Silver Plating Pricing and Costs

Estimate how much silver plating services will run
By Yvette Pryce, Freelance Writer Though initially used as a way to reduce the cost of items that were historically pure silver, such as jewelry or flatware, silver plating has come into its own as an end in itself rather than as just a less expensive version of a silver product. Beyond offering a durable silver finish to items like flatware, silver plating is used with great success in industrial applications, such as electronics, because of silver's conductive properties.
 
Silver plating pricing and costs are highly variable because so many different items can be silver plated, and the process and thickness of the plating dictates the final costs. With some research, though, you can get a good idea of what your silver plating jobs will cost:
1. Look up the price of silver to understand how much the metal itself will cost.
2. Contact industrial silver plating providers for a quote on their services.
3. Get quotes for silver plating restoration if you are reselling, using or displaying antiques in your business.
4. Discover the prices for silver plating supplies if you want to do it yourself.

Start with the pricing of silver to determine your silver plating pricing and costs

When you have something silver plated, you need to consider both the cost of the labor and the cost of the material. Silver is a precious metal with a fluctuating price, which means that as market prices for silver rise and fall, so will the cost of silver plating-especially if it is a large job.
Try: Precision Plating posts current silver prices on its home page and also offers a searchable archive of silver pricing. To determine the overall pricing of your silver plating job, you’ll need to contact the company to receive a free quote. Finishing.com presents an equation that illustrates how the market price of silver is factored into a silver plating price.

Get quotes for industrial silver plating

If you need to have industrial silver plating completed, seek out a specialist in that sector.  Industrial silver plating pricing is based on a number of factors, including the number and weight of the items to be silver plated, the thickness and quality of silver you require, the plating method to be used, and any specific requests you have for your items.
Try: Complete a Request for Quote at Nu-Metal Finishing to provide all the factors that the company needs to give you with an accurate quote for silver plating services. At Sharretts Plating, fill out a brief form for a free quote.

Understand costs for silver plating repair and silver plating restoration

If you resell high-end antiques or musical instruments, or if you own a restaurant that utilizes vintage silver, you need to examine silver plating repair and restoration services to ensure that your silver is in top shape. Silver plating repair and restoration pricing varies widely, depending upon the number of pieces you need plated and the extent of the damage to each piece. A silver replating service or a repair service will only provide a quote once they have a full description of the items you need plated.
Try: Friedman Silversmiths, specialists in silver plating restoration, suggest that you submit a photo to help them provide the most accurate quote. Zapffe Silversmiths encourage you to submit a full description of the item, as well as its height and width, so they can provide you with a quote for silver plating restoration.

Purchase silver plating supplies to do your own silver plating

If you need silver plating on a small scale, and you have the cababilities to do it yourself, you can purchase silver plating supplies at affordable prices from silver plating suppliers.
Try: At Caswell, you can buy a 1.5-gallon full silver plating kit for around $800, while a 4.5-gallon kit costs about $1800. Shor International offers eco-friendly, cyanide-free silver plating solution at around $50 per quart and $150 per gallon.