Silver and A Special Relationship

What do Goldie Hawn, Joan Rivers and Barbara Walters have in common? A great sense of humour? Not sure about Barbara. Well in fact they are all American girls who at various times popped over from the US and dropped into the London Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane to do a little silver shopping. They are amongst generations of Americans who first began this special relationship with English quality silver after the war, when many GIs were still stationed here. At that time us Brits were still trying to get some rationed butter to put on our rationed bread, rather than splashing out on a shiny lifestyle. We have caught up a bit now and rather like a dash of glamorous silver about the home.

Meanwhile, also discovering the appeal of English silver is another American, the young editor of An American Girl in Chelsea, the ‘chic guide for American women in London’. She particularly likes the Silver Vaults for wedding gifts to get away from that Wedding List sameyness. And she is rather taken with some of the antique culinary silver that is in the next selling exhibition at the Vaults in The Cook’s Kitchen show, starting in October.

UNIQUE SILVER GIFTS FOR WEDDINGS

For couples getting married in 2011 here's a thought for putting a little sparkle into the wedding list. Once you've settled on the shop for the pots and pans take yourselves off to the London Silver Vaults in London's historic legal centre, Chancery Lane and dive into an Aladdin's cave of silvery things that would look just fabulous whether you are starting in a prefab or a palace.

You could set up a wedding list with one of the cutlery specialists. Then guests can buy into a clasically sleek 'English pattern' cutlery set a fork at a time. Or what about silver goblets? You can get C20th matching sets or you could ask people to put their giving towards six individual Georgian or Victorian goblets. Or choose a silver and cutglass claret jug and suggest fractional contributions until you have the whole thing.

And if there is one item where silver really scores in the home setting it is candlesticks or candelabra. Candlelight reflecting off silver is quite stunning. Vintage or modern can be found at the Silver Vaults at prices from around £180 depending on style and date.

The added attraction of vintage silver, apart from its good looks, is that every piece is unique and carries its own built-in sign of quality and authenticity through the hallmark stamps. These denote maker, date and place of creation. So extra special ways to choose a gift of silver can be to buy a picture frame for example that was made the year one of you was born or the date your parents married or your grandparents; you can of course buy new silver with this year's hallmark date stamp. And most silver items can be engraved with your initials or a wedding day message.

If you can't get to London, there are ideas galore to be had through the websites of the dealers at the London Silver Vaults.