Good Afternoon, May I pick your brains, once again ? How can I tell if an item is bronze or just another type of metal ? I have quite a few bronze Eng. Bulldogs and some of them I know are bronze, but then others don't have quite the same appearance...Also, I have a bronze candelabra that was the Shah of Iran's. I'm sure you may be questioning the authenticity of this, but I actually was with my parents when they met him and purchased the candelabra. They also purchased a gorgeous Tazza at the same time, which literally walked off my table and disappeared, about 15 years ago. I truly didn't realize it was gone, until I was replacing the candles with new ones, in the candelabra, and looked down and noticed it was gone. I searched everyplace, but no Tazza to be found. I can't imagine that anyone, who was ever in my home, would have actually known that it was valuable !!! Oh well, I can't continue to think about it, as it won't make it appear. So, is there a test or anyway to make the correct conclusion regarding the metal of an object ? As always, thank you for your smarts and time !!!
Bronze does not have one firm formula. Generally it is 90% copper 10% tin or there abouts. Brass is copper and zinc. They can look fairly similar when patinated sometimes. If it has any white crust spots it is more likely brass. The white would be from oxidized zinc.
Telling difference is difficult, so much so that I encourage those with such a question to bypass the issue by describing such objects as being made from “yellow (red, whatever) nonferrous metal alloy.” Then you are safe, even if it is a copper-less alloy with yellow (or whatever) plating. If you must choose brass or bronze, ask someone experienced in looking at nonferrous metals (like me.). One of the things I do is sniff the item, and if it has a sharp, somewhat unpleasant odor it is most likely brass. No bronze I’ve sniffed has an odor unless from the storage situation. Another indirect indication is the nature of the object and whether more expensive bronze was required to make it. Very fine detail such as replication of individual human hairs can be done well in a bronze casting. The bronze expands slightly on hardening from the molten state and can fill the tiniest voids in the mold. Brass doesn’t do that and is only used for castings not needing fine detail. Cheap, mass-produced items often use brass or plated spelter when a yellow, nonferrous alloy is required.
