Featured Why have my sterling salts turned gold?

I've had these for at least 15 years, just re-discovered them in the back of a drawer lined with Pacific silver cloth. I'm sure they were silver when I put them away, but now they're a uniform golden color. I thought it was tarnish and used Wright's silver polish to clean them, but they're still golden. Has my memory failed me or has something happened?

 

I think your memory may be playing tricks, they are silver gilt.

 

You're probably right about my memory! I didn't think Gorham did silver gilt salts, but I guess they did. Thanks!

 

Shown in Tompkins' 'Handbook of Gorham Open Salt Dishes' (1987), the date of original production was 1901 (gilding would have been optional).

~Cheryl

 

they're so cute..... but they do look like chamber pots !!

 

The gilding would've been intentional, as a protective layer against salt-corrosion.

 

Thank you all so much!!!

 

You probably remembered them as being "sterling", which they are of course. Then put them away and over the years just remembered the sterling salts back there and made a silver colored picture in your mind when you thought of them being sterling.

Just a guess!

 

Keep polishing and eventually you’ll find the silver ones inside

 

Those are beautiful!