LEGO Color Chart is Missing Chrome Silver

LEGO has discontinued seven colours: sand red, sand purple, Maersk blue, old light grey, old dark grey, old brown, and violet.

But today, let's explore Chrome Silver, the most recognizable and iconic hue in the collection of chrome-plated parts, which is also known for having the widest selection of items!

About LEGO Chrome Silver in the chrome-plated color series

Chrome Silver has color ID 22 in BrickLink's color scheme. It has the colour ID 309 and is referred to as "Metalized Silver" in LEGO's official system and on Brickset.

Although the English word means "Chrome-Plated Silver" or "Metalized Silver," we'll go with "Chrome Silver" for the sake of consistency.

As of right now, LEGO pieces are only available in seven different chrome-plated colours: Chrome Gold, Chrome Silver, Chrome Copper, Chrome Black, Blu, Green, and Pink.

The only chrome-plated LEGO component that is still frequently used is Chrome Gold. In 2018, Chrome Silver, the most popular hue for chrome plating, was phased out. The other chrome hues were discontinued over ten or twenty years ago and have a significantly smaller number of pieces.

The cars from previous LEGO sets are arguably the most remembered features of Chrome Silver. While some of these vehicles were from the Model Team line, others were from the vintage Town series. Many fans also own Chrome Silver weaponry from the Castle series.

This item should not be overlooked: as any Star Wars enthusiast will remember, the lightsaber hilt in the original LEGO Star Wars kits was chrome-plated.

Information about LEGO Chrome Silver

561 LEGO sets contain 105 different kinds of LEGO Chrome Silver parts.

BrickLink said Chrome Silver components were initially used in a LEGO kit in 1966. Maybe I missed something, but I couldn't find any with Chrome Silver pieces after looking through more than 160 sets from 1966. It's a mystery indeed!

2018 saw the debut of the final LEGO kit with a Chrome Silver component. Let's go on to something else, though, since more than 700 sets were released that year!

Unlike ordinary silver, which is less bright, chrome plating reflects light like a mirror. Chemical solutions can be used to electroplat chromium onto the items' surfaces, achieving that mirror-like finish.

Applying a single layer of chromium metal to the part's surface—a few microns or more—is known as chrome plating. As a result, it has outstanding resistance to wear and rust, and its surface becomes even and smooth with powerful anti-corrosion qualities. After all, chromium provides superior corrosion resistance compared to zinc.

Of course, there are drawbacks to chrome plating. The primary problem is the high cost; in addition to the high cost of chromium, the electroplating process involves multiple additional steps in the production process.

However, I cannot offer a more thorough examination of this issue because I am unfamiliar with LEGO's precise procedures or methods for creating chrome-plated pieces.

Furthermore, chrome plating thickens the part's surface despite its extreme thinness. When putting the components together, you can still feel a slight tightness. Therefore, parts with intricate surface patterns or excessive connection points are less suited. LEGO pieces that are chrome-plated usually fit a little tighter.

Since many fans probably know how delicate ABS plastic parts are, chrome plating isn't very durable. Chrome-plated components are prone to scratches and scuffs from regular use, which wears off the sheen and gives them a worn-out look.

Consider the picture below, for instance.

Chrome Silver components can significantly improve MOC constructions despite their disadvantages. For instance, fan designer Versteinert's original build of the 2021 LEGO IDEAS set 40448 Vintage Car made extensive use of Chrome Silver components, giving the vehicle a timeless and strikingly retro appearance.

During the model's updates, the LEGO IDEAS team replaced each chrome-plated component with a light grey one at a time. This shift doesn't sit well with me.

Does this imply that LEGO will no longer use Chrome Silver? It's difficult to say, but according to available data, Chrome Silver parts were last seen in 2018.

LEGO Chrome Silver Sets and Parts

As previously stated, 561 sets contain Chrome Silver pieces and 105 different kinds of LEGO Chrome Silver parts. Since it would be hard to introduce them all, let's use a few noteworthy sets as illustrations.

LEGO 4620 Jack Stone AIR Operations HQ

The Jack Stone series, a relatively obscure line many may not be acquainted with, included this set when it was introduced in 2002. As far as I can recall, this series was later combined into the "Lego 4+" theme, also called "Lego 4 Juniors," in 2003. Please feel free to leave a remark if you know more about this series' past.

The set includes five minifigures and 170 pieces, but the minifigures aren't the kind we usually imagine.

This set has two Chrome Silver parts; however, the propeller below is the only one. This Chrome Silver propeller, however, is present in three separate sets and is not unique to this one.

LEGO SystemModel Team Big Foot 4×4 5561

Set 5561, titled Big Foot 4×4, is a 1997 LEGO Model Team collection product. It contains zero minifigures and 749 parts. Yes, there were no minifigures—Model Team sets were famously sparse.

Because the LEGO Model Team sets were large-scale vehicles comparable in size to medium-sized Technic sets, minifigures were not included. These are similar to the big car models ICONS (or Creator Expert) made nowadays.

I got slightly off-topic, so let's return to today's topic. This set contains a lot of LEGO Chrome Silver components: 2+4+4+4+4+4+2+4 = 28 pieces in total!

LEGO Ferrari Finish Line 8672

This LEGO RACERS kit came with 530 pieces and 10 minifigures and was launched in 2006. The LEGO Group launched the RACERS series in 2002, which was phased out in 2014. 2015 was the year when the SPEED Champions series was introduced.

This collection's only Chrome Silver component is the trophy piece, numbered 72092 (Scala Trophy). Only three sets contain this part; the other are 3124 and 8389. By the way, 3124 is a unique LEGO kit; if you are interested, feel free to research it!

LEGO Weapon Lightsaber Hilt Angled Part x156

We won't talk about a set for the fourth item. Count Dooku's lightsaber differs from the standard lightsaber hilt components in the LEGO Star Wars series. However, the fact that it is Chrome Silver makes it stand out.

LEGO 10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter

The LEGO 10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter from the Star Wars franchise must be the highlight of today's Chrome Silver pieces. Only 187 pieces make up this set, the smallest UCS (Ultimate Collector's Series) kit in the LEGO Star Wars series, but that's not the most impressive aspect.

The set has 12 LEGO Chrome Silver components of 8 distinct sorts, all unique to this set, which is fantastic!

Final Words

The LEGO Group last produced Chrome Silver pieces six years ago. The causes are indeed elements like durability, cost, and quality control. However, sustainability and environmental concerns are the leading causes.

Fans may now obtain chrome-plated LEGO items. Custom chrome plating is possible for almost any LEGO piece. Numerous small chrome-plating shops, chemical plating producers, and individual enthusiasts provide custom chrome-plating services.

You may create a stunning rainbow of black for custom LEGO chrome-plated pieces, so the hues aren't just Chrome Silver.

That concludes our conversation about Chrome Silver components for today. As a fellow LEGO enthusiast, do you have any knowledge concerning this hue that I haven't discussed? Please feel free to leave a remark with your opinions!