Hop Coffee Service in Silver

A pattern from 1969 that you build into a service piece by piece. Our Hop coffee service in silver is a whole line: 925 silver with niello and gold plating, hop leaves and golden cones on a dark ground. The pot, sugar bowl, milk jug, cups in four shapes, two saucers and spoons are available individually. In addition, there are sets for two, from a place setting to the whole table.

Hop silver coffee service: leaves and golden cones on niello

The pattern is quickly described: the leaves and cones of the hop plant, engraved in silver, with the cones set in gold. Niello is ink in silver, a dark compound that is melted into the engraving until it becomes part of the metal. Against this deep black, silver and gold look especially bright.

The line is made by SevChern in Veliky Ustyug, where the art of niello can be traced back to the late 17th century. On every silver piece the drawing is engraved by hand, after which the silver is polished by hand.

The pattern of 1969: Yelizaveta Tropina and the coffee and liqueur set

The manufactory’s company book, published in 2008, includes the coffee and liqueur set “Hop” by Ye. Tropina from 1969. It shows a pot, a lidded vessel with two handles, and a cup and saucer. Yelizaveta Tropina was the manufactory’s chief artist from 1962 to 2002; from 1977 she held the title Honoured Artist of the RSFSR.

The pot, sugar bowl, flat cup and the smaller saucer D100 follow this design in form and pattern. All other pieces bear the hop pattern after the design of 1969.

As a plant, hop climbs upwards along a support. This can be read as an image of two people who support each other and grow together.

Which set for two? Three ways to the coffee table

The first way leads through the cup: if you like it light and bright, choose the porcelain insert. If you want pure silver, take the flat, solid cup. If you are looking for height and a large smooth surface, go for the footed cups. None of this is a ranking. The sets are examples; other combinations are possible, because every piece is available individually.

You would like …	Set	Contents	Pieces
Porcelain cup, light and bright	Two place settings with porcelain cup	2 cups, 2 saucers, 2 spoons	6
	Service for 2 with porcelain cups	Pot, sugar bowl, milk jug and 2 place settings	11
	Place setting with porcelain cup	Cup, saucer, spoon; the start with one place setting	3
Solid silver, gold-plated inside	Place setting with solid cup	Cup, saucer, spoon	3
	Two place settings with solid cup	2 cups, 2 saucers, 2 spoons; combination	6
	Service for 6	Pot, sugar bowl, milk jug and 6 place settings	21
Height and a large smooth surface	Two footed cup place settings	2 footed cups, 2 saucers, 2 spoons	6
	Footed cups with sugar bowl	Sugar bowl, 2 footed cups, 2 spoons; without saucers	5
	Footed cups with pot	Pot, sugar bowl, milk jug, 2 footed cups, 2 spoons; without saucers	7
	Complete footed cup service	Pot, sugar bowl, milk jug, 2 footed cups, 2 saucers, 2 spoons; combination	11

Extending the line: from a place setting to the whole service

You begin with one place setting, add a second one later and at some point get the pot, sugar bowl and milk jug as well. Two place settings with porcelain cup plus these three vessels make up the contents of the service for 2. With the footed cups, the same path leads to the complete service. The table shows which piece is included where.

Piece	Individually in the shop	Included in
Pot	Coffee pot	Service for 2, service for 6, footed cups with pot, complete footed cup service
Sugar bowl	Sugar bowl	as the pot, plus footed cups with sugar bowl
Milk jug	Milk jug	as the pot
Flat cup, solid	Solid coffee cup	Place setting and two place settings with solid cup, service for 6
Cup with porcelain insert	Silver cup with porcelain	both porcelain place settings, service for 2
Footed cup, approx. 60 ml	Footed espresso cup	Two footed cup place settings, footed cups with pot, complete footed cup service
Footed cup, approx. 80 ml	Footed coffee cup	Footed cups with sugar bowl
Saucer D100	Saucer D100	Place setting and two place settings with solid cup, service for 6
Saucer D110	Saucer D110	both porcelain place settings, service for 2, complete footed cup service
Coffee spoon, short	Short coffee spoon	all place settings, service for 2, service for 6
Coffee spoon, long	Long coffee spoon	all four footed cup sets

Four cup shapes, two saucers: the pieces at a glance

The flat cup is made of solid silver and gold-plated inside. The second sits with a white porcelain insert in a silver holder; the porcelain is supplied by the Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg, and the factory’s mark is on the base. The two footed cups stand on a stem and round foot: the smaller one with a slender handle, the taller one with a volute on the handle. You will find all four among the silver coffee and tea cups. The cups hold approx. 50 to approx. 80 ml, so they are demitasse and espresso size, not breakfast cups.

Among the saucers you have two sizes, D100 and D110, both with a niello band, a wide gold rim and a smooth centre. The spoons come short and long; the long one has a hop cone in the handle. The sugar bowl with two handles and the milk jug, gold-plated inside, complete the table.

Silver wedding anniversary, couples, coffee lovers, Christmas: who the line suits

For a silver wedding anniversary, children, friends or godparents like to give two place settings: a moment for two, a cup in each hand. Couples who already have everything receive a gift to collect together with the line. The guide to gifts for couples offers ideas for this.

Coffee lovers will enjoy the footed cups and the long spoon with the cone in the handle. At Christmas, a sugar bowl or a set for two lies under the tree; find out more among the silver Christmas gifts. For a wedding anniversary, you start with one place setting and extend it later; suitable pieces are shown among the wedding anniversary gifts.

Engraving and SilberVerse: after checking with the manufacturer

Enter your engraving request in the order note at checkout when you order; you can ask beforehand by email or WhatsApp. We check the execution with the manufacturer and discuss lettering and layout with you. If the request cannot be done, we refund you or look for another piece for you together.

A look at the pieces: the largest smooth surfaces are the body of the footed cups and the centre of the saucers. On the pot, sugar bowl and milk jug the hop leaves run around the body; which spot can be considered is clarified by the manufacturer.

A SilberVerse suits the service for two: we create a verse with your names and the occasion, printed on a photo card, at no extra cost.

Care: water, a soft cloth, no polishing

Clean the pieces by hand in lukewarm water, then dry them with a soft cloth. You should not polish them, because the gold plating is very thin. We would not put them in the dishwasher.

Hop silver coffee service: briefly answered

What belongs to a coffee service?
A pot, sugar bowl, milk jug, cups with saucers and spoons. In the Hop line, each of these pieces is available individually. You will find more on the subject among coffee and tea ware with niello.

How many pieces does a coffee table for two need?
Two place settings are enough. The pot, sugar bowl and milk jug are the addition; the overview above shows the ways to get there.

Which saucer goes with which cup?
The saucer D100 goes with the flat, solid cup, and the saucer D110 with the cup with porcelain insert. For the footed cups, we are happy to advise you before you order.

What is niello?
A dark drawing in the silver, fired in instead of applied. It sits in the engraved lines and is therefore not a lacquer.

Can a set be extended later?
Yes. Every piece is available individually; the sets are examples. You can also add spoons in two lengths and saucers in two sizes.

Can pieces of the line be engraved?
The manufacturer decides after the check. The process and possible surfaces are described in the section on engraving.