www.925-1000.com

One of the best and least toxic products on the market is Ready-Strip Plus made by Back to Nature Products: http://www.ibacktonature.com/Pages/readystrip-PD.html. It's a thick consistency and will stay where you paint it. And don't worry, it won't harm the silver.

The micro-crystalline wax you speak of is Renaissance wax which I use quite often. You can purchase it here: http://www.restorationproduct.com/index.html.

Salmoned, If you're getting satisfactory results - great! There are times when a steel hammer should be used to tap out difficult pinpoint dents, but that's best handled by a restoration specialist. BUT, even before you use a rawhide mallet, check for repairs because you don't want to open a solder ...

Jankay8,

Those black spots may be corrosion, not tarnish. You could place a cotton ball soaked with ammonia on the spot and remove it after 10 minutes. The corrosion (if that's what it is) should be gone!

Hello Cheryl!

My latest silver care advice can be found on my business Web site: http://www.hermansilver.com/care.htm.

http://www.hermansilver.com/tarnish5.jpg Tarnish is easily removed when first noticed (usually as a yellowish tint), and will become increasingly difficult to deal with as it turns to light brown and eventually black. Occasionally washing an object with a non-lemon-scented phosphate-free detergent ...

I forgot to mention that this is definitely not an American piece. Without seeing the marks under a 10x loupe, my guess would be that it's French.

I would agree with JLDoggett. Cast then chiseled. A piercing bur would look very different.

Pairpoint Glassworks will hand blow liners in any color for open salts, ice buckets, casseroles, etc. They do excellent work and prices are very reasonable.

Pairpoint Glassworks
Route 6A
Sagamore, MA 02561
800.899.0953
http://www.pairpoint.com/