Hi folks,

I usually use sterling silver wire & findings to make my lampwork charm bracelets but I’m looking at trying something new, and was wondering if anyone here had any experience working with brass wire & findings. As I’ve never used brass in my jewelry before (other than the occasional silver-plated brass charm, etc), all opinions, both good & bad, are appreciated. Is brass likely to cause more of an allergic reaction than say, copper or sterling silver? Is it as durable? What’s your opinion on ‘mixing’ metals (i.e. brass with silver, gold, copper etc)? And what about brass findings or other metals that would look good with brass, e.g. head / eye pins, clasps, jump rings etc -any good online suppliers (preferably ones that would ship to Australia would be great). As I say, any opinions at all are much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Sue

I don’t know. Do you have pictures.

I have never tried it but I like the color of it. I’ll bet you could make some great combinations of color using it with you beads. I dont know about allergies, I usually use sterling since the most people seem to be able to wear it but recently I have heard that the .275 that isn’t silver is nickle which doesn’t both people with minor allergies but some people with nickle allergies can’t wear it. SO now I have some “hypo allergenic” clasps I can switch out if need be. Ah I just learned something new… I was searching and it appears that most of it is made up of Copper mixed with Zinc… I like copper alot if it gets wet there is a little greening ( not like with “cheap rings” this washes off easily and doesn’t always happen ) but I have a bracelet I wear quite alot and a copper necklace that I wear without worries. Dunno much about Zinc though But if it’s the same stuff that’s in cold remidies I can’t imagine it hurting anyone…

I don’t like to use brass in my jewelry. It turns brown after awhile – I don’t know if it’s the quality of the brass that is sold but it just doesn’t retain that gold color. If I want a yellow metal, then I go for the gold fill and sometimes that doesn’t keep it’s color either. I find if people ask for gold, they aren’t usually willing to pay the extra for it. So I don’t really carry it. If I want to introduce a different color, I use the nobium or artistic wire – coated in different colors. They don’t turn brown/black color.

Cindy

Hey Sue
Not sure about brass…not ever used it. I know Connie Fox uses copper from time to time in her work and it looks gorgeous. I remeber seeing one of her bangles with a large copper focal bead and loved it. From what ive seen copper oxidises to lovely warm shades unlike brass. I think she also has some copper (and perhaps even brass) beads for sale on her site.
http://www.conniefox.com

Lorretta

Brass will patina over time, as will copper. I’ve used both in TONS of jewelry though, as I like the shades of brown that are created. I make alot of jewelry in Earth tones, so it goes with the colors well. I like the look of mixing brass and copper in jewelry pieces, and have used various treatments to bring out the patinas. The Greens one can get in Copper are lovely IMO, but a real pain to create evenly, and an even bigger pain to seal well enough to keep. But, it can be done. You can find treated brass and copper, which keeps its bright color for some time though.
I’ve sold a fair amount of jewelry using both ( I actually made jewelry semi-professionally for years). As most people with metal sensitivities know what they can/can’t wear pretty well, I’ve never had much problem with disappointments. Sealing the metals a bit with sealers/ polishes ( depending on the application) seems to help alot. As brass and copper are both fairly cheap, I’d advise getting some and playing around! Working with inexpensive components can be quite freeing to your creativity. I still use them to make “mock ups” of pieces that will be expensive to create, befrore I touch my higher end materials.

Can you but brass “pre” oxidized? Or is there away to oxidize it yourself. Along the same lines, how do people feel about the colored artistic wire?

I’ve wondered about the colored niobium wire and findings too. While it’s wonderful that it is supposed to be hypoallergenic, does anyone know how the pretty finishes hold up? Does it discolor or wear off in time?

I have a lot of brass beads and very rarely use them. I use them ONLY where I want a rich brown patina finish in a piece.

If you are thinking of using it in place of gold plate or gold fill for a bright golden finish, forget it. You will be disappointed. Of course it can be polished to maintain its bright finish, but that is a royal PITA and probably not worth the trouble.

I never use gold plate in my jewelry because it does wear off and looks like crap after a very short period of time. I have had no problem with gold fill going dull, even after years of wear. I agree that most customers are not willing to pay for 14K or even 10K gold, so I only use it in custom orders. (And, if you do use 14K or 10K gold round beads, don’t buy the cheap thin-walled ones to save money because they can dent if they get dinged and look awful. You will need to buy the more expensive thicker-walled beads, so charge accordingly!)

When I want a bright gold color, I always use a good quality gold-filled bead. I learned, too, that I have to buy these from a reputable supplier. A few times that I bought gold-filled beads on eBay, they turned out to be plated and I didn’t know it until I had used the beads in complex pieces. I have contacted as many buyers as I could, offering to restring their pieces with GF beads, but I haven’t been able to contact everyone and I’m still just mortified over it. I have a pile of my own necklaces made with those beads that I can’t wear until I remake them completely, because the plating has worn off. I feel sick every time I look at them, because they are very complex pieces that I dread restringing, and they look gross.

A word to the wise…

Barb:cat: