How do you clean tarnished silver?

Wash them in warm soapy water first to remove surface dust. Dry with a soft cotton cloth. Use a dedicated silver polish sparingly. Apply it with a sponge, rub lightly, and buff away the residue before it dries.

Why do the bases have green felt?

The felt protects your polished furniture. Heavy metal bases scratch dining tables when dragged across the surface. It also covers the internal filling. Without the baize, that rough pitch sits directly on the wood.

I have a pair of tall candlesticks that lean slightly to one side when they sit flat on the table, can they be straightened out?

Yes, a professional silversmith can usually correct a lean. They need to assess if the metal stretched or if the internal weighted core shifted over time. Hollow stamped columns are fragile. Don't try to bend them back yourself. The thin silver skin splits easily under pressure.

Some of the separate nozzles I see online have different markings than the main bases, does that mean they are put together from different sets?

Not necessarily. Removable drip pans often carry only partial hallmarks, like the lion passant or a maker mark. They rarely show the full set found on the base. Check that the maker and date letters match if they are present. Owners frequently mixed up loose parts during cleaning. Finding original matched bases and sconces is less common as a result.

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Antique Silver Candlesticks

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Cast or stamped from solid silver, these upright fixtures were essential for holding wax candles to illuminate dining tables and drawing rooms before the age of gas and electric lighting.