Decorative finishes on works of art that are produced by chemical processes or reactions may be classified as having chemical finishes. Selected examples of simple traditional finishing techniques are examined in this section.

	Electroplating Electroplating uses electric current to coat or "plate" a layer of metal onto the surface of another material.
	Electroforming Electroforming creates or sometimes replicates objects in metal.
	Displacement Plating Objects may be metal-coated without using a battery by displacement plating.
	Patination A thin layer of oxidized metal develops on a metal surface through patination.
	Mercury gilding/silvering Mercury gilding/silvering uses an amalgam of mercury to coat an object with a layer of gold or silver.