What Metals Are in Pewter?

Tin

• Tin is the base metal found in pewter. It is a highly malleable metal that can be easily worked, but also dents easily; the addition of other metals to the tin make it firmer and easier to work with. In addition, tin is the fourth most expensive of the commonly used metals, so alloying it with other metals lowers the price of the final pewter product.

Antimony

• When used on its own, antimony is brittle; however, when alloyed with other metals, it has a considerable hardening effect. Antimony lends strength to pewter, which would otherwise be soft and easily dented. It particularly enhances the strength and hardness of lead. Pewter made using modern methods contains anywhere from 0.5 to 8 percent antimony.

Lead

• Lead has been used to make containers since ancient times because of its non-corrosive properties. It is also fairly pliable and has a low melting point. However, lead is harder than tin, so using it in pewter lends added hardness to the alloy in addition to keeping the cost down. Now that lead is known to be a systemic poison, it is no longer used for pewter objects that might come into contact with food.

Lead-Free Pewter

• Copper and bismuth are sometimes added to pewter instead of lead; small amounts of silver may also be added. The primary purposes of these metals is to strengthen the alloy and give it more rigidity. Lead-free pewter tarnishes more slowly than pewter made with lead; it is also lighter, since it lacks the high-density metal. Pewter made without lead is also lighter in color than antique pewter.