Costume jewelry, also known as costume jewelry, refers to various predominantly decorative jewelery used for personal decoration. Costume jewelery is very affordable and very popular in the fashion and jewelry scene. The costume jewelry design mimics the characteristics and overall design of the (more expensive) fine jewelry.
Jewelry is often made from cheap non-precious metals, also known as base metals. These metals are relatively benign and beautiful, but metals like nickel cause allergic reactions. Costume jewelery is a cheaper alternative to fine jewelery.
History books show that various military applications during World War II required expensive base metals that were previously used to make costly luxury jewelry and required alternative metals. You can see that the costume jewelry was made using metal.
As mentioned above, the metals used in costume jewelry are well known as base metals. Base metals of these non-precious metals include aluminum and brass, copper, white or pot metal, and nickel silver. Nickel silver is a silver-white metal alloy that resembles silver. It is made from zinc, iron, copper, nickel, manganese, and, in some cases, lead. White metal and encapsulated metals, on the other hand, refer to metal alloys containing unspecified metal contents of various metals such as antimony, zinc, tin, copper, bismuth, and lead.
Table of Contents
Brass
That brass is offered in attractive natural colors and is an affordable and good choice for most precious metals.
But brass is not a lonely metal. This results from a combination of zinc and copper, which also means that the properties of the final brass jewelry will depend on the proportion of copper and zinc in the metal.
The Copper Development Association (yes, this is the actual association) states that the zinc-copper ratio in brass influences how jewelers use metals to create different types of gems. ..
Advantages
• Brass does not contain precious metals, so it is very affordable.
• Ideal metal for casting (make jewelry from various molds)
• Brass does not necessarily corrode when worn daily, but depending on the proportion of copper in the brass, the jewelry may turn green over time.
Aluminum
Some of the gorgeous handmade jewelry is made of aluminum, either alone or in combination with some other metals as an option. Aluminum jewelry can be brightened or made more beautiful in shades thanks to anodizing technology. This is one of the reasons why there are so many aluminum pieces of jewelry. As shown in the USGS or US Geological Survey, it is highly malleable and allows craftsmen to easily mold aluminum into various beautiful shapes.
Advantages
• It is malleable and allows for a variety of delicate jewelry designs.
• Aluminum is stable and free of fogging and corrosion when exposed to most daily activities.
• Aluminum is affordable.
• Lightweight design makes it ideal for jewelry.
Disadvantages
• Its extreme malleability means that the resulting jewelry is prone to warping.
• Fragile jewelry
• Some people are allergic to aluminum.
Bronze
Bronze, like brass, is a metallic alloy Bronze generally has a warm, characteristic brownish-gold color and a beautiful metal that goes well with various materials, signs, and stones. It is durable, and its uniqueness is one of the reasons why humans have used bronze for thousands of years.
Advantages
• Bronze is an ideal metal for outstanding work, so it is used to make some delicate and beautiful jewelry.
• Produce very cheap jewelry at an affordable price.
• It’s a strong metal
• Bronze jewelry is durable.
Disadvantages
• Cloudy
• Risk of allergies to nickel and aluminum that may be found in brass.
• Antique brass parts often contain dangerous levels of lead.
Copper
In addition to being one of the preferred metals for Native American jewelry, this bright, warm reddish copper metal is one of the most popular metal choices for craftsman jewelry. Metals are valuable and have many properties that make them one of the most practical choices for jewelry. Use in costume jewelry occurs because of the following benefits:
Advantages
• The Royal Society of Chemistry states that copper is one of the most manageable metals.
• It has a rich history and was used by jewelers of most ancient civilizations.
• Copper is very affordable and significantly cheaper than silver or gold.
Disadvantages
• More expensive than brass or bronze
• Copper oxidizes over time, and it is natural warm color darkens over time.
• If you use it for a long time, your skin will turn red. This is puzzling to some people
Zinc alloy
Zinc alloys are the most widely used metal in jewelry manufacturing and are reasonably priced and highly versatile.
Also called Tibetan silver, it is an alloy of many other metals, including lead and nickel. Unfortunately, it is not ideal for people with sensitive or allergic skin, and lead is a toxic metal. However, costume jewelry uses a safer version of the zinc alloy. Note that brass is a type of zinc alloy.
Advantages
• Low-cost metal
• Versatile
• Brass is corrosion resistant.
Disadvantages
• Causes allergies
• Older versions containing lead are toxic
• Cloudy
Alpaca
Nickel silver, also called nickel silver, is a base metal alloy consisting of zinc, copper, and nickel.
Nickel is naturally silver, but there is no sterling silver or nickel silver wire used in costume jewelry.
Advantages
• Versatile
• Suitable for many jewelry components.
• It’s cheap
Disadvantages
• Cloudy
• Causes allergies
Stainless steel
This is one of the readily available metals. Due to its durability, affordability, and versatility.
Advantages
• It’s cheap
• Corrosion resistance
• Durable metal
• Used in all kinds of costume jewelry
Disadvantages
• Risk of allergies to stainless steel containing nickel
Tungsten
Tungsten, well known as Tungsten Carbide, is a beautiful black metal with the highest melting point of all metals on the planet, almost as hard as diamond, with a Mohs hardness of 9 (diamond rating 10). )is. It is about 2 to 3 times harder than tungsten.
These properties make it one of the best metal options for wedding rings.
Advantages
• Resistant to scratches
• Lifetime warranty offered by most jewelers to cover (accidental) damage
• Affordable
• Hypoallergenic
• Different color options
Disadvantages
• Cannot be resized due to hardness
• Can’t be converted to cash
Tin
Pewter is the fourth metal used in the manufacture of costume jewelry.
Advantages
• Jewelry matte or glossy finish.
• A versatile design option that can be darkened by adding chemicals for an antique finish.
• Affordable
Disadvantages
• Easy to damage/dent.
• Vintage pewter jewelry contains lead.