The problem with gold flatware is that it wouldn't work if it were your only flatware... it doesn't strike me as being versatile enough for daily use.

(And from an aesthetic view, I quite dislike the mixing of yellow and white metal, like on the knife from West Elm, or the "dipped" version from Anthropologie.)

ditto to mschatelaine's comment! I do really like the way it looks, though-- just wouldn't ever actually buy it.

First question that comes to mind: Is it dishwasher safe?

Just so happens I bought a gold colour spoon and knife 2 days ago as props for my blog! They were on final sale at Zara Home. I just need the warm, rustic wooden table now :)

i adore gold flatware, but with the exception of a few alessi serving pieces, i'm afraid to invest in it. i've read a lot of review saying that the gold wears off after a while. has anyone had a positive experience with it, and could recommend a brand?

Gold flatware tends to show scratches and wear very easily (and not in that good antique-y way) as the gold plating rubs off and the remaining gold contrasts very starkly with the underlying white metal.

Gorgeous wether practical or not. I err on the side of impracticality if it's for something that strikes me, so I'm loving this!

Anyone who has it care to comment on its durability? This is something I've been considering for a while but I fear it will not age well.

We got one set of gold-plated flatware from Crate and Barrel ~5 years ago. The gold wore off the knife pretty quick, but the rest of it is still good to go, even though we are lazy and throw 'em in the dishwasher.

I used to work for one of the best independent flatware replacement companies around (which predates Replacements Ltd by decades I believe.) Anyway, we had a pattern called "Golden Versailles." The boss called it (and pardon his language) "Gaudy shit for people who got money and didn't know how to spend it."

I think it would look at home in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces ...

Also gold on Sterling means that it will tarnish badly and get really nasty. Seriously, the stuff was hideous. Nothing with gold on it ever sold. Dealers always said that customers called it trashy. I tend to agree.

We just registered for black flatware!

I used to own gold flatware. I was afraid guest thought I was either "putting on the dog" or "tasteless" so I sold it on ebay. I had to be hand washed which was a pain. I've seen it on blogs and in catalogs lately but I'm not sorry I sold it. I love the antique silver plate I bought at an antique market. I had it professionally polished and I use it everyday. I do hand wash but so worth it. I love the look of silver. I'm a silver jewelry artist and can't get enough of the stuff.

No! It's pathetically vulgar.

No matter how well staged or photographed, every time I see gold flatware I remember this listing from many years ago for "Appalling Flatware for Sale": http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000153.html

Gold flatware = trying too hard. It strikes me as a eyeroll-inducing novelty like a piano where the "white" keys are black and vice versa -- cute for 5 seconds, then tiresome. I imagine we'll be seeing more of it, as everyday items get more tinged with a somewhat juvenile sense of "ooh, I like this because it's FANCY!" Remember when sequins were reserved for special occasions, and for evening wear where some sparkle befits the elegance of the event? Now you can't walk through a Wal-Mart at 10 a.m. without seeing half a dozen women wearing sequins. Gold flatware is kinda like that. And the Saddam Hussein reference is PERFECT.

Never gave it a thought until now, but I'm kinda digging it in the first photo. I think it could work if everything else was kept very simple and neutral. This way, it looks fresh and unique instead of gaudy and tasteless.