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SILVER RESTORATION AND REPAIRRestoration of sterling silver and silverplate tableware, hollowware, trophies, and decorative objects.
Chelsea Plating Company restores sterling silver and silverplate for clients in Philadelphia and throughout the United States. Projects range from routine silver polishing and cleaning to full silver restoration and silver replating where base metal is exposed. Pieces often arrive with dents, loose handles, worn plating, or heavy tarnish that no longer responds to home care. The aim is to stabilize structure, clarify the finish, and respect original pattern and engraving. Silver is brought to the Philadelphia workshop by local drop-off or shipment; we provide packing guidance before you ship and arrange return shipping from the studio.
Send clear photos and dimensions to begin.
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AT A GLANCE
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Silver bowl with putto supports and a candlestick—detached parts reattached, seams closed, dents planished, bases trued; polished to mirror bright at client’s request.
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TABLEWARE, HOLLOWWARE, AND FLATWARE
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Many projects begin with everyday table pieces that have seen decades of use. Tea and coffee services may have loose handles, leaking spouts, or finials that turn in place. Trays and salvers often show deep scratches in the center and flattened or bent rims. Bowls can be slightly out of round or sit unevenly on worn feet.
Each piece is examined for both structure and surface. Dents are eased from behind where access allows, with care taken not to thin already stressed areas. Loose handles, bases, and spouts are resoldered or mechanically tightened so the piece feels secure in the hand. Rims and feet are trued so that objects stand level and do not rock when set down. Flatware brings its own concerns: bent tines, twisted handles, or knives with loose blades. Tines are straightened, blades refitted, and bends corrected so that sets can be laid out evenly on the table again. Throughout this work, pattern detail and any engraving are protected as far as the condition of the silver allows. |
Before-and-after sterling compote; cleaned, dents eased, stem trued; mirror-bright polish with fluting preserved.
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SILVER POLISHING, REFINISHING, AND REPLATING
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Tarnish can reach a point where home polishes are no longer effective or risk over-rubbing high points. In the workshop, silver polishing is carried out in a controlled way so that tarnish and residues are removed while surfaces remain crisp. The goal is to restore clarity, not to erase history. Borders, chasing, and inscriptions are treated with particular care.
Silverplate that has worn through to copper or another base metal is handled differently. Where the underlying structure is sound, worn areas or entire pieces can be built back up through silver replating. This is often appropriate for trays, tea services, and trophy cups whose sentimental or institutional value is high. Before any replating, you receive a clear explanation of what can be improved and how existing wear patterns will influence the result. Not every object needs a bright mirror finish. In some cases, especially older silver with a long history of use, a quieter tone is more fitting. Surfaces can be clarified while retaining a gentle sense of age, with soft cleaning in recesses and more focused polishing on raised areas. Finish options are discussed for each project. |
Silverplate tea service—before and after. Tarnish reduced, dents eased, and surfaces polished to mirror bright; engraved ornament and footed bases preserved.
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TROPHIES, PRESENTATION PIECES, AND HEIRLOOMS
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Trophy cups, presentation bowls, and engraved plates often carry many years of names and dates. These pieces may have been handled often for ceremonies and photographs but rarely maintained. Common issues include bent handles, loose pedestals, warped rims, and worn plating on high points.
The first priority is to stabilize the structure so pieces can be handled and displayed safely. Handles and stems are checked for hidden fractures or earlier weak solder joints and are reinforced where needed. Bases are leveled so trophies stand straight, and rims are corrected with measured pressure rather than aggressive reshaping. Where silverplate has worn thin, localized or full replating may be recommended so the overall tone feels consistent. Heirloom pieces can also include commemorative bowls, engraved platters, desk pieces, and small decorative objects. Applied badges, medallions, or enamel inserts are protected during cleaning and polishing, and loose decorative elements are secured. Where a missing knob, finial, or small fitting is important to the look and function of the piece, a sympathetic replacement may be fabricated and finished to blend quietly with the original. |
Art Nouveau silver centerpiece, c. 1900—tarnish and corrosion reduced; rim and wells trued; bright polish restored with sculpted handles and whiplash ornament preserved.
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Send clear photos and dimensions to begin.
