A brief history of Sterling

A common misconception is that sterling silver originated in England in the 17^th Century. In fact, the process of blending pure silver with copper  dates well before that, with examples found dating back to the 12^th Century.

The reason for the misconception though, may be attributed to the creation of Sheffield plate, which did arise in Sheffield England , in 1743.  Sheffield plate was a layer of copper, upon which a layer of silver was placed. The end result was a product that looked liked sterling silver, but was created for a fraction of the cost.

Further confusing the issue, Sheffield  was also where most sterling silver was manufactured in the same period, and it was a period where silver products were in very high demand. Nearly every family originating from England in that period has at least one piece of sterling or Sheffield silver which has been passed down through the generations, but it is quite rare to see a sterling silver piece surviving that dates from an earlier period.