Top 10 Silverware Patterns

Made by: Kirk-Stieff

Introduced: 1828

Value: $170 per dinner fork

Nicknamed Baltimore Silver for its birthplace and the local families who collect it, Repousse predates other patterns here by at least 67 years. Post-1870s, "most of the country had moved on" from extreme embellishments, says Mark Letzer of the Maryland Historical Society. "But in Baltimore, Repousse never went out of fashion."

Made by: Gorham

Introduced: 1900

Value: $160 per dinner fork

Think of Fairfax as the little black dress to Francis I's poufy ball gown. Richard Osterberg, author of Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance,notes that it "sells great on the East Coast but doesn't go for beans in the West." The "plain" handle lends itself to monogramming, though that knocks value down 25 to 50 percent.

Made by: International

Introduced: 1939

Value: $120 per dinner fork

Released at the start of World War II, sweet-and-simple Prelude aimed to attract a practical audience. A 1952 ad suggested dinner be "scooped out of cans but served like a banquet—with the most beautiful silver ever made."

Made by: Gorham

Introduced: 1899

Value: $120 per dinner fork

Buttercup is more low-maintenance than its frilly appearance suggests—a patina of oxidation actually improves the pattern's looks. "There's a nice term for the tarnish that gets into silver details: French grey," says dealer Jim Stringer of silverchatter.com. "People complain if Buttercup's been cleaned too much."

Made by: Wallace

Introduced: 1934

Value: $150 per dinner fork

Based on the delicate lace needlework of Venetian Rose Point bridal veils (a favorite of royal aristocracy), this openwork motif "does very well in the Southwest—particularly Texas," says dealer Jim Stringer of silverchatter.com.

Made by: Gorham

Introduced: 1897

Value: $120 per dinner fork

Consider Strasbourg a gateway pattern: Many of the experts we spoke with got hooked on collecting silver via this charmer. Strasbourg's scrollwork was created as a less ornate riff on Louis XV's rococo style.

Made by: Towle

Introduced: 1942

Value: $110 per dinner fork

According to the cult classic A Southern Belle Prime, by Maryln Schwartz, ladies who choose this design are "fiercely attached to their family heirlooms." To wit: the divorcing belle who "took her husband to court over the Old Master and let him keep the Cadillac without a whimper."

Made by: Reed & Barton

Introduced: 1908

Value: $170 per dinner fork

As heavily festooned as Grande Baroque, Frances I has adorned the dining tables of the rich and powerful: from an East Indian maharaja to Presidents Eisenhower and Truman—the latter even used it aboard his yacht.

Made by: Wallace

Introduced: 1941

Value: $200 per dinner fork

The name says all you need to know about this pattern's vibe. Or as Aibileen, a character in Kathryn Stockett's The Help puts it, "Polishing Grand Baroque with all of its loops and curls is a two-arm job." Adding to the luxe allure, each utensil bears a different flower (narcissus for forks, roses for knives, etc.).

Made by: Gorham

Introduced: 1895

Value: $130 per dinner fork

The most in-demand pattern, Chantilly's relatively pared-down silhouette and modest florals appeal to traditionalists—including George W. Bush, who chose this flatware for Air Force One.