Let me start by saying that I've read the description on multiple sites of what Sterling Roses/Sterling Silver Roses are as well as seen several shots of them...each shot seemed to depict it a different color though....some were similar in color but differed in shading quite a bit...others were downright different but still fit into the written description.

The availability of them is such that the local florists get them when someone requests them. "Hi, yes, would you order me one full-size and one tight bud of the Sterling Rose?" I ain't askin' that one!

With that said...

Does anyone have a picture that they took of either real or gumpaste Sterling Roses or have been up close and personal with them?

If I've ever been near them, I wouldn't know...no one has ever pointed them out to me as being such.

Hey there, Jeanne!

Have you tried Googling images to see what it looks like? I would try to Google and Yahoo them and go with the results that are consistent.

Hi Grace!

I did that first...and like I said in my OP, there were no consistencies.

I was hoping someone could give me some first-hand information about them.

Surely, someone has come across them.

Sterling and/or sterling silver roses are a light (blue toned) lavender with silvery highlights.

Jackson & Perkins used to sell a very beautiful sterling silver rose, but it wasn't "hardy"... (I just checked their site and they no longer offer it. Although they do have some sterling rose crossbred plants.)

I grew one ss plant for my sister who loves purple; I'm a yellow rose aficionado (King's Ransom is my all time favorite) all from J&P.

On my monitor, the Blue Moon ss rose is a good representation of the color. (Note the bud is a deeper color.)

Here's the link:

http://www.amityheritageroses.com/HybridTeas.html

HTH

Sterling roses, are just as the last post described

a bluish tint roses with lavendar silver highlights... many of them just look lavendar as it is a very hard rose to copy and get a correct color every time (even on the same plant)

If you ask for a silver rose in a floral shop you will most likely get a lavendar rose.

Has anyone seen the rainbow rose?
here is the link -- I wish my florist could get these in (she thinks I'm crazy and won't order them)

http://blog.amystewart.com/2006/11/how_about_a_rai.html

Thank you! That is what I wanted to know...whether it was more to the lavendar than the mauve.

The various pictures online showed some that were leaning more to the lavendar while others had tinges of mauve...both gorgeous...then, again, I don't think I've ever seen an ugly color rose.

okay, I take my last statement back! LOL...I'm sorry nikki, those are ugly. They look like something I would make when all my playdough got all mixed up! Cool how they got them that way though. I'm one of those odd people who don't appreciate a green-dyed carnation or purple colored poinsettias too.

I agree! LOL, The first time I saw them was in a magazine, and it said they were grown that way.

As this article says they are dyed ...

and that I am not crazy about...

But it would be a pretty cool science project for a kid.... hmmm... I think I might have to get some dyes for the DSS... he hates science and I know this would interest him...

But I agree I hate colored carnations and "roses" this rose just came off of my "want" list.

I saw a bunch when I did the search (before suggesting to do the search in my previous post) that were bluish lavendar in color and I thought they looked very exotic. Almost ethereal. Very unique looking rose, then again, I guess the name suits it! I've seen some other roses that were bred by 'experts' that must make the normal roses 'angry' as they put that species to shame! Sometimes things are played with too much.

Would you ever believe there are things in 'nature' that were never intended?!

As a retired floral designer, I can tell you the flowers are a definite lavender color.They have the most heavenly fragrance. Even kept under refrigerant, they still hold their fragrance where all other roses don't until warmed to room temperature.

TYVM! I do appreciate all of the replies on this one!

After what seemed like an eternity producing somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 full flowers and buds in a bluish lavendar shade, I arrive to the venue to see a most incredibly gorgeous centerpiece loaded with various flowers that included MAUVE roses! Not lavendar...nowhere near bluish or silverish...but MAUVE!
I will say that I was lucky enough to be paired with a bride-to-be that was laid back about the cake and colors. I don't think that she was all too sure what color they were really either.

I think it turned out really well...just wished the colors were closer.

So, for those of ya'll out there who made need to create something to coordinate with Sterling roses...some florists are using a more mauve(which may, in fact, be legitimate Sterling roses as well)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.edistowedding.com/images/gallery/small/Sterling_Roses_thumb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.edistowedding.com/gallery/index.php%3Fid%3D1&h=64&w=96&sz=4&hl=en&start=18&um=1&tbnid=w_QNUxH58mYsOM:&tbnh=54&tbnw=81&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsterling%2Broses%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4SUNA_en___US227%26sa%3DN

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://nymag.com/weddings/planner/2007/winter/1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://nymag.com/weddings/planner/2007/winter/cakes/&h=665&w=540&sz=72&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=u2rCQnP8CvUBIM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsterling%2Broses%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4SUNA_en___US227%26sa%3DN

and even deeper, darker MAUVE tones....not at all lavendar/purplish...

Jeanne, I'm glad you got your answer and that it all worked out okay.

I have to apologize to you. After re-reading this whole thread I realize how stupid my first post here sounded. What I didn't get across or say so well is that sometimes if you do an image search using just one search engine, you get a lot of variety and little inconsistencies, so if you do it on a bunch of search engines and then take the "top hits" from each, then you usually start finding more of the same and less frequent inconsistencies. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, glad you got your answer and thanks for sharing it with the rest of us.

I did multiple searches using multiple search engines. I got a plethora of results...images as well as written descriptions. The written descriptions were basically all the same...and...they described the images regardless of the image coloring...I mean...it could go either way as far as the written description went. The images varied in color range from more mauve to the palest of bluish lavendar(the description did include that this rose was "the first true purple rose").

Your initial post didn't sound stupid at all.

I was just hoping to make contact with someone who had seen these roses first hand. According to the CCers that responded that knew first-hand what they looked like, they were more lavendar...not mauve. But mauve seems to be what florists are pushing as a sterling rose.

I'm thinking that all thornless roses are being put into a category and labeled as Sterling roses when they aren't true Sterling roses. Just my thought on the subject.

I greatly appreciate everyone who responded to this inquiry!