Remember what your mother told you: Don't judge a book (or a fork, knife, or spoon) by its cover. These pretty pieces were made to withstand breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even the dishwasher. See the details for our everyday flatware picks on the next few slides.

Kate Spade New York "Todd Hill." Faceted handles add understated elegance to simple stainless steel, macys.com.

Michael Wainwright "Gold Manhattan." Fit for loft-style living, the hammered gold-plated detailing was inspired by the New York City skyline, michaelcfina.com.

Crate & Barrel "Iona." Slick stainless steel with a glossy, reflective surface, crateandbarrel.com.

Seletti "Midas Golden Cutlery." A brushed matte finish gives gold plating midcentury-modern appeal, The Conran Shop, 866-755-9079.

Yamazaki "Grace." This stainless steel set relies on decorative finials to stand out on the table, bedbathandbeyond.com

Martha Stewart Collection with Wedgwood "Chorale." Clean lines make this stainless design Martha's favorite for daily use, macys.com.

Arte Italica "Terra." Wood artisans hand-carved the faux bois pattern for the pewter-handled set, theregistryfranklin.com.

Pottery Barn "Maxfield." Flatware that looks like it's been passed down from your (stylish) grandma, thanks to a worn-nickel finish and embossing, potterybarn.com.

Sambonet "Filet Toiras." The polished gold plating -- complete with baroque touches -- will warm up any table, 888-921-9378.

Fortessa "Caviar." Ergonomic handles round out the stainless design, surlatable.com.

Enlist these distinguished pieces to add elegance to your parties, holidays, and special occasions (even the daily ones). They aren't meant for the dishwasher, but they're worth the extra care. Find more details on these pieces on the next few slides.

Christofle "America." Faceted silver-plated handles bring Deco design to the table, michaelcfina.com.

Wallace "Grande Baroque." The classic Victorian acanthus-leaf pattern in gold plating livens up sterling silver, lifetimesterling.com.

Valpeltro "Eloro." Stainless steel heads and pewter handles are hand-finished for an antique look, horchow.com, via MyRegistry.com.

J.L. Coquet "Prelude Gold." The porcelain handles are 24 karat gold plated, michaelcfina.com.

Reed & Barton "Spanish Baroque." Baroque design at its handcrafted, sterling silver best, reedandbarton.com, via MyRegistry.com.

Gorham "Buttercup." The flowery design is anchored by sterling construction, lifetimesterling.com.

James Robinson "Early English." Each piece in this set is shaped out of a single bar of sterling silver, 212-752-6166, via MyRegistry.com.

Ricci Argentieri "Raffaello Gold." The stainless steel handles are wrapped with a gold-plated fish-scale design, silversuperstore.com.

Robbe & Berking "Alt-Kopenhagen." Its sterling pattern dates back to 1874, michaelcfina.com.