While we love Silver at Silver Prophecy Jewelry, we also make other jewelry items from different metals like copper and brass. In this article, learn more about those metals, why we use them, and how to care for them.
Copper
Copper, a reddish or sometimes pinkish metal in color when polished, is a very ductile metal. This means that it is fairly easy to manipulate by hand. This is perfect for Silver Prophecy Jewelry that hand hammers, saws, grinds, and punches every piece. While the metal is originally ductile and easy to bend, the act of hammering on it provides more strength to the metal and work hardens it. Copper is not rare and is used in a variety of ways beyond jewelry. Think about pipes for housing, pots and pans for cooking, and even electrical uses in wiring. Copper is also used in combination to create other metals, like Brass and Sterling Silver! These alloys use the best of copper's properties and combine them with another metal to create something even better.
In our copper jewelry, we intentionally leave a matte polish. This gives a more natural look like it has been worn for years. Pure copper oxidizes very quickly, you can polish it and then within a day, it is tarnished. However, this natural patina is alluring in its own way. This look works great for fall attire and provides a rich warmth to your jewelry. You don't need to polish copper jewelry with this patina often however, you do want to keep it out of any areas with moisture and humidity. Remember the Statue of Liberty, copper exposed to a lot of moisture and salt water turns green. That is not what you want for your SPJ copper jewelry!
Brass
Brass, a more yellow or gold metal, can come in a couple of varieties. As mentioned earlier, brass is an alloy. This means that it is technically a combination of metals. Silver Prophecy Jewelry uses "Red Brass" or "Jeweler's Brass". This means that it is a combination of copper and zinc but the ratio has a higher amount of copper than zinc. "Yellow Brass", for example, also has the same combination but is higher in zinc than copper which provides a more yellow color. Brass is another metal that is very ductile and is used in a wide variety of items beyond jewelry, such as instruments like trumpets or trombones. You may see a lot of brass jewelry because this is a great and affordable option for gold since this also has a lovely yellow color.
In our brass pieces, we like to use brass as a "gold" alternative. It has a higher polish than the copper pieces, so there's a bit more shine that is similar to our silver jewelry. Brass jewelry can be more flattering on those we a darker skin tone. Brass jewelry care is more similar to our silver jewelry care because we intentionally leave it with a higher polish. Since there's still copper in the brass we use, it will eventually tarnish, in the same way sterling silver will eventually tarnish. This can be easily remedied with a polish cloth or other methods. If you want to learn what those are, see our blog article "What is tarnish on silver".
Why we use Copper and Brass at SPJ
Both of these metals are not rare and easily affordable. Their properties make them perfect materials to fit into the Silver Prophecy Jewelry aesthetic and provide more color and price options. They both act similar to silver which makes working with them much easier.
At Silver Prophecy Jewelry, we only use solid metals. This means no metals (silver, copper or brass) are plated or coated. Other jewelry brands use steel or another base metal and then plate it with brass or gold. While this provides a cheap option for jewelry (and there is nothing wrong with that!), that plating can wear away with time and then reveal the metal beneath. We believe in providing jewelry with longevity. This means thinking about the jewelry down the road, being worn often because it is your go-to piece. This is why we always use solid and specific metals in all jewelry pieces.
All metals, including Sterling Silver, Copper, and Brass, are exclusively purchased from a reputable jewelry supplier located in New Mexico. We order all of our metals from this supplier because of their presence in the industry and because we know exactly what we are getting.