Your options for flatware are almost endless - everything from stainless steel to silver. Silver can be an elegant element of a beautiful table setting.

Flatware Translation

• Sterling is made of at least 925 parts silver and is often found in both eating and serving utensils.
• Silver Plate is a dishwasher-safe, less-expensive alternative to sterling that will last almost as long. A layer of 100% silver coats another metal.
• Stainless Steel is the most common everyday flatware because it doesn't rust, tarnish, chip or wear out. The best grades are 18/8 and 18/10.
• Vermeil or Gold Electroplate have a decorative, thin layer of gold applied to a metal alloy, stainless steel or sterling.

Flatware Selection
Flatware is available in four basic patterns:

Reed & Barton Affinity Click here to enlarge photo	Plain flatware has a rounded, pleasant appearance. It can be paired with simple white china for a modern look, or it can be matched with most ornate china.
Wallace Grande Baroque Click here to enlarge photo	Floral flatware has embellishment and detail. Floral is for you if you're a romantic at heart.
Kirk Steiff Eternal Click here to enlarge photo	Banded flatware contains an etched band around the edges of its handles and is the likely complement for banded china. If formal and elegant entertaining is in your future, consider banded flatware.
Cambridge Lighthouse Click here to enlarge photo	Angular flatware is basic and streamlined, which makes it perfect for modern settings. It can go from casual to formal in a snap.

Which Pieces
Most flatware settings include five pieces:

• dinner knife
• dinner fork
• salad fork
• tablespoon
• teaspoon

Hostess sets have serving utensils to match, and are available in either four- or five-piece sets. The four-piece set often includes:

• large serving spoon
• pierced serving spoon
• sugar spoon
• butter knife

The five-piece set will generally add a meat fork.

Keeping It Clean

• Wash your Sterling flatware by hand in hot, sudsy water, followed by a hot rinse.
• Silver Plate and Stainless Steel are machine-washable, but be sure to separate them in the dishwasher basket.

To prevent your Sterling Silver and Silver Plate from oxidizing or tarnishing, polish it at least once a year. Remember that the more often you use your silverware, the less it will tarnish. You can buy various sprays, liquids and pastes, or create your own paste by mixing baking soda and water.

Use a soft cotton or flannel cloth, stroking up and down so the patina stays in one direction. Wash the piece in warm water with a mild soap and a soft sponge. Don't use "dip" polishes since the chemicals can leave a white residue.

Store Sterling Silver and Silver Plate flatware in felt rolls in a silver chest with slotted insets (or a tightly closed drawer) lined with felt linen to prevent scratching, denting and tarnishing.

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