Chrome is a metal, but it is not useful for solid or pure substance. Chrome really means that it has a thin layer and a plating of chrome on the object (the bulk of the object has steel, but sometimes brass, aluminium, copper, plastic or stainless steel). People generally think that any shiny finish is chrome even when it has nothing to do with chromium.

For example, electro polished stainless steel boat rigging, shiny painted wheels, vacuum metallized balloons and helmets, brightly polished aluminum motorcycle parts, are sometimes called 'chrome' by the common person.

Chrome plating is bluer, reflective and more specular than other finishes. If we put one end of the yardstick in a bright finish then the clouds reflection can be seen in the chrome plating.