Sterling ornaments are handheld heirlooms.
Of all my holiday decorations, nothing delights me more than unpacking the sterling ornaments and hanging them on the tree. Some years I polish them ultrabright, and others I leave them patinaed for more of a vintage look.
My collection started the year I got married. I received one as an engagement gift and started looking for more, in antique malls and at estate sales. I learned over the years to hunt for them on eBay and Etsy in the summer months for the best price, and to buy multiples from the same seller to save on shipping.
When my children were born, I began buying them one every Christmas. I don’t wrap them as a gift—as some essays bemoan, receiving the “dreaded silver ornament from an elderly aunt.” Instead, I ordered a couple of rolls of ribbon with each child’s name. I tie a bow on the shiny baubles and hang them on the tree. One day, I’ll hand them each a box of their ornaments. For the record, I buy myself one, too.
Gorham started the sterling ornament craze in 1970 with a snowflake. They’ve crafted a different one each year ever since. Wallace Silversmiths jumped on the bandwagon with a sleigh bell in 1971. Today, they offer a sterling and a silverplate version. They look spectacular en masse in a bowl; I’ve noticed clever decorators using dough bowls and handmade baskets to top sideboards and entry tables with them.
Sterling Ornaments are a Germanic tradition dating from the 1500s. Originally, they were edible items like candies, fruits, or baked items. The town of Lauscha was the first to accomplish making glass ornaments and originals are incredibly collectible.
Most of the sterling makers offer ornaments each year, such as the aforementioned Gorham and Wallace Silversmiths, along with others like Reed and Barton, and Lunt. I am not brand picky, though I have hunted a few specific ornaments, including birth years, tiny baby cup ornaments, and the silver 2000 for the new millennium. I am fond of any snowflake and the stubby Celtic crosses, as well as candy canes and stars.
One of the most distinctive sterling ornaments I’ve collected is a whistle made of four-leaf clovers, and I love a heart inspired by a Victorian valentine. They’re not the most affordable things to collect—on a really good day, you might pick up a tarnished one for $25 or $30. New ones can cost $100 and up.
I don’t keep my sterling ornaments in their felt pockets nor in the original boxes. I place them together in a small box lined with tissue paper, and it suffices.
Wright’s silver polish is my secret weapon for a beautiful shine, but a silver cloth is a whole lot quicker. Their durability is another thing I admire about collecting them. While glass balls invariably break, I’ve never lost a sterling ornament to damage. Some things, it seems, are made to stand the test of time.
Some Favorites from My Collection
The number of sterling ornaments I own can now be counted by the dozens, but these are ones I admire hanging on my tree each year, likely for the memories they hold. Though they are an expensive gift to give, for someone special they hold value, both sentimental and in silver weight.
- Small 8-pointed star: I collect these smaller stars to place on weaker upper branches.
- Sheep on wheels with bell: I was delighted to find this ornament depicting an Early American toy for my son.
- Bouquet of four-leaf clovers: The most unique ornament I own is this “lucky” whistle, which we try out several times each holiday season.
- Celtic cross: Of the many equal-sided crosses I’ve collected, this one is probably the most ornate.
- Tiny candy cane: My daughter loves candy canes, so any candy cane ornaments are considered hers.
- Hollow reindeer: I really enjoy this reindeer with its realistic torso and mid-prance stance.
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas: Part of the Christmas Carols series, I only collected this one because I like its plume of smoke.
- Victorian-inspired heart: I believe this ornament’s name is The Key to my Heart, and it’s special to me because my birthday is February 14.
- Praying angel: The ornament was very tarnished, and I thought it was much older than it is; it hangs very long at over five inches.
- Six-pointed snowflake: Inspired by a paper snowflake, I was drawn to the three-dimensional aspect created by its design.
- Small Byzantine-inspired cross: I’ve been known to take this ornament off the tree and wear it as a necklace.
- Poinsettia snowflake: Is it a poinsettia or a snowflake? I don’t know, but it reminds me of Greenville.
- Three French hens: the only 12 Days of Christmas ornament I own is the three French hens because I love to cook.
- Five-pointed star: I hunted for a traditional five-pointed star for my son’s 10th Christmas and was excited to find this one.
