You adorn your body with jewelry and your house with accessories, but what about your poor dining table? Doesn’t it deserve some of that decoration too? Sure, you’ve got a wide array of china plates and crystal glasses, but you wont really be able to show off their attributes without the complementary flatware. Typically, flatware comes in three main categories: traditional, ornate and contemporary. You’ll need to determine which category your china and crystal fall into before you go shopping for appropriate flatware. Your best bet is to stay within a particular style. If you’ve got ornate china then choose an ornate flatware set. It can work in rare cases but usually mixing styles just ends up looking confused.

Oneida Moda 65-Piece Flatware Set, Service for 12

List Price: $320.00
Buy New: $112.99
You Save: $207.01 (65%)

Moda first stands out for its strong, clean lines. Showing just a hint of detail, each blunt handle end lifts up off the table slightly, and features a curved depression framed by the square sides. Pick up a Moda piece, and the craftsmanship is evident. Each 18/10 stainless-steel piece feels weighty, smoothly polished, and well-balanced, making eating with this pattern a pleasure. Mirror-bright and dishwasher-safe, Moda flatware makes a timeless, everyday flatware choice that dignifies special occasion dining as well.

Containing 12 place settings, this set allows a dozen friends and family members to come together for an anniversary celebration or holiday feast. Each place setting consists of a dinner knife, dinner fork, salad fork, soup spoon, and teaspoon. Also included in the 65-piece set is a five-piece hostess set, consisting of two serving spoons, one of which is pierced; a cold meat fork; pointed butter knife/cheese spreader; and squared spoon for sugar or jam. Oneida tucks in a wooden drawer caddy to hold the set, and covers the flatware with a full 25-year warranty. Moreover, not only is a registered Oneida flatware pattern available for a lifetime, the pattern name is backstamped on each Oneida teaspoon. That means years from now, should you or your heirs forget the name, the pattern can be easily recognized and reordered. –Ann Bieri

What’s in the Box
12 place settings and 1 hostess set. Each place setting consists of: dinner knife; dinner fork; salad fork; soup spoon; teaspoon. The 5-piece hostess set consists of: serving spoon; pierced serving spoon; cold meat fork; butter knife; sugar spoon. 65 pieces total. Wooden caddy also included.

Most families have at least two sets of flatware; one for everyday use, and one for formal occasions. Your best choice for everyday dining is stainless steel, as it retains its shine for many years of daily use. This is due to a mixture of steel, nickel and chromium, which gives stainless steel flatware its very durable finish.

However, nothing says elegance and formality quite like a sterling silver flatware set. Sterling silver is almost pure silver and must carry the word sterling stamped on the back to guarantee authenticity. It must contain approximately 92.5% pure silver with 7.5% of an alloy for strength. Sterling silver flatware is, of course, much more expensive than stainless steel flatware, but it is well worth the price.

Both stainless steel flatware and sterling silver flatware will require some care to retain their shine. Stainless steel items can be washed either by hand or in a dishwasher, but should immediately be dried. Sterling silver flatware, on the other hand, should always be hand washed in warm, soapy water, rinsed in clear, hot water and dried immediately to prevent the occurrence of water spots. Furthermore, stainless steel and sterling silver flatware should never be left in direct contact as this can damage the silver.

Whether you choose to go with a stainless steel or sterling silver flatware set, you should always remember that the key element of your collection is the four-piece place setting. This includes the place fork, place knife, salad fork and teaspoon. Of course, you’ll want some other pieces as well, but these are your foundation flatware pieces so you should fully investigate the look and feel of each set. And, don’t be afraid to use your flatware. Thats what its there for; even if it is that pricey sterling silver flatware set you’ve had your eye on for ages.

Jim Grayson makes a living in the field of research. If you have found this article useful, visit his specialist resource sites, http://www.sterling-silver-flatware.info and http://www.stainless-steel-flatware.info. For more general information on this topic and others, visit http://www.discount-flatware.info.

(ARA) - Whatever happened to the silver table service items you received for your wedding? The silver bowls, platters, serviceware and flatware are probably sitting in the china cabinet becoming tarnished because who has time to polish silver? And no one actually uses them, do they?

They do and you can, too. It’s nice to bring out a pretty silver serving tray to brighten a party table. Popular silver gifts that don’t end up in the cabinet like picture frames, candlesticks and even your silver jewelry are items you’d like to use, too, and you’d like them to be as clean and sparkly as when you got them.

Tuttle la Preference Sterling Pantheon 46-Piece Continental-Size Flatware Set, Service for 8
Buy New: $6,000.00 (On sale from $8,200.00)
You Save: $2200.00 (27%)

Features:
• 46-piece flatware set, 8 place settings, 5 serving pieces
• 8 each: dinner fork; salad fork; soupspoon; knife; teaspoon
• Serving set: butter knife; sugar spoon; serving fork; 2 serving spoons; ladle
• Sterling silver; made in USA
• Lifetime warranty for generations of service

Here are some tips for using and caring for your silver items:

* Remove candle wax — Simply run hot water over the waxy area. The softened wax should be easy to pry off with a finger — never a sharp object.

* Wash and dry — Wash the item by hand with warm water and a gentle dishwashing soap, but don’t soak the silver for any length of time. Rinse the piece well and dry immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth.

* Prepare for removing tarnish — Wear plastic gloves rather than rubber (rubber can react adversely with the silver and cause discoloration). Use a soft cotton cloth or sponge to work the silver cleaner over the piece, following the cleaner’s directions.

* Polish or cleaner — Whether you choose cleaner or polish, it’s a personal preference and for many, time is of the essence. There is one solution — Tarn-X tarnish remover — that quickly and easily removes tarnish with no rubbing or scrubbing.

Tarn-X removes tarnish from sterling silver, silver plate, platinum, copper, gold and cleans diamonds. It’s a tarnish remover that’s been trusted with fine silver products for 40 years. Simply wipe it on and rinse off with cold water. Dry it with a soft cloth, and that’s it!

* Cleaning jewelry — Dip it, rinse and dry. Suddenly your jewelry looks like new and you can wear it again.

“My jewelry box is full of silver jewelry that I bought 20 years ago and considered getting rid of because I never wear it anymore,” says Miriam Lambertz, of Minneapolis, Minn. “I used Tarn-X on a very special bracelet that I can wear again now, and it only took a minute to come clean.”

Wear your old silver jewelry proudly with your new jewelry. When fine jewelry and diamonds need cleaning, it won’t be a big, time consuming project. You can clean your jewelry while you’re getting ready to go out, and your jewelry will look as fresh as you do.

Remember these other tips for silver service care:

* Display safely — A glass-enclosed cabinet works well. Camphor blocks can be added to the cabinet to help prevent tarnish, without actually touching the silver. Find them where new silver pieces are sold. If the silver you inherited from your grandparents is tucked away, now you can display it because cleaning with Tarn-X is so easy.

* Using silver — Certain foods with a high acidic content will stain and pit fine silver. Use a plastic liner to protect the finish.

* Store safely — Wrap each piece with acid-free buffered tissue, or washed cotton, linen, or polyester or specially made silver cloths. Do not use wool, felt, chamois leather or newspaper, which can cause excessive tarnishing.

For more information about Tarn-X and other fine silver care products, visit www.jelmar.com. As with any Jelmar product, they offer a full money back guarantee.

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