Silver Plating

Silver plating is more often used for antique restoration of hollowware, including cups, bowls, vases & flatware such as trays, plates & dishes. We also electroplate many modern silver plated items where the plating has simply worn through, trophies & medals being most popular. We also receive requests to silver plate solid gold jewellery!

Silver plating is an action which deposits a thin layer of silver onto an electrically conductive surface. The surface, normally a conductive metal base, allows a current to be passed through it to form a complete circuit. The silver particles in the electrolyte solution then bond to the item being electroplated, the item being silver plated is also referred to as the cathode.

• The minimum thickness for silver plating is 0.5 microns. This is used for decorative purposes on items with minimal handling.
• Heavy silver plate would be 5+ microns. The normal thickness we apply would be between 5 – 10 microns dependent upon the item & its intended use. This provides a long lasting finish on items such as; antiques, wristwatches, clocks, buckles, trophies & jewellery.

Our silver plating solutions are tarnish resistant, hard wearing & long lasting. A thickness of just 5 microns is often more than adequate for the long term durability of most items if cared for properly.

Please take a look at the photos showing our work in the gallery.
If you would like an item silver plating or you have any questions please contact us.

Welcome To Pure Gold Plating

Specialist brush plating & tank electro platers since 2008, Pure Gold Plating offer a wide range of electroplating & finishing services for both industry & the private sector.

Our services include gold plating in yellow, white, green & rose gold, platinum, palladium, silver plating, white bronze, copper, nickel, decorative chrome plating & even black chrome plating.

All our work is electroplated with durability in mind for a long lasting finish & our hard gold plating exceeds many of our customer’s expectations. Our gold solution is 24 Carat pure gold & contains no alloys. This pure gold plating solution can be mixed all the way down to 9 Carat enabling us to colour match for that always perfect finish whether it be a large commercial project or simply a one-off pair of bath taps.

Pure Gold Plating work hard to provide a first class professional service to all our customers both in the UK, where we are based, & worldwide.

We also provide an extensive gold & silver plating training course as well as offer a complete gold & silver plating business opportunity complete with website, all equipment, solutions, training & ongoing support for as long as you need us. For full details please see our training page.

• All our quotations include return delivery unless stated otherwise.
• We are able to carry out ‘selective plating’ if required. This involves electroplating part of a single item or we can simply electroplate an item in two or more precious or non-precious metals.
• We provide metal finishing services on a wide range of materials including electroplating aluminium & zinc.
• Our turnaround is 3 – 10 days on the majority of work.
• We provide a cleaning & polishing only service.
• Need something else? We add new services frequently so please get in touch.

Antique Silver Restoration

Antique restoration is a skill that requires great attention to detail and respect for the item being worked upon. Silverware ranging from antique hollowware, including cups, bowls, and the like and flatware such as trays, plates and dishes are all ideal candidates for restoration. Due to their age, antiques are often fragile and require a delicate hand. However, just as important, is the attention to preserving the original integrity of the piece. Interestingly enough, what gives an antique its charm and value, often referred to as patina, must be matched carefully when performing restoration. This way, the antique will be preserved rather than ruined.

One way to restore silver antiques is by re-plating the old surface with a new one. Commonly employing silver plating to do so, antique restorers will cover the old, damaged surface with a new coating of silver. Easy in theory but in practice a lot more work is usually involved. In the example photo below you can see how an item often comes in to us for restoration. This antique flatware required a large amount of prep work including four polishing stages before the electroplating took place.

Finally, the application of silver was done through a process known as electroplating. Electroplating involves coating a conductive surface with an electrolyte containing the actual silver. This is an excellent method to brighten up and restore new life to antique silver pieces such as silverware, bowls, teapots and like items. In preserving the original shape of the object, its function is preserved while its look is greatly enhanced as you can see in the image of the finished item below.

The trick with antique restoration is to take away or cover just enough of the damage in order to allow the natural age, and the beauty that comes with that age, to shine through. One must keep in mind that they are restoring rather than remaking. If the owner of the antique wanted a brand new sugar bowl for their table, they would simply go to the store and purchase a new one. Instead, they choose to retain their antique piece and, with a little gentle antique restoration, bring out its unique and original charm.

For more information, or if you would like your antique silverware restoring, please use our contact form.