Location

Conveniently located to serve Orange County, Los Angeles, and Long Beach CA

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Our facility is on Newport Avenue between Anaheim St and 11th Street. Look for our sign below…

Antique Metal Finishing, Long Beach, CA
gold plating service

Gold Plating Service

Conveniently located to serve Orange County, Los Angeles, and Long Beach CA

Gold plating is not solid metal but a process of putting a layer of pure gold over metal. Usually, it involves putting the layer of gold over a base metal such as brass, copper or silver. Antique Metal Finishing is a complete metal finishing facility doing 24k gold electroplating. Our craftsman will bring your items back to life. 

What is electroplating?

The process of electroplating involves applying a 24k gold layer of metal on to a base metal object. This is done by applying a direct electric current creating a chemical bond between them.

The history of electroplating?

Before modern electroplating was invented the ancient Greeks used heating and cooling techniques to attach gold to other metals. This was hammered into place for statues, jewelry, and all kinds of artifacts. Modern gold electroplating spread in the mid 19th century and was notoriously used in cathedrals such places as the gold-electroplated dome of Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.      

How does electroplating work?

The first step, your item is professionally cleaned with chemicals to remove all impurities. If the surface contains any oils, toxins or contaminants the gold plating may not hold or be uneven. We then create a metal salt solution using 24k gold. This salt is put in water to form a bath for your item. An electric current is applied and the magic happens. Depending on how long your item is left in the bath will determine the thickness of the plating.

How much does gold plating cost?

The cost of gold plating your item is based on surface area. To get an estimate we need to know your item’s number of surfaces, and dimensions. Gold plating costs fluctuate based on gold prices. Typical gold plating is 3 times more than silver plating. 

Concerns with gold plating

Since gold plating masks other metals, the base metal will appear eventually. If you are allergic to nickel which happens to be the main cause of metal allergies, you may have a reaction once the gold plating tarnishes. Replating can prevent allergic reactions until the gold wears off. 

What items do we gold plate?

We plate antique mirrors, antique statues, jewel boxes, door knobs, plumbing fixtures, and ecclesiastic items such as church monstrances, chalices, and crosses.

silver plating, antique metal finishing

Silver Plating Service and Resilvering

Conveniently located to serve Orange County, Los Angeles, and Long Beach CA.

Pride in Craftmanship for over 60 years

You can feel perfectly safe in entrusting your finest antiques and most cherished silver heirlooms to our craftsmen. We understand and love fine silver. This is our life’s work. Your silver is in safe hands at Antique Metal Finishing. Masters in the art of flawless restoration.

We also do refinishing and restoration of fireplace sets, brass beds, lamps, and chandelier rewiring, and many other items to numerous to mention. Dents removed, items straightened and repaired.  Silver, Gold, Brass, Copper and Nickel.

Resilver or Silver Plating precious family heirlooms since 1949

Have an old item that needs silver plating? Proudly serving Los Angeles and Orange County, Antique Metal Finishing is conveniently based in Long Beach CA, since 1949. We are a full-service metal restoration shop. We bring back the shine, restore, and replate fine silver. This is our life’s work, our pride, our art of flawless restoration.

What is Quadruple Silver Plating?

Silver plating became very popular in the 19th century, during the Aesthetic Movement. From England to the United States, beautiful silver sets, silverware, and holloware were commonly used at dinner parties. The silver industry was booming and the care of silver was top of mind for people to showcase their wealth. Heavily plating your silver items was the way it was done from the mid 1800s to the 20th century. Quadruple Silver Plating is not electroplating your item 4 times but using 4 times as much pure silver, better known in the industry as .925. This is the way it was done in the 1800s. And, since 1949, when our company was founded, we have also quadruple silverplated our customers family heirlooms. Our craftsmen quadruple silverplate the way is was done in the 1800s during the Aesthetic Movement.

What we Quadruple Silver Plate?

  • Antique Trays
  • Holloware
  • Flatware
  • Candlestick sets
  • Ecclesiastic items
  • and more!

How we do it?

Antique Metal Finishing is equipped with 4,500 square foot electroplating facility. We are staffed with expert silversmiths that remove all contaminants and clean down to base metal. The next step is to polish & remove any impertections including dents removed items straightened. Finally, we begin the silver plating process when pure silver is applied using electrolysis.

Silver Plated Horse