Silver Plating

The Process

Customer Consultation
One of our highly knowledgeable staff will examine each of your items for the necessary restoration, resilvering or refinishing to be performed. We will then give a written cost for restoration services as well as consultation to the approximate age and value of your items.

Beginning Restoration
Restoration begins after each piece undergoes a thorough cleaning or stripping of old silverplate, such as items plated over pewter. Our expert silversmiths will then determine which tools will be used in the removal of dents, soldering and straightening, before any work is performed. Many times handles, legs and other pieces will be removed in areas that are badly damaged. They will then be reapplied after repairs are made to insure the best restoration possible.

Metal Finishing and Polishing
All buffing and polishing wheels used for metal finishing are custom made to Zapffe specifications. Great care is taken in this phase of the restoration of your items, to preserve the fine and intricate designs of the silversmiths that once created these works of art.

Applying the Silverplate
Proper cleaning after metal finishing is essential prior to applying new silver to insure proper adhesion. After cleaning is performed, a strike plate, or primer of silver is electroplated onto the piece. The item is then submersed into the highly rich silver bath where a silver deposit of 28 microns of 99.9 bright silver is electroplated.

Antiquing
Silverplated pieces having light to heavy designs are carefully hand painted with a darkening solution applied with a flame to enhance the patterns. Only now is the restoration almost complete.

Final Polishing
All pieces are then polished to an unsurpassed brilliance and ready for our customer to receive their treasured heirlooms.

Shipping
All items received by UPS or USPS will be returned by the common carrier of your choice. The staff at Zapffe will gladly assist you in any questions you may have in regards to safe shipping and packing practices for your items. The most important rule in packing any item is to allow at least 4 inches around each piece and pack tightly with newspaper or other packing material. Always insure your shipment!

Use our online contact form to supply us with details about your silver items in need of repair or restoration. We will email you an estimate of the cost based on our over 90 years of experience in silver restoration.

Try out our restoration pickup service, we'll ship a box right to your door and arrange for UPS to pick it up!
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