Not only is gold plated flatware lovely to look at, this type of material is also a true investment. There are a couple of ways to select the best gold plated flatware, beginning with material type. While some sets of flatware only include gold embellishments, other sets are completely plated with gold.
All gold plated flatware sets are made the same way. This process begins by molding stainless steel, or other hard metal, into the desired pattern, and then either submerging the steel into liquid gold or decorating select areas of the steel with small amounts of gold. As far as resale value is concerned, gold plated sets are much more valuable than sets that include gold decoration.
Many centuries ago, solid gold flatware was available to those people who could afford to purchase it. However, gold is not a tough material, and most of these pieces wound up chipped or bent after extensive use. This is precisely why purchasing solid gold flatware is difficult, though some companies around the world may still produce this type of flatware.
After deciding between gold plated flatware, solid gold, or gold accented flatware, it is important to test each set prior to purchase. Most large department stores carry gold plated flatware, which makes it easy to test each set. By holding various pieces, a consumer should be able to tell which sets are better suited to a buyer's particular preferences. While some people enjoy heavy flatware, other people prefer flatware that is light and easy to manipulate.
Style is another aspect of selecting gold plated flatware that is entirely dependent upon a person's taste. Keep in mind, while choosing flatware, that classic styles will likely age better than contemporary styles. Also, choosing a set that has many different optional pieces might be a wise idea, since matching certain items, such as serving spoons, to a set can be difficult.
Lastly, make sure to buy some kind of container to store a new gold flatware set in. Since gold is particularly finicky, storing a gold plated set inside of a solid box is a good idea. While gold flatware will make any table shine, there are some disadvantages to this type of flatware as well.
Gold plated utensils, unlike stainless steel flatware, cannot be placed inside of a dishwasher or microwave. Thus, gold plated utensils must be hand washed, hand polished, and kept away from any microwave unit. This is precisely why many people purchase silverware flatware in addition to gold flatware; by doing so, gold flatware can be reserved solely for special occasions.