Miss Manners cannot promise that they will develop the same aesthetic and sentimental attachment to the set that you seem to ...

Plates in this pattern usually go for around $30 per dinner plate ... From Wedgwood, the famous maker of fine bone china, the 'Crown Emerald' has solid banding that showcases fancier motifs.

So, for example, avoid combining dinner plates composed of fine china with acrylic cups and plastic silverware. However, that doesn't mean every piece needs to come with a hefty price tag.