What to Expect from Raw Brass

I sell raw brass stampings on my website.   

While most of our crafting crowd would rather work with plated material, there are some cool things about raw brass:  you have a bare, clean playing surface that you can colorize any way you want.

The price of brass sheet has risen dramatically in the last few years, and I find that many of the stampings I offer cost fully twice what they did 8-10 years ago.  Toolers are scrambling for any sort of sheet to work with that they can get.   Because the market is lately more volatile and sheet harder to come by, you may see some fluctuation in the color of raw brass stampings.

I prefer to offer what I call 'mellow yellow' stampings....a rich, warm, low golden color metal.   But sometimes they'll be a little dark, a little grey, even a tad bit red.   I welcome the difference, personally, and many times will throw some of those odds back for altered art projects or to sell in lots.

Whoever you get raw brass from, you need to know the stuff will age with time, whether it's in a warehouse, at my place or at yours.  It will even begin to turn in the package as it sits on the shelf.

If you get brass that's starting to turn a little bit, no big deal.  Remember, there's no finish on it.  So just go after it with a bath in Jewelry Joose and a good spit-shine with a Sunshine cloth, and it will come right back up.   If you get it to a color you like and want it to STAY that way, you must seal it.

A light mist with some clear spray lacquer from the hardware store on both sides, should do the job.