People, who are interested in metal jewelry, must be familiar with metal alloy. Metal alloys are typical synthetic metals that found in cheap jewelry, which are made of two or more different kinds of elements. Actually, metal alloys have been widely used in jewelry making process.
In the market, there are many varieties of metal alloys. Generally, they can be divided into two types: ferrous alloys and nonferrous alloys. Stainless steel is typical example of ferrous alloy, while bronze and brass are examples of nonferrous alloys.
Stainless Steel
Well, stainless steel is a ferrous alloy that popular used in designing various kinds of fashion jewelry. It is usually made of iron and chromium, which comes in a variety of sizes, shapes, and grades. Such kind of alloy has higher hardness and corrosion resistance. In fact, stainless steel is commonly used in jewelry making due to its ductility and strength.
Bronze
Bronze can be the oldest alloy that found in people’s daily life. Since the ancient times, bronze has been produced, and used for many different purposes, such as, weapons, tools, and ornaments etc. Bronze is a nonferrous alloy that made from copper and tin, usually, 90% copper and 10% tin. Today, it is also widely used in creating jewelry for its old and vintage feel.
Brass
Brass is one kind of nonferrous alloy which composed of copper and zinc. Usually, the copper content is higher than zinc content in brass. However, the color of brass is often determined by the amount of zinc that is added in brass. If the brass contains more zinc than copper, it will have light color. As well as bronze, brass is also commonly used to make jewelry these days.
Other Alloys
Apart from the popular bronze, brass, and stainless steel, there are many other metal alloys can be found, such as, copper alloy, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, and so on. Well, these metal alloys are less used in jewelry making, except copper.
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