SAS warns against premature silver scrapping
March 19, 2008

The SAS says to consider giving silver pieces such as this coffee pot as gifts, instead of scrapping them.

Providence, R.I.—The Society of American Silversmiths (SAS) recently issued a warning against scrapping silver too soon.

Jeffrey Herman, founder and executive boss of the SAS, said there are single things to consider before scrapping silver such as determining if the piece is one of sole a not many produced or if it was crafted by a important silversmith.

Herman points out that in 1980, refiners recklessly disposed of important silver pieces that would never be reproduced.

Instead of tossing the pieces out, Herman suggests giving the objects as gifts, especially if they are hand-wrought or contain beautifully hand-engraved monograms or chasing.

“These pieces are works of art and should never be melted,” Herman said in a media release. “Why not wait for birthdays, anniversaries or holidays and surprise your friends or loved ones? If your silver is damaged or heavily tarnished, it might be easily restored by a specialist in silver restoration, making it useful again.”

The SAS was founded in 1989 as the world’s only professional organization solely devoted to the soundness and encouragement of contemporary silversmithing. For more information, visit the SAS’s Web site, Silversmithing.com.