Home >> Collecting >> Antiques

How to Identify Antique Brass

Deciphering what antiques are made of can be a large factor in determining their worth, as well as a valued skill to the antiquing hobbyist. One of these skills is the ability to identify brass from other metals. Many antiques boasting a brass-colored finish may turn out to be oxidized forms of other metals or simply coated in a light layer of brass. Factors such as magnetism, chemical reaction and stripping reaction all play a part in determining the makeup of an antique.

Things You'll Need

Magnet
1 bottle metal varnish cleaner
Brass stripper

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the antique. Look to see if the metal is heavily covered with oxidation marks such as a blue or silver tint or crumbles of rust. Use the metal varnish cleaner on just a small piece of the antique. If the oxidation comes off easily with little pressure, the brass is not an antique.
- 2
  Continue to clean the antique with the varnish cleaner to remove as much of the oxidation as possible. Use the brass stripper on the antique to attempt to pull off a small layer to determine if the metal is brass.
- 3
  Inspect the antique after stripping. If the metal is bright gold (as opposed to the prior orange tint), then the metal is brass and not copper or bronze. Hold the magnet up to the antique. Look to see if the magnet sticks to the antique. If it does not stick, the antique is completely brass. Otherwise it is just brass-coated.

Antiques