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Gilded objects gets dull with time as dirt accumulates on the surface.
Plating is a technique of applying a thin layer of a metal over another metal (typically brass, bronze, and silver). Some typical plating styles are:
- Silver gilt (vermeil) objects. Silver base with applied layer of gold.
- Gilt bronze (ormolu). Bronze has been coated with a layer of gold.
- Silver plate. Base metal with applied layer of silver.
Several plating techniques have been developed:
- Mercury gilding. Amalgam of mercury and gold, mercury is driven out by heat resulting with gold bonding to silver base. Due to toxicity of mercury, this technique is not common at present day.
- Sheffield plate - Copper objects are coated with silver by fusion.
- Electroplating. This process of coating base metal with a layer of either gold or silver is achieved by placing the object in a bath of gold or silver solution, utilizing electricity to bond the plating layer to the base.
Due to thin depth of the plated layer, plated objects need to be treated with care, as not to disrupt the plated metal.
Our methodology emphasizes preservation of original artwork without doing any harm to the original object. We had created a better method to bring back dirty and dull gilded objects back to their original luster, while preserving the object. We have developed technique to safely clean and polish gilded artifacts. Our methodology safely restores dirty objects to their original condition.
In addition to cleaning, we offer bonding together broken objects, as well as recreation of missing elements.
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