I've ordered a bunch of stuff with the gold plate finish, but they have not arrived yet. A friend received a bunch, and reported that the finish was "dull". Any tips on polishing up gold-plated items? One would have to be careful to avoid wearing through the coating, I would think.
I ordered mine the first day it was announced, and just received it yesterday. So it takes some time. I didn't find mine to be dull https://www.shapeways.com/model/118907/gold_heart_ring.html I'll ask my Aunt tomorrow about polishing. She's a Jeweler. So I should have something for you Monday.
All polishing for plated parts needs to be done before the plating procedure. The final shine will only be as good as the pre-plated surface condition and you will most certainly remove the gold if you use any abrasive materials coarser than a jewelers "rouge cloth." -G
The finish is no different than the stainless steel finish for the most part. The bit that gets cut off and polished where the brass sprue has gone in is a little duller than the stainless steel version, but overall it's not much different. And even though I say it's "duller", its not dull, just has a slightly different "satin" kind of quality to it. sn