Here in Florida they commonly take small dried seahorses, starfish and sand dollars, dip them in a grey substance of some sort and then gold plate them for use as charms, ear-rings and pendants......having known a lady that worked in one of these small factories for a while was what initially familiarized me with the basic process (and appalled me as a use for wildlife)
In India, as I understand it, jobbers often go from village to village collecting locally made knives and then plate the blades en masse for the tourist market as they are all cheap by US standards, and have been doing so for well over 100 years.
I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some very well made blades underneath many of those shiny eye catchers, particularly those of unusual styles, but it's a LOT of work, any way you look at it.
Mike
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