What IS Brass Ox?

and....What do you mean....gingerbread patina brass?

  Brass Ox is a shade of plating that resembles antique brass.  "Ox" stands for "oxidized."  Brass ox plating is one of our favorite plating shades.   We have ours specially enhanced with black antique that really sets it apart from the crowd, and shows detail beautifully.

What is gingerbread brass?   It's coppery-red with blackening, and sort of looks like Gramma's best gingerbread.   So, we call it gingerbread brass.  Some folks refer to it as ginger brass, or gingerbrass.   All the same thing....it's brass that had some red alloy that was allowed to age naturally.  This is NOT a plating shade, it is a patina, a chemical process produced by time alone.   Items that have gingerbread patina are almost always vintage.

Raw brass is brass that has not been polished or plated.   It is a mellow yellow color.   We sell alot of raw brass product because it is great for home colorization.  You can produce your own color with acrylic paints, spray on paints, or you can darken it with tripoli on a buff.  You can also use chemical processes such as dipping in liver of sulfur and drying with heat to make your own antique shades.

Pewter ox is  a dark antiqued silvertone and reminds me of the color of old, aged pot metal. 

You will also find gunmetal, copper ox, Russian goldplate and antique sterling plate finishes in our listings.  These are all different shades of plating, or finishes that are applied to brass stampings.  Gunmetal is a hematite-black color; copper ox is antique copper-look.  

Russian goldplate is extremely hard to find and very special.  We worked hard with a plater to develop a finish that looks like old Victorian rolled goldplate.    Russian goldplate finish was very popular in the 30's-60's and was used to plate the filigree used in many of the collectable designer lines of that period.  Our Russian goldplate is a very close second to the finish you see on collectable designer jewelry, it's hard to tell apart.  

An interesting note about Russian Goldplate is that in the old days, it was actually a form of brass on brass, brassplate on brass stampings or filigree.   This process is no longer viable, the chemicals used to produce it are not on the market.   Our Russian Goldplate is actually a form of matte goldplating with a drop of gold in the solution, with a special antique process on top to give it its 'look'.  It is mellow and warm and rich.

Our antique sterling plate rivals the real thing and is an inexpensive way to get the look of precious metal into your work without the expense.

I do not at this time sell alot of straight goldplate and silverplated material.   The reason is, my focus is on vintage and vintage look materials that are difficult to find.   Goldplating and Silverplating are easy to find and do not have the vintage appeal, so at this time, I do not plate those shades often.

In our Ebay Store listings you will find not only stampings in the specialty plating shades I mention, but also a variety of findings to help you finish your projects.

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!