Silver Curios

Collectors of fine items have a special place in their hearts for silver curios. Curios, or curiosities, are often items that have no specific purpose today and often had a frivolous purpose originally. Antique silver curios grace many cabinets and shelves, and many owners wonder exactly what the true function of some of these pieces might once have been.

Antique Silver 

The peak of sterling silver usage in curios was in the Victorian times. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the Victorian age made silver flatware and curios essential to a well-bred life. Dinners used hundreds of pieces of sterling silver flatware, and many other items were made of silver for functionality or a demonstration of good taste and wealth.

Many antique silver items survived the ages and are still used or displayed today. Of course there is not a great need for calling card holders in the twenty-first century, but these pieces are often used for decoration and conversation starters. Many are considered extremely valuable depending on the size, condition, rarity and other related factors.

Following the flatware craze, silver was used for any number of items. Baby items were made from silver and carved or engraved. It was perfectly natural for a baby in a wealthy family to drink from a sterling silver cup and eat with a silver spoon. This is also where the phrase indicating wealth "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" originated.

These curios were intensely popular for decades, but began to fade with the beginning of World War II. With the coming of the war, quality craftsmen became more difficult to find and their work was more valuable. This drove up prices on crafted silver items, such as curios, and in turn diminished the appeal of the items.

Silver Curiosities

Some curios are still created today, but the most valuable and interesting came from earlier periods where these pieces were actually used in their somewhat strange (at least in modern times) capacities. Silver curios include items such as cane handles, perfumers, glove stretchers, skirt lifters, cigar cutters, mustache combs, thimbles, baby rattles, medicine spoons, egg cups and much more.

Modern curio shops sell items such as picture frames and jewelry boxes. These items can be engraved and are often given at formal events such as graduations and weddings. Champagne flutes or a cake knife and server are common wedding presents as music boxes and figures are given for other events and seasons.

Silver curios are excellent collectibles, and many homes have small items collected from antique shops and estate sales. Older pieces in excellent condition are considered more valuable, and if the item was handcrafted and rare, it can fetch a considerable amount if sold. Modern curios are not as valuable as antique silver, but they can still be considered of worth and potentially even a small form of investment in your home as a decoration and in your portfolio as a steady source of growth.