We are a specialist tubing manipulation company dedicated to proving first rate items to customers. Using the likes of tube swaging, we can deliver tubes with distinct curves, bends, and more. These will make them suitable for the job you have in mind. Our team can provide stellar results, and we do so for very competitive prices.

Telling the difference between gold and brass isn’t easy. This is particularly true if you lack knowledge. What could look like a costly piece of golden jewellery could be brass. This is an alloy of zinc and copper, and a material people often use for tubing. Both are nice to look at. However, the differences are substantial. Primarily, the distinctions are in purity rating, density, oxidation, and price. To understand the two materials, we need to take a closer look at them.

A look at gold

Gold is an expensive precious metal. It is rare in nature so it identifies with quality, luxury, prestige, and wealth. The material comes with a bright yellow appearance and is famous for its resilience. You are able to shape it in whatever way you want without a high risk of damage or breakage.

Gold is the best raw substance for making jewellery. However, the profitability of such a business has attracted dishonest individuals. These are people with knowledge on how to merge inexpensive metals and mould them to seem like the more expensive pure metal. The majority of fake items are a mixture of pure gold and separate metals.

One of the ways you can identify fake gold is through the cross-section. Regardless of how good a forger is, they are only able to colour the surface, minus the angles. By breaking things up, you will come across multiple irregularities that will tell you it is fake.

Another thing you can do is a magnet test. Gold isn’t magnetic. If your magnet attracts to the metal, it is fake.

Looking at brass

This isn’t a pure metal like gold is. It is an alloy of 33% zinc and 67% copper. In terms of looks, it is similar and can have a comparable yellowish colour. Sometimes, we also use it in jewellery and decorations too.

Due to copper’s presence, brass has germicidal and antimicrobial attributes. Besides the jewellery, the alloy has a presence in the music industry. It has wonderful acoustic characteristics. Thus, it is great for horns, trumpets, trombones, and more.

Brass alloys can actually vary in colour. If an alloy holds more copper, it will have more of a yellow tone. When there is more zinc, it will be whiter.

Figuring out if a product is brass is simple. One thing you can look for is indications of wear and tear. Real brass is going to stain. In addition, poor quality alloys can rust. Plus, similar to gold, brass isn’t magnetic. If you need our tube swaging services, contact us today.

Key distinctions

If you need to differentiate gold and brass, the best think to look at is tarnishing. It is part of the corrosion procedure. Gold isn’t a reactive metal, leading to it never tarnishing. Brass will deteriorate, and the colour difference will also be obvious.

One other difference is that gold and brass react differently to acid. Most acids don’t exhibit an unusual reaction with the former. As for the latter though, it is reactive with numerous acids. Using the acid test is a great way of telling the two apart.

A third option is to test the weight. Gold is far denser, as it weights over twice as much as brass.

Some gold objects also come with a karat rating or a kind of marking. Brass items won’t have ratings or signs.

Work with our team for tube swaging

At Multiform Tubes Engineering Ltd, we have worked hard to become a reputable company that is known for quality services. When you need bespoke tubing, we are the ones to turn to. A team member will talk to you about your requirements and come up with a suitable solution.

So, feel free to speak to us about tube swaging and other services if you need our help. We can get you the perfect results.