishing the silver for the festive meal. If you need a little inspiration for your Thanksgiving table, Nelson and Nelson is happy to showcase some of the wonderful antique silver items we sell.

Call your guests to the table with this charming 20th century ornate Italian sterling silver dinner bell decorated with shell and scroll work and stylized lattice plaques in an acid-etched design. The handle is formed from figural acanthus leaves and the flared base is of a classic gadroon design. It is fully hallmarked with a nice patina and is in excellent condition. For more information, click here.

There's nothing more beautiful than a stunning centerpiece with abundant seasonal flowers and fruits to grace your Thanksgiving table. This spectacular Gorham Martele centerpiece was completed in Providence, RI on June 20, 1907. It is decorated with numerous flowers and with stylized foliage, and, like all Martele pieces, is entirely handmade and chased. The underside of the base is engraved with the monogram “BG” in script and is dated Dec. 2, 1908.  Well documented in L.J. Pristo’s book on Martele, this centerpiece is a collector’s dream! For more information, click here.

Don't forget the small touches that complete the ambiance of a holiday gathering, like this American sterling silver wine coaster decorated with a raised repousse motif of intricate scroll work and flowers. The coaster was made by Mauser Manufacturing Corporation of New York circa 1900 and is fully hallmarked and in excellent condition. For more information, click here.

Beautiful Antique Silver From...China?

For more than three decades, Nelson and Nelson has been known for our fine offerings of European and American antique silver and sterling silver. But did you know that we also carry a select assortment of Chinese silver? 

This article from PBS' Antique Roadshow gives a nice overview of the history of Chinese silver manufacture from the 18th to 20th centuries:

For collectors, the word "silver" might bring to mind an English tea set or a Continental soup tureen or maybe a patriotic silver tankard by Paul Revere. Less familiar to collectors is a world of silver that is not Western, but Chinese. Chinese export silver was made for Western tourists in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring designs that include Chinese dragons rather than Western motifs such as goats and grapes.

If you're looking for a beautiful piece of antique silver, but want something that's different from what traditional Western styles have to offer, we encourage you to explore our antique Chinese silver offerings. 

Elegant and timeless, this antique Chinese Export silver box was made by the prolific silversmith Wang Hing circa 1890. The hinged lid is applied with a cast, repousse and chased profusion of chrysanthemum flowers. The underside of the base is hallmarked WH90 and Chinese character mark. The box is of heavy gauge silver and is in excellent condition. For more information, click here. 

This excellent quality Chinese silver figural dragon bowl, circa 1900, features a dragon decoration that is fully pushed out from the bowl with the figural whiskers applied on the nose. The whole bowl has a stippled finish, and the top rim is highlighted with a decoration of clouds. The inside is accented with a light gold wash, and the bottom is hallmarked with Tuck Chang and Chinese character mark. This bowl is very heavy at 32 troy ounces! For more information, click here.

Antique Jewelry As Gifts Of Modern Style

Many people discount the idea of antique jewelry as a forward-thinking gift because they think of vintage gems as overly frou-frou or fusty, like a debutante's tiara or the tired brooch that Aunt Ivy's been donning every Thanksgiving for the last four decades. Which is why here at Nelson and Nelson we'd like to bring your attention to some dazzling recent acquisitions in our antique jewelry department. They're decidedly modern head-turners for this holiday season!

This gorgeous antique Victorian 15-karat gold and semi-precious stone set bracelet was made circa 1880 and features nine hinged gold plaques that are beautifully designed to frame semi-precious stones, including two pink topazes, two citrines, two amethysts, two aquamarines and one garnet. The bracelet is in very good condition with an indecipherable hallmark on one section of the bracelet next to the clasp. For more information, click here. 

This striking French 18-karat yellow gold and citrine necklace is a beautiful example of jewelry made in the "Archeological Revival" or "Etruscan" style circa 1870, with graduated gold pendants alternating with collet-set citrines. The tongue of the clasp is hallmarked with the maker’s mark “MB” in a lozenge along with the French 18-karat gold mark. For more information, click here.