#1 Sterling Silver Bowls Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson
The bowl is a type of dish that is designed to hold liquid and loose food. Bowls vary in many sizes. From small bowls that could be used to serve a single portion of food to large ones that are commonly used to store at least one food serving. Oftentimes, bowls get mixed up with cups and plates. Tea bowls, which are very small, are sometimes called cups, and plates with deep centers are called bowls.
In Western culture, they are more exposed to using plates and cups in dining, however, many parts of the world have the culture of using bowls in serving and eating food. They even use bowls in drinking tea, alcoholic drinks, and water which has been practiced years ago and even to this day.
The bowls that we can see nowadays are made out of different materials. They could be made of plastic, wood, ceramic, glass, metal, and many more. This kind of container has lived for thousands of years. The earliest ones were found in China, Ancient Greece, Crete, and in specific Native American cultures. Small bowls including kylices and phiales were used for libations in Ancient Greek pottery. They molded the bowls to have handles and a small dent in the center for gripping purposes.
A few of them from the Bronze Age are Mediterranian examples which have the design manifested in the elaborate and sophisticated making. Beveled rim bowls were mass-produced in Mesopotamia which became evidence of Uruk culture existing in the 4th millennium BC. in addition, in Neolithic period, many elaborately painted bowls were found from Chinese pottery.
As mentioned before, bowls come in different types and we are to focus on sterling silver bowls. Although ancient pottery bowls and ceramic bowls are highly valuable, they do not contain the in-demand material which is silver and those types are more likely seen in museums are historical relics.
Sterling silver bowls are not the type that you can easily spot on common dining places. You can often see them in luxurious hotels and restaurants. Those who possess this item at home may treat it as a family heirloom and something that they could pass on from one generation to another. Despite the fact that it is worth hundreds of dollars, older folks really see it as a family treasure that holds a special story in the family. However, younger people do not see it that way and many of them chose to sell their stashed sterling silver bowl and many more for easy cash.
If you are one of those who are looking to sell their well-preserved sterling silver items, you should educate yourself first of how things like yours run in the market. A lot of collectors can spot the item’s value with just a single look and can play you to sell it for a cheap price. A lot of sellers could fake these sterling silver bowls and can trick you to buy it for a high price. A key skill in being a buyer or seller is to how to identify authenticity.
Sterling silver and silver-plate are different. Sterling silver is made of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper-alloy, so majority of its composition is silver and you can be confident that it really contains silver. On the other hand, silver-plate is only the coating of the item. It is not silver, but it is mixed to have the same color and luster as silver. Sterling silver bowls and other sterling silver items have their stamps at the back or bottom. You should watch out for marks like “925” or “sterling”. But the common one is the “925” stamp since it is used not only in the United States but also in many countries who produce sterling silver items. The mark “925” has become a global standard when other countries entered the sterling silver making industry. Meanwhile, silver-plated items may or may not have stamps but if they do, you will likely see EPNS (Electroplated nickel or silver) or EPBM (Electroplated Britannia metal).
Aside from the stamps, you can also identify the value of your sterling silver bowls based on its history, condition, manufacturer, and desirability. As it was said, silver bowls were likely to be one of the oldest forms of silver-manufacturing there is. Even so, there are tons of makers who can display their exquisite talent through handcrafted silver bowls. Despite the fact that it’s crafted in the 21st century, it could still call for amazing prices considering its weight, quality, and maker’s mark.
There is also a rising demand for European designed sterling silver bowls, the interest on more modern designs kept up as well. Nevertheless, the antique ones you have locked away still hold great value in the collector’s market and silver market. While most of the sterling silver bowls bought are being melted and extracted for their silver content, few are kept the same to honor the history it holds.
In this kind of industry, the balance of key factors would really help in getting a high price. You have to make sure that your bowls are really sterling silver. Make sure you checked the stamp and maker’s mark. Also, check the current market value of sterling silver bowls so that you know how much to expect. It is hard to buy or sell without knowing the current trend of the item you are making the transaction for. Another thing that would hike up the price is its desirability. That includes the design of the bowl, the weight, the size, and the preservation quality. Buyers often look at the aesthetic value first, especially if they meant to display the item and not melt it. But that does not mean that the age and history of the item are less relevant. In fact, there are still people out there who go for family heirlooms and it would be best if it’s justified by photos taken from the past. Like for example, you took a family photo back in the 1970s and the bowl was captured in the background, then it can support your claim.
All in all, whether the sterling silver bowl that you have is old or new, the important thing is that you can make some fortune out of it. Lastly, remember to research first before selling or buying. Make sure it is a hundred and one percent legitimate before making any transaction.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl
https://www.silvercollection.it/hallmarks.html
https://antiquesilver.org/silver-bowls/
