Elegant antique French 18k gold on sterling silver vermeil 13pc confiiture or teaspoon & sugar tong set with ornate Louis XVI or Rococo style, seashell accents & wonderful condition in box! One of a few beautiful old boxed vermeil tea sets that we'll be adding in the coming weeks. This set in a gilded finish, actually 18k gold plated silver (we've not tested this set but the French silversmiths nearly always used 18k gold for their vermeil pieces). The post 1838 French Minerve or Minerva head hallmark on all pieces, the tiny number "1" in the upper right corner means they're all in .950 silver under the gold (95% pure and higher than the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). If you look closely, you'll see that the sugar tongs are not quite a perfect match to the pattern of the spoons. Both highly ornate with shell shaped accents but just slightly different in other details and the tongs do not have a monogram. The silversmith marks on the spoons are for Maison Deniere, Paris circa 1850-1855 (note the gold embossed stamp on the inside lid of the box, too). A lovely set with box and guaranteed to please!
Very good condition! No damage to note other than some slight visible wear or fading to the vermeil finish on the spoons, raised decoration, etc. As noted, the sugar tong is not quite a perfect match and so is a replacement. See pictures for all individual weights and measurements.
