Brass is everywhere in vintage: candlesticks, hooks, trinket boxes, bells, furniture mounts. But plenty of what looks like brass is really steel, iron or zinc wearing a thin brass coat. Solid brass lasts, polishes beautifully and is worth more, so it pays to know which one you're holding. Here's how we check pieces before they ever reach the shop.
We have a dozen brass pieces in the shop right now, from an $18 brass horse medallion to this Art Nouveau style leaf tray.
See the brass →
What brass actually is
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. More copper makes it warmer and redder; more zinc makes it paler and more yellow. It doesn't rust, it isn't magnetic, and over time it darkens to a soft brown patina. Brass-plated pieces have only a thin layer of brass over a cheaper base metal, and that base metal is what gives them away.
Test 1: The magnet
This is the fastest test. Solid brass is not magnetic. If a fridge magnet grabs hold, the piece is steel or iron underneath with brass plating on top. One catch: zinc and pot metal aren't magnetic either, so a piece that passes the magnet test still needs the other checks.
Test 2: Weight
Solid brass is dense and feels heavier than you expect for its size. Plated pot metal and hollow stamped pieces feel light. If you handle a lot of brass, your hand learns the difference quickly.
Test 3: Look at the back and the edges
Flip it over. Solid cast brass is the same golden color all the way through, even on the rough, unpolished back. Plated pieces often show gray or silver metal where the plating has worn through on edges, corners and high spots. Rust spots anywhere are a sure sign of steel underneath.
Test 4: A tiny scratch
On a hidden spot, scratch lightly with a sharp tool. Bright yellow-gold underneath means brass. Silver or gray means plating over another metal. Only do this somewhere it will never show.
Cast vs. stamped brass
Even solid brass comes in two kinds. Cast brass is poured into a mold, so it's thick, heavy and crisply detailed, and the back is often rough and grainy. Stamped brass is pressed from a thin sheet, so it's light, and the back shows a hollow mirror image of the front design. Cast pieces are generally the more desirable.
See it in person: cast and stamped brass in the shop
Each one is a single piece, so when it's gone, it's gone.
What about lacquer?
Many brass pieces from the mid-1900s were lacquered at the factory to keep them shiny. Lacquered brass that stays bright for decades isn't fake; it's just sealed. If the lacquer is peeling and the brass is spotting underneath, it can be removed and the piece polished, but leave antique patina alone unless you truly prefer it bright, since many collectors don't.
Caring for vintage brass
Dust with a soft cloth. For a gentle clean, use warm soapy water and dry thoroughly. If you want shine, use a brass polish made for the job and test it on the back first. Never polish plated pieces hard, because you can rub right through the thin brass layer. More tips in our guide to caring for vintage finds.
Brass in our shop
Browse our Brass & Metal collection for pieces that have passed these tests, including an Art Nouveau style cast brass leaf tray with a lady playing a mandolin, a Victorian cast brass hall tree hook, a solid cast brass leaping dolphin belt buckle, a solid brass scallop shell hook, a solid brass pineapple jar, and a Justrite brass carbide miner's lamp. We also have three brass horse harness medallions, one with a scalloped barrel design, one with a sunburst cut-out and one with a concentric ring center, plus an antique brass coin medallion pendant necklace on a beaded chain. Silver lovers, see our guide to silver plate vs. sterling.
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Keep reading: What Are Horse Brasses? · Silver Plate vs. Sterling · Who Was Serge Nekrassoff?
What's the oldest piece of brass in your house? Did you try the magnet test on it? Tell us what you found.