What is brass?

March 05, 2022

What is brass? It is good to know the different materials that can exist in the world of jewelry.

Brass:

Brass is a golden-colored alloy, which was invented in prehistory. It is a material that we have used for years in various and numerous fields such as:

- musical instruments

- decorative objects

- coins

- jewelry and watches

We also call it: yellow copper.

The alloy and quantities of metals making up brass depend on its use:

- Simple brass, composed only of copper and zinc. The perfect alloy for small pieces of jewelry.

- Leaded brass, most of the time composed of 60% copper (approximately), 40% zinc and 1 to 3% lead. This is used to manufacture machined parts.

Special brasses in which we can find, in addition to copper and zinc, tin, aluminum, arsenic... very allergic for some people. If your brass has nickel alloys and lead, do not use it to make your jewelry.

If you come into contact with nickel, you risk getting eczema patches and itching. In France, it is prohibited to sell objects containing nickel.

Parenthesis finished, I continue:

Brass is most often used for gold-plated jewelry because it offers fairly good resistance over time.

In jewelry:

We use it most often to make our prototype because it has an affordable price. In addition it is malleable, we can heat it at will, stretch it, bend it, stamp it...

You know a little more about this metal. If you are not allergic to it, go ahead and buy some.