Sterling Silver pieces are made from silver with the addition of 7.5 percent of another metal, usually copper, for durability. "Sterling" should be stamped on the piece.

Silver Plate has a metal-alloy base (usually nickel silver, a mix of nickel, copper, and zinc; sometimes brass) and is coated with a thin layer of 100 percent silver by the process of electroplating. (The term EPNS -- electroplate on nickel silver -- identifies the base metal.)

Gold Plate is made by the same electroplating process, but the base metal (usually sterling silver, a metal alloy, or stainless steel) is coated with a thin layer of 10-karat gold.

Stainless Steel is an alloy of steel, chromium, and nickel. The highest quality is 18/8; it has a steel base with 18 percent chrome for corrosion resistance and 8 percent nickel for luster.