Weighted sterling

Weighted sterling or weighted silver refers to items such as candlesticks, candy dishes, salt and pepper shakers, and trophies that have a heavy thick weighted foot or pedestal base, in order to keep them steady and not easy to topple over.^[1] Wax, plaster, copper, or lead is used in the base to give the item strength, stability, and heft. Manufacturers of such weighted items are required by law^[where?] to label them as “Weighted Sterling Silver” to ensure unwary consumers are not misled into believing the items are solely sterling silver, because solid sterling objects have value by weight.