Porcelain and Silver

Turkish coffee for two, tea with the in-laws, a wedding anniversary at the Sunday table: what do you give then? White porcelain in a 925 silver setting is an answer that feels both understated and festive. At Premium Geschenkideen, you will find porcelain in silver settings, from the Turkish coffee cup to the sugar bowl. We arrange the pieces by three finishes and show you which one suits which occasion and person. If you would also like to compare pots and cups made of solid silver, you will find them in silver coffee & tea ware.

Silver and porcelain: what makes porcelain in a silver setting

With porcelain and silver, two materials share the task. The porcelain holds tea, Turkish coffee and sugar, and you see it on the inside and at the rim of the cup. The silver setting carries the ornament, the handle and the foot on the outside. So the cup stays plain white where you raise it to your lips, and the silver shows ornament where the eye lingers.

This is neither a cup with a painted silver rim nor a plated piece: the setting is made of 925 silver, sterling silver. It is a classic, timeless combination of Russian silver tradition and white porcelain. It belongs on the festive table, the coffee table or the dining table, in the display cabinet, on a living-room shelf or in the drawing room. Giving it shows appreciation and taking time for one another. Our section silver tableware & table silver shows more silver for the laid table.

Three signatures: casting, niello and enamel

Not every setting is made in the same way. We explain the three finishes so that you can choose at your leisure.

Cast, blackened setting (ArgentA)

The setting of the ArgentA pieces is made by art casting. The relief of roses, dragonflies or rocaille is cast in three dimensions, the blackened finish emphasises the recesses, and the silver is then polished by hand to a high shine. The porcelain is bone china from the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory in St. Petersburg. Each piece comes in a dark blue case with a satin lining. Here you will find several lines, as a single piece or as a set with a spoon. The case also serves as gift packaging.

Niello and gold-plating (SevChern)

At SevChern, the niello drawing defines the setting. The manufactory works in Veliky Ustyug, where the art of niello has been documented since the late 17th century. The dark compound is fused into the lines of the ornament, and on many pieces the foot, handle or surfaces are gold-plated. These are additional steps for each piece, which is why this is a finish of its own. Examples are the coffee cup with niello, 50 ml and the silver cup with porcelain insert in the Hop pattern. What niello is, the article niello silver explained describes.

Enamel (Russkiye Samotsvety)

At Russkiye Samotsvety, the silver settings carry coloured enamel fields with flowers, a hummingbird, the firebird or a goldfish. These pieces are now only available individually, while stocks last.

The decision is usually simple: if you like rich casting with a wide choice of lines, ArgentA suits you. If you would like a niello drawing and gold-plated surfaces, SevChern suits you.

Turkish coffee, tea and sugar: single piece or set

Which size suits whom depends on the moment. For Turkish coffee after a meal, there is the Rosalia cup with approx. 70 ml; for tea, the Libellula and Symphonie cups with approx. 155 ml or Royal Hunt with approx. 200 ml. The Symphonie sugar bowl holds approx. 390 ml.

A single piece completes a collection or is a gift for one person. With a spoon, the cup becomes a more complete gift, and the set for two is meant for couples, for example as demitasse cups as a set. The sugar bowl in the Symphonie pattern goes with the Symphonie cup. The category 925 silver sugar bowls shows more shapes, and you will find solid silver cups among the silver coffee & tea cups.

The ArgentA cups do not come with a saucer; if you would like one, choose the Astra set by SevChern with a silver saucer.

Rosalia, Libellula, Symphonie, Royal Hunt: the motif lines

Rosalia: Turkish coffee with roses

Cast roses with leaves and stems run around the cup, the foot is an openwork ring of arches, and the handle is a rose stem. The spoon ends in a rose. The rose belongs to the tenth wedding anniversary, which is why the Rosalia demitasse cup suits the rose anniversary.

Libellula: tea bowl with dragonfly

A wide, gently waved bowl with a sculpted dragonfly and scrollwork, carried on three small feet. A playful design: the Libellula tea cup. In the set, it comes with a spoon with an openwork scrolling handle.

Symphonie: floral tendrils and volute

The cup is softly waved, the setting shows openwork floral tendrils on three feet with a leaf base, and the handle sweeps as a volute. The sugar bowl has a porcelain lid with a narrow silver rim and a ring grip. The Symphonie tea cup and the sugar bowl come from the same line as the Symphonie tea set for six people and are suitable as a gift when a whole service would be too much.

Royal Hunt: stag's head and rocaille

The tulip-shaped cup stands on a cast foot, and the rocaille cartouches show a stag's head and hunting scenes. This baroque, stately pattern appears on the Royal Hunt tea cup as well as on the Royal Hunt tea set. For a couple, there is the tea cup set for two.

Occasions and recipients: from the rose anniversary to the hunter

The Rosalia cups suit the rose anniversary and wedding anniversaries; the wedding anniversary gifts show more ideas. Libellula lends itself to a silver wedding anniversary; you will find more ideas among the silver wedding anniversary gifts. Symphonie suits a golden wedding anniversary and parents' milestone anniversaries.

Royal Hunt is a gift for hunters, for retirement or a milestone birthday; more ideas are listed under 925 silver hunting gifts. For a birthday, a cup suits a hostess who values hospitality, or a lover of Turkish coffee. For a godmother, a friend or a partner, give tea for two with the set for two. For the housewarming of a first shared home, a porcelain and silver set is something special for the shared table. A cup for teatime is also a gift at Christmas; the 925 silver Christmas gifts show more ideas. Collectors complete a line cup by cup.

This turns the moment into a ritual and the cup into a keepsake, for tea lovers as well as for anyone who enjoys a beautifully laid table. We also offer a personal extra: on request, we include a SilberVerse card, an individual verse created for the occasion and name, free of charge, as a photo card in 15 × 10 cm format.

Bone china at a glance

Bone china is porcelain containing bone ash and is particularly thin-walled. For the ArgentA pieces, the cup is made of this porcelain, white with a dark line at the rim. If you are looking for a bone china cup with a silver setting, you will find exactly this combination here.

Caring for porcelain in a silver setting

Use a soft cloth for the porcelain. On the raised silver areas, a silver polishing cloth helps; only wipe gold-plated areas gently. Keep the pieces in their case or in a display cabinet so that the silver is exposed to little air and moisture.

Porcelain & Silver: quick answers

What distinguishes ArgentA, SevChern and the enamel pieces?
ArgentA settings are cast and blackened, at SevChern the niello sits in engraved silver, and the enamel pieces carry coloured fields. Choose the finish you like. You can read more about niello in the article niello silver explained.

What does bone china mean?
It is porcelain containing bone ash, particularly thin-walled and white.

Do the cups come with a saucer?
The ArgentA cups come without a saucer. The Astra set by SevChern includes a silver saucer: gift set with tea cup, saucer and teaspoon.

Single piece, cup with spoon or set for two: what suits as a gift?
For one person, the cup with spoon is enough; for a couple, the set for two; and if you are completing a line, start with the single piece.

How do I care for porcelain in a silver setting?
With a soft cloth, and with a silver polishing cloth on the silver areas; store it in its case or in a display cabinet.

Can I add an engraving or a SilberVerse card?
We clarify an engraving after checking with the manufacturer and agree it with you. The SilberVerse card, an individual verse for the occasion and name, is available free of charge on request.

Are the Symphonie pieces also available individually?
Yes, the tea cup with spoon and the sugar bowl are available individually, from the same line as the Symphonie tea set. They are a good fit when a whole service would be too large a gift. If you would like to compare services, take a look at coffee & tea sets.

You will find more ideas for big days among the anniversary gifts.