Gorgeous antique French sterling silver 15pc 7 7/8â dessert or entremet, luncheon knife set with stylized seashell accented pattern, solid silver blades and fabulous armorial style engraved heraldry or familial crests with royal crown tops and all in superb condition! Iâve been going through our silver inventory over the past few weeks, quite surprised by the amount of treasure that weâve not yet listed for sale. A beautiful set here, blades and handles in fine old French silver and these with the added allure of the armorial style crown topped engravings. Stunning! The handles and blades bear the French Minerve or Minerva hallmarks, the tiny number "1" within those marks means theyâre in .950 silver (95% pure and higher than the .925 standard for âsterlingâ silver). Silversmith marks of "DL" but I've not been able to find a definitive reference so far. The blades marked by the French jeweler and retailer Marret & Jarry, circa 1851-1858. Their shop was on the Rue Vivienne in Paris. They are considered among the finest 19th century French jewelers with an extraordinary reputation for artistic, gem set jewelry and, obviously, silver. Their firm dates from 1822 with several Jarry brothers at the helm at various times through the years. A branch had been founded in New York City as well as Paris. The firm lasted until 1858. Iâm not sure if I just misplaced one piece, I imagine there should have been sixteen, possibly eighteen but only fifteen are shown and offered here. A truly beautiful set of knives though, guaranteed to please!
Very good to excellent condition. Very faint dimples possible on the handles but no large dents, damage or repairs. All blades are original and in fine shape, all recently professionally polished to a high shine. See pictures for weights and measurements.
