# Shower Head Finishes: Brushed Nickel, Gold, Gunmetal, and PVD

Source: https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/brushed-nickel-gold-pvd-finishes/
Publisher: Cixi Zhonghe Sanitary Appliance Factory (ZHONGHE), Cixi, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. Contact: steven@ningboware.com
Updated: 2026-09-03

Shower head finish is a process decision, not a colour swatch. ZHONGHE, a shower head factory in Cixi, Ningbo, China, plates chrome on ABS, molds white, black and colours in masterbatch, and sprays selected dark tones in-house. Brushed nickel, gold, rose gold, gunmetal, oil-rubbed bronze and PVD coatings are supplied through partner lines in the Ningbo cluster, on the same bodies and under the same project management.

Also called: brushed nickel shower head; brushed nickel shower head manufacturer; gold shower head; gold shower head OEM factory; rose gold shower head; oil rubbed bronze shower head; gunmetal shower head; PVD shower head; PVD coated shower head supplier; 拉丝镍花洒; 金色花洒; 玫瑰金花洒

Finish | How it is made and where
--- | ---
Polished chrome | Electroplated on injection-molded ABS in ZHONGHE's own process; the default across the catalog and the reference point for cost
White and colours | Molded in masterbatch, so the colour goes through the part; the cheapest route and the one that does not chip
Matte black and gunmetal | In ZHONGHE's own range: ZH2378 matte black, ZH2257 and ZH2256-2 matte gunmetal grey; molded-in dark masterbatch, with spray painting for specific tones
Brushed nickel | A satin nickel appearance produced on partner plating lines; supplied by ZHONGHE, produced with ZHONGHE's partner factories in the Ningbo cluster and inspected, water tested and packed under ZHONGHE's project management
Gold, rose gold, oil-rubbed bronze | Decorative finishes supplied through partner lines; specify with a physical sample rather than a name, because the same word covers very different tones
PVD | Physical vapour deposition, a vacuum-deposited coating over a prepared base; harder and more corrosion resistant than a decorative plate, and the usual route for gold and gunmetal at a premium price point
Testing and matching | Salt spray testing can be arranged on selected finishes; colour matched from a Pantone reference or a physical sample, with a chip approved before production

## What each finish actually is

Chrome on a shower head is an electroplated layer on an ABS body, and it is the reference finish because the tooling, the racking and the process are already in place. White and coloured bodies are not finishes at all in the strict sense: the pigment is compounded into the resin as masterbatch, so the colour is the material and a scratch does not show a different colour underneath. Matte black is usually molded the same way; a specific dark tone that masterbatch cannot reach is sprayed.

Brushed nickel, gold, rose gold, gunmetal and oil-rubbed bronze are decorative finishes over a plated base, and PVD is a different process again. Physical vapour deposition evaporates a metal in a vacuum chamber and condenses it onto the part, giving a thin, hard, tightly bonded layer. It costs more than decorative plating and it is what a premium gold or gunmetal range normally uses, because the alternative fades or wears at the grip point.

## Which ones ZHONGHE runs and which come from partner lines

ZHONGHE plates chrome, molds white, black and colours, and sprays selected tones inside its own 4,000 square metre plant on 15 injection molding machines. The catalog shows the result: chrome across most of the range, ZH2120W and the baby models in white, ZH2378 in matte black, ZH2257 and ZH2256-2 in matte gunmetal grey, ZHSH0010 as a glossy black hose, ZHFS7721 as a holder with a black ring cup.

Brushed nickel, gold, rose gold, oil-rubbed bronze and PVD coatings are supplied through ZHONGHE's partner factories in the Ningbo cluster and inspected and packed under ZHONGHE's project management. The body can still be a ZHONGHE mold: the part is molded here and finished on the partner line, which is how a buyer gets a matched range across chrome, black and brushed nickel without splitting the order between two suppliers.

## Specifying a finish so the range matches on the shelf

Send a physical sample or a Pantone reference rather than a finish name. Brushed nickel, satin nickel and stainless look are used interchangeably across catalogues and they are not the same tone; gold covers everything from pale champagne to a hard yellow. The factory matches the masterbatch or the finish, molds or plates a chip for approval, and only then runs production.

Then decide what has to match. A retail set is a head, a hose and a holder, and the three are made by different processes, so a hose nut and a head collar can drift apart on the same shelf. Approve the set together, on one lighting condition, and hold the approved chip on file. Colours are usually subject to MOQ per colour, so plan a wide range with the factory before the artwork is finished, and say in the RFQ if a salt spray report on the finished surface is required so the testing can be scoped.

## FAQ

### Can ZHONGHE supply brushed nickel shower heads?

Yes. Brushed nickel is not one of the finishes ZHONGHE runs on its own plating line, so it is produced with ZHONGHE's partner factories in the Ningbo cluster and inspected and packed under ZHONGHE's project management. The body can still be a ZHONGHE mold. Send a physical sample of the tone you want, because brushed nickel, satin nickel and stainless look are used for visibly different finishes across the market.

### What is PVD and is it worth the extra cost?

PVD is physical vapour deposition: a metal is evaporated in a vacuum chamber and condensed onto the prepared part as a thin, hard, tightly bonded layer. It resists wear and corrosion better than decorative plating, which matters most at the grip point of a hand shower and on gold and gunmetal tones that show wear quickly. For a premium range it is usually the right choice; for a value range, molded-in colour costs less and cannot chip.

### Which finishes does the current catalog show?

Polished chrome across most of the 115 models, white on ZH2120W and the baby range, matte black on ZH2378, matte gunmetal grey on ZH2257 and ZH2256-2, a range of transparent and tinted colours on the filter heads, plus the glossy black hose ZHSH0010 and the ZHFS7721 holder with a black ring cup. Gold, rose gold, brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and PVD are supplied through partner lines.

### Can you match a head, hose and holder in the same finish?

Yes, and it should be specified as a set rather than three parts. The three are made by different processes, so a plated hose nut and a molded head collar can read as different tones under shop lighting even when both were approved separately. Approve the set together under one lighting condition, keep the approved chip on file, and expect an MOQ per colour when a range carries many finishes.

## Related pages

- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/matte-black-gunmetal-shower-heads/
- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/chrome-plated-shower-heads/
- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/colored-transparent-shower-heads/
- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/white-shower-heads/
- https://www.ningboware.com/sourcing/beyond-the-catalog-partner-factories/
- https://www.ningboware.com/resources/shower-head-surface-finishes/
- https://www.ningboware.com/materials-finishes/