<< Beth, I also make one of a kind pieces and frequently do use a
combination of metals. At this point I have not stamped anything
sterling that included other metals. The only things I have stamped
sterling were made entirely of sterling. However, I was wondering if
one could have a stamp made which said “Sterling and other metals” or
"Sterling and xxxx(whatever it was)". I agree, I think we need a
legal opinion on this. >>
Forgive me if this is a redundant response, but I never saw my
original one go through the distribution channels - - so here goes:
In the 1880’s they made a great deal of sterling hollow-ware with
mixed metals (meaning the body of the piece was sterling). The
accent pieces were usually bronze or copper. The stamp which was used
was “sterling and other metals”. The only exception to this was if
the piece was created with gold accents. In that case, the stamp was
"sterling and 18kt" or “14kt”. The simplicity of the stamp and the
fact it was stamped just once, was obviously possible because the
metals were different colors and fairly self-explanatory.
Additionally, almost ALL of these pieces had the manufacturer’s mark
as well as the content mark.
Where this becomes a legal question is only (in my humble opinion) if
the purchaser can not easily distinguish between the various metals
used. It isn’t as if one is trying to pass sterling off as white
gold. The only legal issue I see is making sure one adheres to the
qualifications as to what constitutes “sterling”.