European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Stainless Sterling or Silver plate by Barbara Mayer associated press virtually every Bride and Groom include Flat Mare when entering Gill preferences in a bridal registry. That Means Hal choosing Between stainless Silver plate and Sterling Silver utensils is an Early Home furnishings decision. A comforting thought for those making those first choices is that there is no such thing As the right material for flatware. All three choices stainless. Silve Plale and Sterling Silver in ascending order of costliness. As a Rule offer attractive and Long lived alternatives says Donna Ferrari tableware editor of Bride s Magazine. Choosing which to Register for and buy is a matter solely of personal preference with Sterling Silver you gel the value inherent in a precious commodity and the look of luxury Silve Plale is an alternative when you Don t want to pay Sterling prices but you want the Sterling look stainless steel flatware has its own Beauty and is easy to care Lor and dishwasher Safe. All three last for years. As with the Choice of glasses the right flatware pattern is one which goes Well with the China you have selected and with your style of life. If you intend to entertain on a casual basis and Don t want to spend time caring for tableware choose stainless. If dinner parties Wilh fresh Flowers gleaming Crystal and formal fable settings Are in your plans opt for Sterling or Silve Plale. Its Luster will Only increase Over the years with Good care. Ferrari Points out that Sterling Silver offers both a tactile pleasure in use and the Comfort of tradition. It won t Wear out or break and if you use it regularly you rarely will have to polish in. The Cost of Sterling varies. In the luxury Range names such As Buccellati Tiffany and Georg Jensen expect in the United states to pay from $600 to $800 a place setting. In nationally known name brands in the american si70 which is somewhat smaller than the Continental size prices can vary from about $1251= $300 a place Selling. They depend on the pattern s detailing amount of hand work and qua Lily of Silver in each utensil. Sterling can be put in the dishwasher but the heal of the dry Cycle and the abrasion produced As one utensil rubs against another can Lead to scratches in the soft Metal. Intense heat can also loosen the anchoring of the Blade into the knife handle when using a dishwasher Load the Basket carefully so the Silver in t crowded and remove the flatware before the dry Cycle drying by hand in shopping for Silver plate it is critical to buy Quality says Ferrari. High Quality place settings May Range in Price from $90 to $150. Silver plate is measured in microns and you can ask How Many microns of Silver have been applied to one product compared to others you Are considering. Ask also if the manufacturer considers the set dishwasher Safe and the length of time it is expected to last. Typically a period of from 25-50 years will be men Jned save plate has the same drawbacks As Sterling in the dishwasher. Abrasion can Wear away the Silver coating particularly at stress Points. A Mark of Quality is that the utensils can be safely washed in the dishwasher. When it wears out. A piece of Silve Plale can be replaced. However professional replacing is expensive another idea is to treat your flatware to an occasional application of liquid Silver. Ii is applied like polish but adds a very thin Coaling of real Silver and thus prolongs the item s Good looks and life. There is an unusually wide Range of prices for stainless flatware. There Are patterns that sell for Over $100, thus putting them in the same category As Silver plate. But there Are also patterns that sell Tor about $16. A Large number of patterns fall within the Range of $40 a place setting. Stainless flatware has its own Shine which Ferrari describes As a Blue Gray Luster. Better pieces usually have More chromium for slain resistance and Nickel for Luster and strength. Utensils with a numerical rating of 18-8 have 18 percent chromium and 8 percent Nickel and Are considered to be durable Over time. .-2-ss5s5 choosing China and Crystal by Wendy Bourland staff writer edding China and Crystal Are not the exclusive turf of the Bride to be at least not with military couples. We re finding that men Are gelling increasingly interested said Judy Wollf. Branch manager of the Wedgwood Concession in the Frankfurt shopping Center. She Bride to be Narrows it Down to three patterns and he comes in she drags him in on the  usually the couple pays for the items but those with several friends or relatives in country will sometimes have a bridal Register allowing gift givers to buy items the couple have listed most can t have a wedding list because they Don t have friends and relatives Here said Lile Cecil manager of the Willi Geek Concession located with Wedgwood and Noritake in Frankfurt. Wolff said most military couples buy China and Crystal after they marry and Many engaged couples Don t even know they can set up a bridal registry beforehand however she said Many couples Are aware of the fact that China can be purchased in Europe Al Exchange concessions Al considerable savings most people Are married and buy once they re Here Wollf said we have More people that say we knew we were coming Over Here they get a much Betler buy Over Here even Wilh the Low  Fine China is usually priced by place Selling in the Stales but a 20-piece set of Wedgwood s popular Runnymede pattern is available for $700 in a us department store. A 54 piece set of the same China will Cost about $1,580 at the Frankfurt Concession. The Willi Geek Concession stocks German China by Rosenthal and Villeroy & Boch. French flatware by Christople and Riedel Crystal. They carry Sterling stainless steel and Silve Plale flatware. How much a couple spends depends on their budget. Since the same China in the Stales costs More they often buy generously Cecil said. The military wives see it As a one Lime Chance to get the stuff they want she said. There Are plenty of styles and prices to choose from. China dinner sets begin at about $400 and go As High As $4.000 for Rosenthal s Best. Silver plated utensils by Christople average $118 Tor a tour piece place setting while $500 buys a four piece place Selling of Sterling Silver by emf a German Flat War company. Willi Geek offers a six month payment plan Lor purchases of $300 or lore and Sells individual pieces As Well As sets. Cecil said Many germans buy Rosenthal China the National favorite and consider the Purchase an investment. You pass in Down to your children she said some Good China will increase in value like  the key to acquiring Good China. Cecil said is to do it Over a period of time the germans buy slowly she said. They buy one place setting at a Lime or an Uncle May buy one a family  Wollf said military people May buy Fine China that looks Good in the Cabinet at Home but the dishes won t sit Long enough to collect dust. You d be surprised at How Many people eat off it every Day she said the american military people use their China because they have to enter  sunday May 22, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17