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.

Platinum Plating

Platinum is an extremely rare metal, occurring as only 0.003 parts-per-billion in the Earth’s crust, and is 30 times rarer than gold. It is sometimes mistaken for silver but platinum is whiter in appearance.

Platinum plating is ideally suited to jewellery due to its beautiful bright lustre and long lasting durability and being 60% heavier than gold is also denser and stronger making it more resistant to damage. It will also retain its lustre longer as it does not tarnish.

Please use our contact form for a quotation.

Gold Plating Kits & Equipment

The basic kit for electro brush plating consists of the following equipment; rectifier, leads, wands, swabs & chemical solutions. This small plating kit will enable you to gold & silver plate (with the correct solutions & additional sundry items) but it’s no business as it stands. You will also need to make many additions to your kit as you go along & this can be costly.

We include all the gold & silver plating equipment needed in the complete ready to go business package we offer. We even include a double ended polisher complete with mops & compounds plus a top model professional ultrasonic cleaner & even provide you with a website & training with free ongoing support!

This turns a very complete  & capable gold & silver plating kit into a complete ready to go business for both static & mobile use.

For details on our gold & silver plating business opportunity please click here.

To see our wide range of gold plating kits & equipment please click here.