The Bronze Age Is Back in Style For Handmade Jewelry

Bronze is actually composed of a copper and tin alloy.third phase of man's material development is referred
The combining of the copper metal and tin results in ato as the Bronze Age. By medieval times bronze was
much stronger metal allow and has a much higherquite popular and different proportions were being
melting point. The melting point of Bronze is 1981alloyed for a variety of uses. Not only was this metal
degrees Fahrenheit.Bronze does have a yellowishstronger and tougher than copper, it could be more
color and when highly polished it resembles gold ineasily melted and cast, and in addition was less
appearance at times. As a higher percentage ofsusceptible to corrosion when exposed to the
copper is added to the alloy the malleability increaseselements. Using different proportions of copper and tin
and the color becomes deeper. Bronze with aboutseveral different alloys were made with varying
90% copper content is often referred to as jewelersproperties. Bell metal was one alloy of 15% to 25% tin
bronze, red bronze. This alloy is popular for metalused to make bells because of the desired tone
craftsmen and jewelry makers due to its deep andproduced when struck. Statuary bronze with as little
rich coloration. Bronze jewelry and brass jewelry areas 10% tin was used for statues and architectural
always popular for their natural beauty andendeavors. In tool and weapons making, a small
affordability. Some of the finest examples of notedamount of zinc was added to increase overall
artwork have resulted from the process of bronzestrength. Other components which were commonly
jewelry casting, which is virtually the same techniqueadded to the alloy include phosphor and manganese
used in casting silver jewelry.depending upon the specific nature of the application.
Bronze was being made as early as 3000 BC and this