Welcoming a new life into the world is so exciting. People love showering newborns with love and presents. One gift that’s commonly bestowed upon young ones is sterling silver. This article explains the historical significance of giving sterling silver baby items to growing families.

Sign of Wealth

Europeans started giving babies sterling silver items during the 18th century. Most people would give these artifacts to infants at their Christenings. One reason why individuals started giving sterling silver to little ones is that it’s a sign of wealth. The old phrase, “born with a silver spoon in your mouth,” stems from gifting sterling silver to babies. People hoped that by giving little ones these lavish items, wealth would follow them throughout their lives. Traditional baby gifts included sterling silver baby cups, rattles, and spoons. Anyone interested in collecting one of these artifacts should visit Nelson and Nelson Antiques today. We have plenty of sterling silver baby items that every new parent will appreciate.

Household Items

People in the 18th century also gave babies household objects made out of sterling silver. Sometimes, adults would give a growing family a sterling silver serving tray or different types of hollowware. These gifts were more for the parents than the child. However, the hope was that the infant could take the items to their own residence when they got older. Furthermore, just like the traditional baby items, people hoped they’d pass down household artifacts to their own children when the time came. Gifting a child sterling silver baby items at their Christening was one way someone could cement a family’s legacy. If the baby passed down the piece when they got older, the person who gifted the original piece created a family heirloom that future generations could enjoy.

This article has given more insight into the historical significance of giving sterling silver baby items to people. Europeans began the practice in the 18th century in the hopes that wealth would follow the child throughout their entire life. Occasionally, individuals would also give little ones household artifacts as a way to cement a family’s legacy. If anyone’s interested in having one of these pieces in their own home, please contact Nelson and Nelson Antiques today. Our team sells top-of-the-line sterling silver baby items that’ll add beauty and history to a person’s home.