If you are going to make metal jewelry, at some point you will use sterling silver or brass. Do you know what the difference is between sterling silver and silver? Or what is an alloy? If you are going to use these jewelry making materials for any project, from making brass charms to coin pendants, you should know their characteristics.
First, let’s take some time to understand what an alloy is. Both brass and sterling silver are alloys. Alloys consist of two metals in combination, such as sterling silver (silver and copper), they are called binary alloys. A combination of three metals, gold, silver and copper, forms 14 karat gold, it is a ternary alloy. There are also 4 metallic alloys and 5 metallic alloys called quinary and quaternary alloys.
Sterling silver is an alloy created by combining 925 parts of pure silver and 725 parts of pure copper. You may hear about Mexican silver sometimes. This is an alloy that has 950 parts of pure silver and the rest of copper. Both types of silver are subject to oxidation when heated. Under normal conditions, alloy (sterling silver) reacts much faster to oxidation than pure metal (silver). The normal oxide that occurs on metal when heated is a film of sulfur. Other oxides that silver alloys produce are cupric and cuprous, due to the presence of copper in the alloy.
The melting point of sterling silver is 100 degrees lower than pure silver at 1640 degrees Fahrenheit. When the metal hardens, it can be returned to a smooth working stage by annealing.
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, with zinc in percentages between 10 and 40 for different degrees of hardness. Although brass is a hard metal, it is extremely malleable. Brass is yellow when cold and salmon colored when melted. The melting point of brass ranges from 1600 to 1849 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brass is primarily used for inexpensive jewelry and trophies, especially with the skyrocketing price of gold and silver on the market today.
As you wear jewelry findings such as brass charms, sterling silver beads, brass coin pendants, and more, you may want to customize them to fit your needs. As your jewelry making skills expand, so will the complexity of your jewelry designs. Although you will buy pre-made jewelry findings, you may want to customize them to suit your needs. If you understand its properties, you can.