I thought this vintage salad server set was polished cast aluminum (and the base metal may be) but the finish is actually silverplated. They were quite tarnished and my usual aluminum/pewter cleaner didn't work, but my silver polish shined them up just fine. The polish doesn't work on aluminum. The 12-1/2 inch long fork and spoon have textured handles that resemble asparagus spears. Each has a little white glass cabochon at the handle tip. They are heavy and unmarked but good quality. I missed a couple of minor spots on the spoon bowl when polishing - it's not staining or plate loss.