Need Info on Non-precious metals

Hi Marina,

Your best bet may be to go the local library, and find books on metals. The metals you are asking about are basic metals that have been used for thousands of years, for many purposes (pipes, jewelry, electrical, weapons...). For each of those uses, there have been different techniques - some cold, some hot.

If the library does not have the books you need, or is otherwise not an option, then I think your best best is to do Google (or other internet search engine) searches on each metal, and each term you are looking for.

You will reach Web sites that specialize in each of those metals, each of their characteristics, and the various techniques used to create various items from them. Plus, if they are sales Web sites, they should have prices posted.

What types of characteristics are you looking for? Strength? Durability? Malleability / Pliability? Color? Melting Temperature?

Search for specific terms like "Copper Strength", "Nickel Alloy Percentages" or "Bronze Melting Temperature". Also, search terms like "Lead Usage" may give you Industry Web sites.

If you are specifically interested in these metals, as they relate to jewelry, you may want search terms such as "Copper Bead Prices" or "Nickel Wire Jewelry".

On our Web site, we have prices for products made of some of the above metals (copper beads, nickel wire, brass charms), and so you can go to our online store and find prices by searching for terms like:
+copper +beads -glass
(-glass removes all the copper-colored beads from the search results)
+copper +findings
+nickel +wire

Also, we have information on some specific alloys of wire (nickel, and red brass) on the wire page of our web site:
http://www.rings-things.com/Catalog_Pages/049.htm
and general (jewelry-related) information on metals (including nickel-free) at:
http://www.rings-things.com/METALS.HTM

--Polly