Value Guide to Gorham Martele Silver and its worth:
What are Gorham Martele Silver Flatware and Hollowware Items Worth? The following article will give you a pretty good idea on Gorham Martele silver values.
To set a base line of values, a common piece of Gorham silver flatware or hollowware is usually worth between $35- $55 per troy ounce at retail.
However, a Gorham item that has the additional mark of "Martele" will automatically be worth at least $45 per troy ounce or much more depending on the piece. Most of these hand made pieces were made between 1890 and 1920 and only around 8,000 piece total were ever produced. As a result they are quite valuable and collectible.
A small percentage of Martele pieces are made of sterling silver. Some pieces are made of .950 or 95% silver. Many are made of "Britannia" which is the English invented alloy of .9584 (95.840% silver and 4.16% copper.)
This is 3.34% higher in silver content than the standard of sterling silver which is only 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
We are going to go through the various price levels within the category of Gorham Martele Silver.
Gorham Martele Art Nouveau Water Pitcher, weight 50 troy ounces & worth $50,000 which equates to $1,000 per troy ounce
Level One - Gorham Martele Silver Plainer & usually produced in later years. If a Gorham Martele piece is somewhat plain, less decorated and almost looks similar to more common non-Martele produced Gorham Pieces like Chantilly, Buttercup or Strasbourg, then these pieces are usually are worth between $45-$100 per troy ounce at retail. In recent years, these lower end Martele pieces have taken a nose dive in value. Some of the pieces were once worth more and it seemed like just a few years ago collectors were scooping up everything and anything that had the Gorham Martele marks on them. Nowadays, the collectors have gravitated to only wanting magnificent Martele items and are not bidding at all on the less opulent pieces. As a result of this lowered demand, these pieces have gone down at least 50% in the past few years. A Martele piece that is monogrammed will also fit into this category unless it is something really magnificent. Monograms typically devalue a Martele item by around 30-50% off what it normally would have been worth originally.
Uninteresting items like bread and butter dishes, fruit bowls and flatter trays are also usually in this lower priced category.
Big bulky pieces like trays or dishes, especially if monogrammed, will retail at around closer to the lower per troy ounce range.
More complete sets that are not monogrammed with a more interesting pieces like a hot water kettle will be worth in the mid to upper range in this price category.
It is our determination currently in the marketplace that nearly 80-90% of all Martele items ever produced are relegated into this lower price point category of Martele of being worth between $45-$100 per troy ounce.
Here are several examples of Gorham Martele that are plainer or monogrammed and usually produced in the teens or twenties of the 20century:
Gorham Martele Waiter Tray with large deco script monogram sold at $7,500 at Live Auctioneers with buyers premium. This equates to:
$46 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Sandwich Plate sold at $2,390 at Heritage Auctions with buyers premium. This equates to:
$97 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Fruit Bowl 36.46 troy ounces - sold at $2,300 on Ebay
This equates to:
$63.88 per troy ounce at retail.
Level Two - Gorham Martele Silver Semi-Ornate If a Gorham Martele piece is semi ornate then these pieces are usually are worth between $100-$300 per troy ounce at retail.
Martele pieces in this category typically include more interesting pieces like centerpiece bowls, punch bowls, candlesticks, taller vases and some flatware pieces. They will also usually not be monogrammed on the front, but can possibly have some date, monograms or inscriptions on the hidden back side of the piece.
The designs on these will be also a little more pronounced and puffed out in a more 3 dimensional repousse or chased detail effect.
Here are several examples of Gorham Martele that are more ornate and are more interesting pieces:
Gorham Martele 18.75" Tall Statement Vase Currently for sale on Ebay at $21,250 on Ebay and weighs 78.45 troy ounces
This equates to:
$272 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Candlesticks Sold at Sothebys at $21,132.80 and weighs 76 troy ounces
This equates to:
$278 per troy ounce at retail.
Level Three - Gorham Martele Silver Art Nouveaux Unusual Styles
& Abstract Shapes
If a Gorham Martele piece is has an art nouveaux style and an unusual or abstract body shape, then these pieces are usually are worth between $300-$500 per troy ounce at retail.
Martele pieces in this category typically include more interesting pieces like water pitchers, centerpiece bowls, taller vases and some flatware pieces. They will also usually not be monogrammed on the front, but can possibly have some date, monograms or inscriptions on the hidden back side of the piece
The pieces in this category usually have an abstract and atypical body shape and unusual handles or spouts.
These magnificent pieces have an aesthetic that is comparable to nothing else like made in the regular lines of silverware production and are often considered experimental in and novel in the nature of their designs.
Here are several examples of Gorham Martele Silver that are unique and unusual and unusual:
Gorham Martele Pair of Vases Weight 80 troy ounces Sold at Christies for $38.400 with buyers premium
This equates to:
$480 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Silver Jardiniere Weight 126 troy ounces Sold at Christies for $56,000 with buyers premium
This equates to:
$444.44 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Water Pitcher Weight 45 troy ounces Sold at Sothebys for $22,400 with buyers premium
This equates to:
$497.77 per troy ounce at retail.
Level Four - Gorham Martele Silver Displayed at Expositions or nearly Unique
If a Gorham Martele piece is one that was displayed at The World's Fair or is one that is nearly a unique one of kind item then these pieces are usually are worth between $300-$1,100 per troy ounce at retail.
Martele pieces in this category typically include more interesting pieces like tall ewers, candelabras, important pitchers and some flatware pieces. They will also usually not be monogrammed on the front, but can possibly have some date, monograms or inscriptions on the hidden back side of the piece
The pieces in this category usually have a look that will make your jaw drop when you see it aesthetic beauty.
Bowls and small centerpieces will be more at the lower range in this category. Highly unusual items that have figures or figural elements will be in the mid to higher range.
These magnificent pieces have a look and design comparable to nothing else like made in the regular lines of silverware production and are often considered experimental in and novel in the nature of their designs.
Here are several examples of Gorham Martele Silver that are from expositions or are nearly unique:
Gorham Martele Pair of Figuaral Ewers Weight 147 troy ounces Sold at Christies for $160,000 with buyers premium
This equates to:
$1,088 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Jewel Casket Weight 54 troy ounces Sold at Christies for $35,000 with buyers premium
This equates to:
$648 per troy ounce at retail.
Gorham Martele Pair of 3 Light Candelabras Weight 100 troy ounces Sold at Sothebys for $103,040 with buyers premium
This equates to:
$1,030.40 per troy ounce at retail.
Conclusion: If you own a piece of Gorham Martele, you are most likely in the money!
A word of caution:
Unlike Tiffany Mixed Metals where there are seemingly hundreds if not even thousands of active buyers and collectors are always seeking out these prized ultra rare pieces, the pool of collectors for Gorham Martele Silver is much more narrow. Gorham Martele is also not as well generally known compared to Tiffany. Because of this, the demand for Martele can vary greatly and there are fluctuations in the market place. There are also some famous collectors of Martele who have been accumulating now for several decades. However, they seem to have cooled their jets a bit in recent years and as a result the market demand has declined overall on Martele in general. Just be cautious and do your research on comparables prior to paying big money for any Martele piece. Look for more recent sales comps rather than just gauge by past sales from the last 20 years. Also, some auction results can be skewed by the occasional "in the moment" bidding of an over passionate bidder. Hopefully, our price values guide on Gorham Martele will give you a pretty good guide, but it's always good to use your own best judgment when making purchases of Gorham Martele Silver.
Best of luck on collecting and hope you find what you desire out there in the silver collectors market place!
We hope you have enjoyed our article on the values of Gorham Martele Silver.
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