You adorn your body with jewelry and your house with accessories, but what about your poor dining table? Doesnt it deserve some of that decoration too? Sure, youve got a wide array of china plates and crystal glasses, but you wont really be able to show off their attributes without the complementary flatware. Typically, flatware comes in three main categories: traditional, ornate and contemporary. Youll need to determine which category your china and crystal fall into before you go shopping for appropriate flatware. Your best bet is to stay within a particular style. If youve got ornate china then choose an ornate flatware set. It can work in rare cases but usually mixing styles just ends up looking confused.
Most families have at least two sets of flatware; one for everyday use, and one for formal occasions. Your best choice for everyday dining is stainless steel, as it retains its shine for many years of daily use. This is due to a mixture of steel, nickel and chromium, which gives stainless steel flatware its very durable finish.
However, nothing says elegance and formality quite like a sterling silver flatware set. Sterling silver is almost pure silver and...