CAN YOU HAVE PLATED SILVER AND STERLING ON ONE PIECE??

[lynmom51]

i FOUND A REALLY NICE LOT OF SILVERWARE AND CUPS ETC..AT A LOCAL YARD SALE. i AM CONFUSED ON SOME PIECES. Some say its plated but the handle says sterling so is 1/2 the spoon sterling and the other part plated? Thanks

[ncarroll]

Yes, it's very common for large serving pieces, such as cake servers or carving sets, to have sterling handles and silverplate blades. The sterling handles are called "hollow" meaning that the handle is filled with steel and cement, with silver only on the outside.