Silver-related Ads - Refresh screen or scroll down right sidebar for more choices

Friday, March 20, 2009

Removing Monograms from Sterling

Is it possible to remove monograms from sterling pieces? Yes, but we have not done this and don't plan on doing so.

As far as we know, there are two methods of removing monograms or other engraved content.
  1. Buffing or filing the piece down to a point below the level of the engraving
  2. Filling in the engraved portion with melted silver alloy

The first method is probably performed more often but has these disadvantages:

  • The buffed area will now be much shinier than the rest of the piece because the patina acquired over the years will be gone
  • The buffed area will be deformed

The second method sounds less intrusive but actually may be worse because there may be color differences and heavy buffing is still required.

We prefer to treat a monogram as part of the history of the piece. If it's offensive to you, then don't buy the piece! We have a sterling coffee/tea service set we bought at an auction many years ago. It has a beautiful "A" engraved on each piece. We pretend it once belonged to the Astor family!

By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "View My Complete Profile" in the right column.

No comments: