I LOVE these beautiful, weighty, small spoons. Make me smile every morning. Glamorous.
I LOVE these beautiful, weighty, small spoons. Make me smile every morning as I use them to stir my coffee. They're quite pretty, feel glamorous, and if you have a vibrant imagination can give you the feeling you're enjoying a thick, rich, aromatic Turkish coffee in some little Istanbul cafe watching all the people walk by. They are small and look delicate but are quite strong feeling. You do need to hand wash these and they are NOT dishwasher safe. They are not lightweight and do not have a cheap feeling. With all that said, I also found more about their construction and durability. Probably more than you care to read but I get into stuff like this and thought it may help others to decide if this product may be one they want. I love mine and would highly recommend it for beauty and hostess style entertaining as long as you know you may need just a tad extra care with these.Zamac is a zinc allow which has different grades of strength. Forgive me if I get any of this incorrect but this is what I could find about food safety and zinc alloy. Zinc is used for properties like easy to shape and cast (hence the gorgeous design shapes and legible Arabic (?) script like what's on a Turkish reset coin thats visible on the spoons). It's also relatively corrosion and rust resistant, strong and durable, non toxic and hypoallergenic (safe even for medical applications), economical, recyclable and environmentally friendly. Alternatives (which some may consider superior but have different qualities) are sterling silver, silicone, bamboo, and cast iron.Seems as long as you handle the spoons with decent care (not letting children thunk them on surfaces or dig in dirt with them - as a mom I know these things can and do happen. ha ha!) and if you hand wash them in warm soapy water and dry them they'll last you many years. However if you ever notice they are wearing out or cracked you should cease using. This material can't be restored like you can with brass, aluminum, bronze, copper, or stainless - those can be polished and plated and aren't as fragile. You just don't want to damage the protective coating on the Zamac zinc alloy spoons.This company seems to be a trusted source for beautiful serve ware, bowls, tea and coffee sets and they focus on these items primarily rather than offering everything under the sun like other companies. They have a good reputation and score high on many reviews.As far as the inscription on the spoons, in the product listing it says its Ottoman-style Turkish reset coin. That coin reflects the Ottoman Empire and carries to the Turkish people historical and cultural importance. Its flanked by crossed torches and a laurel wreath; symbolizing endurance, strength, knowledge, enlightenment, and peace. Also there are stars which are representative of the unity of provinces within the empire. The coin serves as a symbol of prosperity too.