Part 8 of a series on metals. 

                             
                                        #7522 Antique Vietnamese necklace  

So far, we have focused on silver, gold and platinum, the 3 primary metals used in making good, antique jewelry. A few other metals are worth remembering. 

Pinchbeck.  Imagine having a metal named after yourself! Imagine that hundreds of years after you left this world, people were still talking about you and in search of jewelry made with the metal you invented. Christopher Pinchbeck, a London watchmaker of the 18th century, did exactly this. He invented an alloy combining zinc and copper that looks and behaves like gold. 
Pinchbeck is more resistant to tarnish than most other alloys, retaining its golden appearance. 
Beautiful Georgian jewelry such as long chains were made using pinchbeck and are highly sought after as they look as good as gold. 
To this day, chemists have not been able to recreate his exact formula. Beware of lesser look-alikes that will not last as beautifully as real pinchbeck.

Aluminium. In nature, aluminium bonded with other metals was known to exist.  For many years scientists were unable to separate it from the other metals without exorbitant expense. For this reason, aluminium was only used for the most extravagant, boastful projects. Napoleon III, emperor of France reserved aluminium cutlery for the most important guests while less important guests ate with gold and silver. Jewelry made of aluminium was extraordinarily expensive. Lo and Behold, in the 1880's, a method was discovered to cheaply separate aluminium from its bonded brothers. By a wild coincidence, the same discovery was made simultaneously by 2 people - one French and one American - and both aged 22. What are the chances? More importantly: The price of aluminium plummeted and the rest is history. Today, it's difficult to believe that for a brief time in the 1800's aluminium jewelry was more expensive than gold.

                       

                                                 #6953 Cut Steel parure. 

Cut Steel.  Cut steel came into its own during the 18th century. It was composed of tiny, individual studs made of steel. Each stud could have as many as 15 handhammered facets on the upper surface. It is the angled facets that give cut steel the glittery look, superficially similar to the gleam of diamonds.  Look at the back of each stud for the hand-made rivets that secured it. 
Cut steel continued to be made during the Victorian era when machines took over much of the previously hand made production. There were less facets and they were not hand made. The rivets at the back were also fewer and mass-produced.

 #6953 Cut Steel parure.

Berlin ironwork.
From the name, it is clear that Berlin ironwork hails from Germany. Despite being made of black iron, it is surprisingly delicate and fine and makes for a great aesthetic appearance. While much of its history is not well known, what is widely remembered is the campaign during the Napoleonic wars in which the Prussian aristocracy gave their gold to the war effort and in return were presented with Berlin ironwork jewelry. Today, Berlin ironwork is a popular area of jewelry collecting and can still be bought at relatively reasonable prices. 

Brass, bronze and copper.
These have been used for jewelry for the longest time of all. As we know, they are still used today, but most modern metal work is cheap and mass-produced.  Look for genuine, hand-crafted antique items for jewelry with a history and a story to tell.  

Titanium Tungsten and other modern metals. 
These have become very popular, but since they were not found in antique jewelry, they are beyond the relevance to our blog. 

   

#7523 bronze bangle over 2000 years old.

Questions and comments: Please email antiques@brendaginsberg.com
Find jewelry on www.brendaginsberg.com
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