Brass Jewelry: Pros And Cons
Brass Jewelry: Pros And Cons
Below are the top pros and cons of brass jewelry so you can decide what makes the most sense for your unique needs and jewelry creations.
Pros
Beautiful tone: Brass jewelry possesses this subtle yet attractive yellow shine like gold. This pleasant appearance carries some sophistication, elegance, and class with it.
Affordable price: Next to its gold-tone, the pocket-friendly price of brass is another thing that makes it quite attractive. You get the coveted classic high-end gleam of gold but for a much lower price tag.
Durable: Do not let the pliability of brass fool you into dismissing its jewelry as weak. Brass jewelry has incredible tensile strength and will not break just easily. When well-maintained, it can endure a lifetime of use.
Corrosion and rust-resistant: Brass jewelry will not corrode or rust. It contains zinc and copper, both of which are non-corrosive metals. Sometimes aluminum is added to reinforce its corrosion-resistance.
Low maintenance: You do not need expensive cleaning solutions to clean brass jewelry. Simple everyday ingredients probably already in your kitchen like dishwashing soap, tomato sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, and a cloth or cotton balls are all you need to wipe it shiny.
Cons
Tarnishes: Unfinished brass jewelry will tarnish with time. As it ages, it loses its shine and begins forming a greenish layer. This layer is called patina and results from oxidation of the copper in the brass. The good news is, it will take a while before that happens, and you can restore its shine by cleaning and buffing the pieces.
Non-hypoallergenic: Brass is a non-hypoallergenic metal. Therefore, people with skin sensitivity may experience itchiness, a rash, flaking, or some form of reaction from wearing brass jewelry. Again, this is a problem with unfinished brass.
Sometimes, it is other additives such as nickel that cause allergic reactions and not the brass. Nickel may be added to brass to boost its corrosion resistance properties and strength. So, before you pronounce yourself allergic to brass jewelry, be sure you tried on a pure brass piece and not a nickel alloy.
Is It Safe To Wear Brass Jewelry?
Some metals are notorious for toxicity -cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury, to mention but a few. Therefore, it is essential to know your metals to avoid possible metal-jewelry poisoning.
Thankfully, pure brass is one of the most jewelry-safe metals. It only contains zinc and copper, both of which are needed by the body in the right dose to stay healthy.
In fact, folklore swears by brass jewelry in improving one’s health. Wearing brass is alleged to spike energy levels and improve metabolism by providing the body with copper chalets absorbed through the skin.
Arthritis, headaches, and other conditions are also said to improve with regular wear of brass. Though there isn’t enough scientific evidence to prove this, it will still look nice if you try it.
Does Brass Jewelry Turn Your Skin Green?
Indeed, brass jewelry does turn the skin green after wearing it for a long time. There’s no need to get into panic mode when it happens. The Hulk tint is superficial and not permanent. It can easily be removed by washing with soap and water.
Why does brass turn the skin green anyway? Well, it is the copper component that actually makes brass leave a greenish residue on the skin. When copper meets oxygen and fuses with humidity from sweat through the skin pores, it oxidizes forming a greenish layer.
This natural oxidation patina is non-toxic and completely harmless. Some people even consider it ornamental. There’s a simple hack to avoid the green discoloration on your skin from wearing brass jewelry; applying lacquer or clear nail polish to the parts that touch the skin.
Does Brass Jewelry Contain Lead?
Jewelry-grade brass is mostly zinc and copper in composition and should not contain lead. Still, some metalsmiths will add lead to their brass, and you can’t be too sure whether this kind of brass metal ends up as jewelry.
Lead is often added to brass industrially to further strengthen its resistance to corrosion and also improve its workability. The leaded brass is then used in the manufacture of machinery, fixtures, faucets, and other products.
It is common practice for brass jewelry with lead to be labeled as so. Any amount of lead in brass jewelry is potentially toxic, but less than 5% lead is usually accepted as safe. Lead does not permeate the skin, but should not be worn through piercing holes.
If you are unsure whether your brass jewelry contains, you can always perform a test at home with lead testing paper strips.
Brass Jewelry – Conclusion
Looking at the brass jewelry pros and cons, there’s no doubt that the highlights outweigh the lowlights. Brass is a beautiful, versatile, and durable material for jewelry at a reasonable price range.
It may tarnish with time and cause an allergic reaction to those sensitive to the metal, but that is easy to deal with. Sealing the jewelry with a clear finish always solves the two problems.
Jewelry made out of pure brass is non-toxic and thus safe, but it is not surprising to find lead and nickel as brass additives. Doing your due diligence is critical when choosing brass jewelry, brass wire, or metal sheets for jewelry making.
When cleaned and stored appropriately, solid brass jewelry can outlast your lifetime and that of several other generations to come.