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gold colour -
when scrutinizing the images there appear to be some faint gold traces on crown, blades and fork ends. possible the gold varnish from these spots was removed by a previous owner.
of course, yours are "the eyes on the scene"
suspect speckling on stays may be corrosion from below - i.e. between chrome plating and chrom-o-lux varnish.
best course from the standpoint of cosmetic appearance might be to remove the gold from the stays.
you could try something relatively mild such as benzene or non-acetone nail varnish remover, available from any druggist. it will likely come off relatively easily with either of these substances.
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chrom-o-lux finishes -
look stunning ex-works
a challenge to do well
not very durable - easily scratched
difficult to touch up or replicate
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you mentioned a son who was in the military and stationed in Aviano.
you may perhaps be old enough to recall the "colour chrome" fad seen on the custom automobiles of the 1950's and early 1960's. one could purchase a can of spray paint at the auto supply store to tint a car's chrome plated parts.
chrom-o-lux is essentially the same thing.
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