What to Know: You can usually find the name or number of a china pattern on the back of a plate. Before you approach a manufacturer or a replacement service about matching a piece of cut or etched crystal, take a photo or wrap a sheet of lightweight paper around a glass and make a rubbing of the design with a soft pencil. For silver, take a photo or make a photocopy of both sides of a fork (the back may bear a trademark or other info). Your insurance company may also offer replacement services for these items.

Where to Go: Replacements, Ltd. (www.replacements.com), which offers free searches, claims it has the world’s largest selection of dinnerware — 10 million pieces, some more than 100 years old, in 200,000 patterns, all at market prices. Pattern Finders, Ltd. (www.patternfinders.com), offers a similar free service, but only its china inventory is online. If these services don’t have what you need, they’ll notify you if your missing piece is found.