Silver overlay is an electroplated coating of silver on a non-conductive surface such as porcelain or glass. Most techniques used to create silver overlay involve the use of special flux which contains silver and turpentine oil. This is then painted on the glass ornament as a design. After the painting is complete, the entire ornament is fired under relatively low heat, it is then cleaned after being quenched and cooled, then it is placed in a solution of silver. A low voltage current is run through the solution and the silver binds in the design, creating a permanent fusion of the silver with the glass.
A much older technique of overlay, which was commonly used in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times, involves the use of a silver sheet wrapped around the ornament and then the design beaten onto the sheet or it may be burnished. This technique renders the design silhouetted against a dark backdrop and was commonly called the Aftabi design technique. This technique of overlay predates the technique that is common today, but without the use of electroplating, it was a time consuming and tedious process, which could only be accomplished by skilled artisans.