How Much Does Gold Plating Cost?
How Much Does Gold Plating Cost?
There is no single price for gold plating, and anyone who quotes you one without seeing your item is guessing.
That is not evasion. It is the nature of the work. Plating a watch case and plating a set of balustrades are different jobs requiring different preparation, different quantities of precious metal and different handling. What we can do is tell you exactly how the price is arrived at, and what real projects cost.
The Short Answer
Our minimum project charge is £250. Every project above that is individually quoted after we have assessed the item.
The Eight Factors That Set the Price
Size
Larger items need more precious metal and more time in the tank. This is usually the single biggest factor.
Base Material
Stainless steel, brass, copper, silver, aluminium, titanium and chrome-plated parts all plate well, but each behaves differently and requires different preparation. Plastic components need a specialist assessment before we can quote.
Existing Finish
An item in good condition costs less to plate than one that has been previously coated, lacquered or damaged. Old finishes have to come off first.
Surface Preparation
This is where plating quality is actually decided. Stripping, polishing and cleaning take skilled time, and a piece that needs extensive work will cost more than one that does not. It is also the step cheap platers skip.
Complexity
Intricate detail, moving parts, mixed materials and components that must be masked all add time.
Chosen Finish
We work in 24k, 22k, 18k and 9k gold, rose gold and platinum, with mirror, brushed, satin and antique surface finishes. The precious metal content and the finishing process both affect cost.
Quantity
Batch work is quoted differently from single items. If you have twenty trophies rather than one, tell us at the quote stage.
Collection and Delivery
If you are outside the UK and the UAE, complimentary insured DHL collection and return are included in your quotation.
What Real Projects Cost
For devices, we publish fixed prices because the work is consistent. Customising your own iPhone in 24k gold, rose gold or platinum is £1,900 for the iPhone 18, £1,600 for the iPhone 17 and £1,400 for the iPhone 16. Those are all-in prices including insured collection, insured return and the three-year service warranty.
For everything else — jewellery, watches, interiors, architectural metalwork, awards, religious artefacts, automotive parts — the £250 minimum applies and we quote from photographs.
Why the Cheapest Quote Usually Costs More
Gold plating thickness is measured in microns, and it is the difference between a finish that lasts and one that wears through within months. Our standard finish is 5 microns, and we can plate up to 10 microns where an item needs it.
A plater quoting significantly less is almost always applying significantly less gold. The finish looks identical on the day and markedly different a year later. When you compare quotes, ask about microns.
How to Get a Quote
Send us photographs of your item, tell us the finish you want, and we will come back to you with a price and a timescale. Most projects are completed within 7 working days.
You can see the full range of what we work on, and request a quote, on our gold plating services page.
FAQs
Our minimum project charge is £250. Below that threshold the preparation and handling time exceeds the value of the work.
We quote from photographs in most cases. For complex or high-value pieces we may ask to assess the item in person before confirming.
If you are outside the UK and the UAE, complimentary insured DHL collection and return are included in the agreed quotation.
Our standard finish is 5 microns, and we can plate up to 10 microns. The right specification depends on the item and how it will be used, and we confirm it in your quote.
Yes. We accept both fiat and cryptocurrency.
