Hi, I hope I’m writing to the correct forum. I’m working on a silver plated serving tray that I’m trying to restore for a client. The top of the tray is an all over etched design. The back says it is silver over copper and you can see some of the copper base coming through. I’ve cleaned and degreased it. Did not buff it. After applying the silver plug ‘n plate the appearance of the central scrolled area has not changed – there is still a dull finish. Parts of it came out shiny around the rim. I thought maybe there was a varnish of some kind on it so I cleaned it with acetone, washed that off and then wiped it again with Zar. After that I went through the cleaning and degreasing process once again to make sure it was really clean. After another round of silver plug ‘n plate there was still no difference – the scrolled area is still dull and the copper shows through. There are some crystals at the bottom of the silver jar that I was using so I thought maybe the silver is too old? I plated a penny to check it and it came out OK. Does anyone have any recommendations about how I should replate this piece? Do I need to apply a copper flash prior to silvering? Thanks! Mary Rose

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