Zinc plating involves the electrolytic application of zinc by immersing clean steel parts in a zinc salt solution and applying an electric current. This process applies a layer of pure zinc that ranges from a few microns on cheap hardware components to 15 microns.The finish of this type coating is normally a shiny silver finish. Due To the nature of this process a consistent finish is not always achieved and this type finish would not be considered decorative but effective in resisiting rust. The Zinc deposits on the metal acts as a barrier to oxidation (rust).