Silver plating is a simple, if sometimes lengthy, procedure that requires a certain amount of preparation time for the substrate, if the finished product is to be suitable. The base material needs to go through several cleaning stages to ensure that it is free of any impurities prior to application.
Once it is ready, it is slipped into an electrolytic vat containing a silver nitrate solution. A piece of pure silver is attached to a direct current to serve as the anode, while the substrate connected at the other end of the circuit as the cathode.
The solution will ionise the silver, causing particles to transfer from the anode to the cathode, slowly plating the target metal. The process can take some time, but is ultimately worth it for the smooth finish.