I never managed to find any recent info. - not relating to this pattern/design.
I think that the effect on the surface is produced with the use of silver salts.
Correct. I spoke to the people at Wresniak on an exhibition in Germany in the year 2000. The factory has a large assortment of household articles and on special request the special finish could be applied. Last I heard was that Alfredo Villanueva spoke to them last year and he was told they stopped producing the silver nitrate finish some time ago.