Polished Chrome Or Chrome . Chrome (short for chromium) plating is pure chromium that is coating on the surface of another product such as galvanised steel or brass. Common finish codes for polished chrome are 026, us26, 625 and pc. Knob in Polished Chrome Finish M350 Destination Lighting from www.destinationlighting.com The plating process used to create both polished and brushed chrome finishes is initially identical. High polishing can also produce a true mirror shine, but unlike with chrome plating, there is no bluish tint, but instead a pure white shine. The look of polished chrome hardware is generally considered to be very modern and would suit a contemporary design theme very well.