Which Metal Is Best For Your Jewelry Making Project?

Jewelers have used nearly every metal available for their creations from the dawn of time. You will be able to make a better and more educated decision about acquiring your jewelry supplies if you know the various metals and their distinctive properties.

Sterling silver, copper, brass, and stainless steel are some of the most frequently used metals in jewelry making. Each of these types of metals is described in detail below.

Brass

Throughout civilization, brass has been an essential metal in jewelry. It is renowned for its warm yellowish tones that may glisten. Brass is a versatile metal with several applications, including beads, headpins, focals, and jump rings.

Because of its likeness to gold, brass is among the most preferred metals for jewelry. It has been used to develop stunning jewelry designs since its inception.

Brass is recognized for its strength and durability. It is, however, extremely pliable, making it suitable for creating elaborate jewelry. With proper care and upkeep, brass jewelry may survive for generations.

Our brass components come in three finishes:

• Plated brass is dipped into another metal, such as silver or gold, then sealed with an electric current.
• Raw brass is untreated in its original form and can tarnish.
• Coated brass is treated with a finishing polish or lacquer to prevent tarnishing.

We are always expanding our collection of brass jewelry findings, components, and more! Click here to shop our brass jewelry supplies.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel jewelry is gaining popularity in the jewelry market because of its high quality, unique features, and excellence, among other things.

Does stainless steel tarnish?

Stainless steel has become one of our favorite metals for jewelry design since it doesn’t turn color or tarnish. Stainless steel has a chromium content of above 10.5 percent, which gives it strength and corrosion resistance. This metal will last for many years while still looking brilliant thanks to its excellent anti-oxidation properties.

Advantages of Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is one of the most common metals used in jewelry. This metal is the most desired since it is sturdy, appealing, and economical. Jewelry made from stainless steel has been treated or molded.

The polished finish is essential in manufacturing jewelry because of the numerous finishes produced by stainless steel processing. This type of finish is strong, appealing, and beautiful, making it great for decorations. Different market segments are considered while making stainless steel jewelry. When it pertains to stainless steel jewelry, men and women have distinct likes and preferences.

Stainless steel is less reactive, hence the best for making hypoallergenic jewelry such as earrings, chains, and rings. But what other metals are safe for sensitive skin?

Best Metals for Sensitive Skin

The metals and compounds listed below have a low allergic response rate in sensitive skin. Some individuals, however, may still have adverse responses to them. It is important to try on a few of them to learn how your skin will react.

• High karat gold
• Titanium
• Stainless steel
• Niobium
• Sterling silver

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is lightweight, high-quality, and easily holds its shape– all ideal jewelry design characteristics. While sterling silver is great for sensitive skin, it can tarnish with exposure to moisture. But what exactly is sterling silver?

The alloyed type of silver known as sterling silver is far more appropriate for jewelry and other metals.

Fine silver has 99.9% pure silver. The metal is attractive in this state, and tarnish is negligible, but it's too soft and malleable for many applications, including producing most jewelry.

Sterling silver, which is 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent copper, is made by alloying fine silver with copper. Because of this proportion of pure silver, sterling silver is sometimes alluded to as '925 silver' or underlain with a 925 stamp.

Copper renders the silver tougher and more robust, making it easier to work with and use without sacrificing color. The majority of silver jewelry you buy and wear is sterling silver.

Can sterling silver tarnish?

The sole disadvantage of sterling silver is that it tarnishes more readily due to the additional copper, appearing dark brown with time, particularly in humid settings. It is, however, simple to clean, and your sterling silver will remain in excellent condition behind the tarnish: it will not rust or perish with typical use.

In most cases, sterling silver jewelry is a fantastic, high-quality option. The metal will not rust or corrode, and if you take care of your jewelry, it will last a long time. Even subsequent generations can inherit your silver jewelry.

Copper

After gold and silver, copper is among the most common metals for jewelry creation. Copper has its distinct hue and is used to make the two most significant and commercially prosperous metal alloys, bronze and brass. It's an excellent metal for crafting jewelry because of its toughness and distinctive reddish-brown hue. Copper was initially used to make jewelry in the 8th century BC.

What gemstones go well with copper?

Copper is a terrific metal to pair with gemstones that are red, green, and blue in hue including:

• Jasper
• Malachite
• Peridot
• Turquoise
• Ruby
• Sapphire

However, our collection of copper wire includes multiple plated colors, including silver, gold, bronze, and rose gold. This wide range of colors can pair with any gemstone bead or pendant. Most of our wire is coated to resist tarnishing, although we have raw copper wire available.

Is it safe to wear copper jewelry?

Copper is an antibacterial and antifungal metal that does not bother or hurt the skin. Because copper is an essential mineral in the body, and copper jewelry items leave enzymes in the guise of those stains, wearing copper for a time can leave green discoloration on your skin. They may, however, be readily removed with warm water and soap.

Can you wire wrap with copper?

Copper is extremely flexible and can be used for wire wrapping designs. Check out this copper wire wrapping tutorial and click here for all the tools you will need:

Pewter

Pewter is a zinc-based alloy that can contain trace metals such as copper, antimony, silver, and bismuth. High-quality pewter will not contain any lead or nickel. This lightweight metal has gained popularity in the fashion industry due to its versatility. Pewter comes in many finishes including:

• Vintage copper
• Gold
• Bronze
• Antique Silver
• Gun Metal

Our zinc-based alloy beads and charms offer something for everyone with hundreds of different shapes. We also have headpins and other essential jewelry design components in Pewter.

Conclusion

For the jewelry buyer, each material offers its advantages and disadvantages. Experiment with different metals by adding them to your collection.

Cherry Tree Beads is the place to go if you need to purchase metal jewelry materials. We have a large selection of jewelry wire, metal beads, and focal pieces. To order the jewelry metal of your choosing, check out our shop or contact us today.