Ginkgo International Ltd. Made for your life Ginkgo: Our History Ginkgo International Ltd. was founded in 1977 by Wes and Janet Helmick. Their goal was to bring to the market original, quality flatware designs at the best possible price. Family-owned and operated since 1977, Ginkgo International designs quality products that are "made for your life." Now a second generation family business, Ginkgo continues to offer consumers the highest quality flatware and cutlery products at the best possible value. Ginkgo Collection There is a pattern in this collection for everyone. We offer a wide array of aesthetics to complement every table top and d�cor. All flatware patterns in this collection are made of Stainless 18/0. We offer a range of finishes as well; All Satin, Hammered, Mirror, and the extremely polished Full Mirror. No matter your taste, we have the flatware that you will want to use every day for the rest of your life. Stainless steel is extremely easy to care for. For 30 years, Ginkgo has been designing quality products to please even the most discerning customer. Ginkgo Collection - Newest pattern: Corrie The latest addition to the Ginkgo collection features a full rounded handle with recessed center and polished, rounded edges that afford great comfort and balance in the hand. Corrie has a high polish finish with fine attention to detail. This makes CORRIE the ideal design for everyday. All pieces are made from 18/0 stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. Ginkgo Collection - Lafayette, our signature pattern Designed by Wes Helmick in the 15th and 16th century colonial period, when silver tableware was made from silver coins, since our country did not have any silver mines at this time. The coins were melted down, shaped, and hammered to their final form. Lafayette is a beautiful rendition of the hand hammered flatware of the colonial period. If a rustic, hammered look is what you"re going for, look no further than Lafayette pattern. With its hammered finish and clean design, the Lafayette pattern is ready for everyday use. From kids to your most distinguished guests, the Lafayette collection is sure to please. The handles taper from a slender neck to a rounded tab end which lifts up off the table. The spoon bowls are squared off for a contemporary look, the forks feature extra-long tines, and the knife is constructed of one solid piece. We offer this pattern in a variety of ways; Set of 20, Set of 42, 5-piece place setting, 4-piece hostess set, and finally open stock. Start with a set of 20 or 42 and then add pieces as needed. All pieces are made from 18/0 stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. Ginkgo Collection - Naples and Norse, popular patterns Almost every pattern in this collection was inspired by some exotic locale around the world. Escape at your own dinner table, in this case to Naples, Italy with our Naples Flatware. This pattern offers a great hand feel with it"s heavy forged handles, engraved with 3 simple bands, are reminiscent of Italian columns. Use your Naples flatware for casual or formal entertaining alike. Our Naples flatware is available in the following sets; 42-piece, 20-piece, 5-piece, 4-piece hostess set and finally open stock. Start with a set of 20 or 42 and then add pieces as needed. Designed to enhance the look of your table and feel good in your hand. All pieces are made from 18/0 stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. The Norse collection on the other hand was influenced by Scandinavian design. The pattern features sleek, straight handles. Norse flatware is ideal for both casual and formal dining. It is simple, versatile and will go with any decor. With a clean, straight-lined handle, gleaming mirror-polished finish and sophisticated Scandinavian design, Norse flatware by Ginkgo is a sharp look for your table. All pieces are made from 18/0 stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. Please check out all of our patterns to find the one that best complements your personal style. Other patterns in our Ginkgo Collection are: Bergen Linden Bonnie President Sanibel Simple Skandia Svelte Varberg Ginkgo Collection - Ginkgo Select Ginkgo Select is a sub-group within our Ginkgo collection. This selection differs in that all of these patterns are offered in 18/10 Stainless Steel. Ginkgo Select -Charlie, the newest pattern Our Charlie pattern is sleek and thin, with an arched handle giving every piece great weight and feel. This is a distinct minimalist aesthetic geared for the contemporary table, but elegant in every way and suited to casual and formal settings. Charlie is offered on a variety of ways; 42-piece, 20-piece, 5-piece, and open stock. Start with a set of 20 or 42 and then add pieces as needed. All pieces are made from 18/10 stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. 20-piece, 5-piece, 4-piece hostess set, and finally open stock. Please check out all of our patterns to find the one that compliments your personal style. Other patterns in our Ginkgo Select Collection are: Burton Fontur Platinum Patriot Seadrift Starlight Woodruff Caring for your Ginkgo Flatware: Most stainless steel spoons and forks available in the USA are marked with their steel chemistry; usually 18/0, 18/8, or 18/10. All of these compositions should give you years of use with limited maintenance. If you notice discoloring, or small oxidation marks on your stainless, it can usually be cleaned off with hot soapy water, and a sponge. If that doesn"t do the trick, use a good quality stainless polish. Often, a rust spot on your flatware is not the flatware itself, but a dissimilar steel peeler or other item leaning against it in the dishwasher. There are many unique finishes available in our Ginkgo Collection. The most durable and stain resistant is our high gloss mirror finish. A smooth mirror finish leaves little for oxidizing agents to attack. Satin finish breaks the surface of the steel, so it is more prone to staining. However, satin finishes, like on our Norse pattern, can be revitalized simple by scrubbing (in the direction of the grain) with a delicate scrubbing sponge or very fine steel wool. This cleans off the surface, and adds more micro scratches. Stainless Steel. What do the numbers mean? In metallurgy, stainless steel is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 11.5% chromium content by mass. Stainless steel does not stain, corrode or rust as easily as ordinary steel (it "stains less"), but it is not stain-proof. As an example, mayonnaise left on a knife blade in the sink seems to stain the blade a darker color. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel to suit the environment to which the material will be subjected in its lifetime. Common uses of stainless steel are cutlery and watch straps. Stainless steel differs from carbon steel by amount of chromium present. Carbon steel rusts when exposed to air and moisture. This iron oxide film is active and accelerates corrosion by forming more iron oxide. Stainless steels have sufficient amount of chromium present so that a passive film of chromium oxide forms which prevents further corrosion. Stainless steel"s resistance to corrosion and staining, low maintenance, and affordability make it an ideal base material for a host of commercial applications. There are over 150 grades of stainless steel, of which fifteen are most common. There are different types of stainless steels: when nickel is added, for instance, the austenite structure of iron is stabilized. This crystal structure makes such steels non-magnetic and less brittle at low temperatures. For greater hardness and strength, carbon is added. When subjected to adequate heat treatment, these steels are used as razor blades, cutlery, flatware, etc. A typical composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, commonly known as 18/8 stainless, is often used in flatware. 18/8 has approximately 18% chromium, and from 8-10 percent nickel. The nomenclature 18/8, and 18/10 are sometimes both used to represent the same type steel. 18/0 has 18 percent chromium, and no nickel. This common steel is often used in flatware sets as it combines the stain resistant elements of 18/8 at a lower cost. In recent years the price of nickel has increased by tenfold.