Copper at home is back, be it in the kitchen, bathroom or living spaces, but all those bright, shiny products & gadgets might easily appear to be copper when it really isn’t.
A recent article by yahoo!life says spotting what’s fake from what’s not when it comes to copper is a growing problem given the proliferation of what it calls “faux copper” & “display-only imitation”.
There’s a lot at stake when the red metal ain’t the real deal of course. Copper is now famous for fighting germs, boosting technology, delivering clean water, enhancing audio, bringing light & expertly managing heat, either in cookware, stoves or heaters.
It also looks incredible, lasts for generations with the right care and is 100% recyclable!
The experts say there’s a few ways to tell the difference between authentic or alloy:
Colour: Copper is a reddish/gold shade–think more amber/caramel–where brass is more yellow & brighter.
Sound: Copper sounds different from other metals, with a muted, softer sound when knocked compared to the louder, more strident sound of alloys.
Magnetic: Copper isn’t magnetic so if what you think is a copper piece attracts a magnet, it’s likely clad in copper, but not solid.
Softness: Copper is a soft metal, meaning it probably won’t stay entirely ding-free over time whereas a piece that’s reinforced with other metals will be harder.
Oxidation: Copper doesn’t rust, but instead the oxidation process creates a crust that is blue or green in colour. And of course coated copper wannabes will lose their surface fairly quickly, showing up as whatever metal they really are.
You can also test for electrical conductivity or denseness for which copper skews high, but those tests involve a bit of maths which might be taking it a bit too far.
Anyway just take a close look at beautiful, old French copper cookware to see it all in action.