The Daily Works

November 25th, 2021 — Liliana

I looked at eBay item #165198328844, Eloi Pernet 5 Francs Coin with 3 utensils. The 'Spring' is Missing from the Scissors. Not disclosed. Seller should know better. Wait for one Complete.

July 7th, 2021 — Francine

I looked at eBay item #173386361076, Eloi Pernet 5 Francs Coin with 3 utensils. The 'Spring' is Missing from the Scissors. Not mentioned. Seller should know better.

July 6th, 2021 — Bob

I just looked at eBay item #173322483740, a 20th Century Wine Taster, Silversmith is 'Parrod', not as stated and not C. 1840.

June 18th, 2020 — Frank

I just looked at eBay item #223019566660, an Eloi Pernet 3pc Coin and from what it is missing it's 'Spring' for the Scissors. Pass on it.

April 26th, 2020 — Joyce

I looked at eBay #162615313127, Wine Taster. Read Description. NO Hallmarks only the Coin is used to Date the Metal + Testing it. Handle missing. Avoid it.

March 25th, 2018 — Rosanne

Good Question. Be Careful and read very carefully the DESCRIPTIONS. Item #323097215482 Knife Rests, is NOT an original, a Copy of Rabier's Work.

January 30th, 2018 — Paula

Thanks for your Question re: Eloi 5 Francs. The Spring is Missing from the Scissors. Forget it! eBay, item # 322804226138, Seller should have Noted this.

November 30th, 2017 — Mark

Thanks for your Question re: Eloi 5 Francs. The Spring is Missing from the Scissors. Pass on eBay, item # 282713440403, Seller should have Noted this.

October 11th, 2017 — Carolyn

The Decanter by Gallia on eBay, item # 322761010177 is Missing its Handle which is why Seller only describes the damage left but, No Mention of a Handle. Beware, this Seller will Not answer Questions.

September 28th, 2017 — Roseanne

I just looked at eBay item #201004472433, a Tiffany Wine Taster and, from what I see, I think that it is missing its 'Thumb Rest'. Without it, consider how unstable the Taster would be. For me, I would leave it alone.

July 15th, 2017 — Paula

I just looked at eBay item #232393067559 Wine Taster advertised 17th or 18th Century Sterling Silver. Apart from a Coin, Dated 1694, without credible Hallmarks and from what I see, I think that it is Silver Plate. Beware.

June 2nd, 2017 — Michael

I just looked at eBay item # 182601637881 for you and one of the Photos shows the Spring 'Broken' in the Scissors. I would Pass on it.

May 28th, 2017 — Lorna

I just looked for you at eBay items # 122517195216 & #332232990690 & #182570013069 and there is a Spring Missing from the Scissors in each and not disclosed. Avoid them!

May 9th, 2017 — Carolyn

I looked at eBay item # 322484801690 and I find the Description Misleading at best. No Hallmarks, so Not Sterling. Never heard of 'Sterling Plated'.

May 3rd, 2017 — Joyce

Marc Parrod the Silversmith from Dijon, (not Parrot) was a 20th century Silversmith from Dijon France, so how could he have made and marked this pair of Tastevins being sold by Berry & Co. on eBay as having been made circa 1890? Berry & Co. misspelled his Name as 'Parrot' and more often than not, offer a false date for the piece.

April 30th, 2017 — Robert

I looked at the Wine Taster, item # 232240973320 on eBay and for Me, it has been overcleaned, overpolished, ruined and it is in Metal, not 'Argent Massif' as described, or Sterling equivalent as the only real Silver, is the 'Coin'. Personally, I avoid any overpolished Silver items as the Patina cannot be restored. In French one calls them 'trop astiqué' or 'trop Nettoyé'.

March 21st, 2017 — Joyce

I looked at item #401292198090 on eBay and the Spring for the Scissors is missing. Seller relisted it, No mention of Defect. I would pass on this one and wait for another in better condition & @ $200. overpriced!

January 3rd, 2017 — Bruce

eBay item #351947301626 — the Description is grossly Misleading, This is Not an 18th Century, 1740's Wine Taster. Perfect example of Seller using the date on the coin to date the item. No Hallmarks to verify, Seller tells you to 'look at the photos' and you figure it out. Pass on it, unless you like the item without verifiable Hallmarks.

ELOI PERNET, France — Silversmith

In the early nineteenth century the region of Nogent-Bassigny became an important center for French cutlery. By 1880, more than six thousand people were manufacturing knives, scissors, surgical instruments and hand tools. Each community had its specialty. Biesles, situated 10 km from Nogent, became the center for luxury items, folding knives and cigar cutters.

Charles Louis Eloi Pernet belonged to the third generation of knife makers in Biesles. In 1901, at the age of 12, he became an apprentice in a local cutlery. It was not until 1920 that Eloi decided to establish his own factory — Eloi Pernet. With a small group of the best artisans he could find, Eloi quickly became renowned for its craft. In 1925 Eloi won the "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" (Best Craftsman of France) award for a multi-blade knife. The following year, he and his artisans again won the "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" award. The World began to take notice as did high end firms like Hermès, Dupont, Vuitton, and Dunhill — all sought Eloi's fine craftsmanship adding their prestigious names to items produced by Eloi Pernet.

On eBay, April 18, 2021 an 1857 3pc 100 Franc Gold multitool SOLD for US $1,825. Be very careful that the utensils are complete — the Spring is often missing from the Scissors and not disclosed.

MARCEL RENARD (1893-1974)

Marcel Renard was born on the 5th August 1893 in Lyon, the son and pupil of Leopold Renard. He studied under Rost and Boucher at the École des Beaux-Arts, Lyon and later at École des Beaux-Arts, Paris. Whilst studying in Lyon he was a pupil of the artist Tony Tollet (1857-1953), who was Professor and Director at the City art school and President of the Société Lyonnaise des Beaux-Arts.

He settled in Paris in 1920 and worked with Roux-Spitz on his Lyon projects. His works are conserved, among others, at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the Musée du Design de Gand, Belgium and the Musée Rolf de Marès, Stockholm, Sweden.

Along with Dropsy, Marcel RENARD is regarded as one of the finest Medalists in Europe. His Bronze Medals sell for Hundreds of Dollars and higher; his Silver Medals are more rare.

Max Le Verrier (1891-1973)

Max Le Verrier, French Sculptor, was born in Neuilly sur Seine, France on January 29, 1891. His mother was Belgian and his father was a Parisian Goldsmith and Jeweler on Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris. Max LE VERRIER served in WWI in France. He returned to Paris after the November 11th 1918 armistice with little means, but with a huge independent spirit. From that time forward, he would devote all of his life to sculpture.

He rented an artist atelier, studio on "Rue du Théâtre", where he worked 12 hours per day. At the outset, he made some terra cotta pieces of art, and carved his first sculpture, the famous PELICAN in a very 1925's style. This sculpture had great success and was at the foundation of his workshop created in 1919. He made everything on his own, from the creation (the founding, chiseling, patina) to the selling of his pieces of art.

His works are conserved, among others, at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the Musée du Design de Gand, Belgium and the Musée Rolf de Marès, Stockholm, Sweden.

COROMANDEL Wood

During the Victorian period and the reign of Queen Victoria, Coromandel was considered one of the most exotic, luxurious and expensive woods to work with and it was the veneer of choice for some of the finest boxes. Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death, January 22, 1901.

Coromandel wood was sourced from India and South East Asia and was an incredibly dense, close-grained wood. Visually a more vibrant and figured (patterned) variety from the Ebony family, the actual species of Coromandel became virtually extinct by the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the nearest relation to Coromandel is Macassar Ebony.

STERLING SILVER — French & English

French Sterling Silver (finer than English Sterling) since 1838 has a Silver content of .950 parts Silver/1000, versus .925/1000 parts for English Silver and almost always is Hallmarked because of Revenue Laws in France. I avoid anything Sold as French Sterling without Hallmarks & particularly when Seller says it has been Tested.

The term "Sterling Silver" emerged in England by the 13th century. The minimum Sterling Silver Standard within the U.K. has been historically set at the STERLING standard (92.5%) purity and this is represented by the Lion, either PASSANT for English or Lion RAMPANT for Scottish. BEWARE of MEXICAN Silver on eBay with just a '925' Mark, which alone, is not a Hallmark & does NOT necessarily mean Sterling Silver!

MINERVE HEAD with either the #1 or the #2 on French Silver is a very important consideration when buying French Silver. The #1 denotes Silver content of 950/1000 and the #2, 800/1000. France began using the Minerve Head in 1838 using it through 1972 to Control the Silver Content and as part of their Tax system.

Britannia Silver

Britannia silver is an alloy of Silver containing 95.84% Silver. This Standard of Silver was introduced in England by Act of Parliament in 1697 to replace Sterling Silver as the obligatory standard for items of Silver. The Lion Passant Gardant Hallmark denoting Sterling was replaced with "the figure of a woman commonly called Britannia", and the Leopard's Head Mark of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths was replaced with a "Lion's Head Erased".

Britannia standard silver was first introduced by the British government as part of the great Recoinage Scheme of William III from 1696, when attempts were made to limit the clipping and melting of Sterling Silver Coinage. Sterling silver was approved again for use by Silversmiths from 1 June 1720, and thereafter Britannia Silver has remained an optional standard for silver assay in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Since the Hallmarking changes of 1 January 1999, Britannia Silver has been denoted by the millesimal fineness hallmark '958'.

BACCARAT Crystal

The famous and often infamous acid engraved BACCARAT Hallmark only came into existence circa 1936 and before that, Baccarat used stick-on Labels with a similar hallmark. These latter labels were lost, washed off, removed etc. and some unscrupulous people use them to deceive. BEWARE!!!

Art Deco — The Name's Origin

The Name, Art Deco, is derived from the famous "Exposition des Arts Décoratifs" which was held in Paris, France in 1925 and brought about the 2nd Revival of Art following the Art Nouveau Period.

Christofle & Alfénide — Household Names in French Silver

The Name 'Alfénide' was derived from a Firm of Chemists & Silversmiths in Paris France which Christofle acquired in the last quarter of the XIXth Century. I believe that this firm helped Charles Christofle with his revolutionary quadruple plating of Silver. In 1908 Alfenide obtained its own Hallmark, so any piece bearing the original Christofle Hallmarks was made before that date.

ODIOT Silversmiths, Paris, France

The Odiot firm was purchased by BOULENGER Silversmiths in 1906.

About 'RARE' — Used in Descriptions

All too often, one sees in a Description the Noun 'RARE' which has now acquired a Secondary Connotation and one should remember the Definition offered by Merriam Webster — "marked by unusual quality, merit or appeal — Distinctive, Uncommon."

SALT — A Warning for Silver Collectors

SALT which is Sodium Chloride, essential for animal life, is Toxic to most land plants. CAREFUL leaving it in your Silver Salt Cellars — risk of corrosion. This is why Salt Cellars have been Gilded or have interior Glass or Crystal Liners. Don't leave Salt between the Liner and Salt Cellar. Have you tried Salt from France, Hawaii, New Zealand?

About SÈVRES French Porcelain

Sèvres Porcelain traces its roots in France to early craftsmen who had small manufacturing operations in such places as Lille, Rouen, St. Cloud, and most notably Chantilly. It is from Chantilly that a cadre of workers migrated to the Chateau de Vincennes near Paris to form a larger porcelain manufactory in 1738. French King Louis XV, perhaps inspired by his rumored relationship with mistress Madame de Pompadour, took an intense interest in porcelain and moved the operation in 1756 to even larger quarters in the Paris suburb of Sèvres.

From the outset the king's clear aim was to produce Sèvres Porcelain that surpassed the established Saxony works of Meissen and Dresden. Though the French lacked an ample supply of kaolin, a required ingredient for hard-paste porcelain, their soft-paste porcelain was fired at a lower temperature and was thus compatible with a wider variety of colors and glazes that in many cases were also richer and more vivid.

About the time when Napoleon Bonaparte named himself Emperor of France (1804), a new director was named for the Sèvres Porcelain Factory. Alexandre Brongniart, highly educated in many fields, resurrected Sèvres Porcelain. Soft-paste porcelain was eliminated altogether thanks to the earlier discovery of kaolin near Limoges.