How much silver is in plate flatware?

The amount of silver in plated flatware can vary depending on the manufacturer and the quality of the plating. Most plated flatware is made of a base metal, such as stainless steel or brass, and then coated with a thin layer of silver. The thickness of the silver plating can range from a few microns to several hundred microns. The higher the quality of the plating, the thicker the silver layer will be.

Some high-quality plated flatware may also be marked with a stamp or hallmark that indicates the silver content. This stamp will typically show the fineness of the silver, which is expressed in parts per thousand. For example, a hallmark of "925" means that the flatware is made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals.

Lower quality silver plated flatware might contain as little as 1% silver.

Generally speaking, the more silver there is in plated flatware, the more valuable it will be. Silver-plated flatware can be a beautiful and affordable alternative to sterling silver, but it is important to choose high-quality flatware to ensure that it will last for many years.