The Costume Jewelry Manufacturing Process
Brass
Brass is best described as a buttery yellow alloy of zinc and copper which has been manufactured for thousands of years all over the world. For jewelry, at least 67% copper and 33% zinc is used. Copper melts at 1083 Celsius and zinc boils at 907 Celsius and silver melts at 960 Celsius. Formulas with varying proportions of copper and zinc are alloyed together colors to achieve different variations of brass.
The color of the alloy will also vary, depending on the amount of zinc: brass gets lighter in color with additional zinc, and can reach a pale yellow stage. With this particular mixture, it helps the brass become stronger and more durable than copper alone, although not as strong as metals like steel. Thus, the perfect mixture for fashion jewelry. Although brass was often made by accident, early intentional brass was actually made with calamine, a mineral which contains zinc. By 200 BC, China was differentiating between brass and bronze, and in 300 AD, Germany and the Netherlands became well known in Europe for their brass.
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