Hello Silver Collector Forums, this is my first post here, and I am looking for advice on whether to pursue restoration of what I believe to be a set of flatware for fish and/or fruit for six.
The set is hallmarked for Thomas Sansom 1846, Sheffield, and it appears the collars, knife blades and fork prongs are made entirely of sterling silver (some similar sets only have sterling collars), and weighs in at 449 g.
The main issue with this set is that the knife and forks have separated from their mother of pearl handles (due to being exposed to high temperatures?).
It seems a shame to leave this beautiful set in such poor condition, but seeing as it is not likely to be used frequently, I would not want to invest a large sum in restoring this set if it would not see a corresponding increase in value.
Can anybody provide insight on the economics of restoring such a set?
Depending on the material which is filling the handles this should be a fairly simple repair and may just require the handles to be heated to remelt the pitch or resin; then when it sets it should re-fix the handles. However it’s probably a job best left to someone who knows exactly what they are doing so my advice would be to find a friendly antique dealer to ask their advice.
