A Practical Guide to Plated Finishes on Bag Hardware
What nickel, gunmetal, black nickel, gold, rose gold, antique brass and rainbow actually are, and which of them will show a polishing fault.
Plating Copies the Surface Underneath It
A plated layer is a few microns thick. It follows every scratch, pore and parting line left by casting and polishing rather than filling them. This is why polishing, not plating, decides whether a hook looks like jewellery or like a casting.
The Finishes That Expose Poor Polishing
Shiny nickel and shiny silver are the hardest finishes to get right, because a bright mirror surface magnifies any defect. If you want to judge a hardware supplier from one sample, ask for a shiny nickel part rather than an antique one.
The Finishes That Hide Wear
Antique brass and gunmetal are forgiving. They already read as aged or dark, so scuffs and handling marks disappear into the finish. On parts that are certain to be abraded, such as purse feet and luggage handles, these are the sensible choices.
Rainbow and Light Gold
Rainbow is an iridescent plated layer, not a printed pattern, so the colour shifts with the viewing angle and cannot be matched from a printed swatch. Light gold sits between gold and nickel and is the most commonly mismatched tone between two suppliers.
Painted and Enamel Colour
Where a brand colour is required rather than a metal tone, colour has to come from paint or enamel instead of plating. Shoe and keychain hardware is often specified this way, and it must be approved against a physical chip.
How to Control Colour on a Repeat Order
Keep the approved part from the first run and send it back as the reference for the repeat. We keep the colour plate from the approved batch on file for the same reason.
Parts This Guide Refers To
Questions About This Guide
Answers to the questions buyers ask before they order.
Which Finish Should I Sample to Judge Quality
Shiny nickel. It is the least forgiving finish, so it shows exactly how well the part was polished before plating.
Can Rainbow Plating Be Matched Between Batches
It can be matched closely when the parts are plated in the same batch and against a kept colour plate. Because rainbow is iridescent, it should never be approved from a printed or on-screen image.
Send Us the Part You Are Specifying
A photograph and a webbing width are usually enough for us to say which catalogue style fits and what it costs.