Silver Plated Fruit Knife and Fork Set with Fish Servers

• Mother-Of-Pearl - Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments.
  
  In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.
  
  Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries.
• Cartouche - An ornamental panel in the form of of a shield, oval or rectangular scroll with curling edges. It may be carved into the back of a chair or the top of a sideboard, or present on a piece of silver or jewellery, and contain the initials of the original owner, heraldic symbols, or some other inscription, such as the details of a presentation.
  
  In ceramics the term defines the central area of a vase or similar with a decorative border in one of the shapes above, into which a decorative scene or figures have been painted.
• Lucite - Lucite was invented in 1931 by chemists at DuPont. It was crystal clear, resistant to water and UV rays, and was low density yet stronger than previous plastics. Like Bakelite, Lucite was used extensively in war supplies during WWII.
  
  After the war, the plastics were used for jewellery and other items. Lucite rings were highly popular during the '50s and '60s, as were Lucite handbags. In 1993, DuPont sold its acrylic resin operations, and the Lucite name now belongs to Lucite International in Southampton, UK.

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• fish servers - silver plate items 67