Types of Metal

Interested in different types of metals and their properties? Read on! If not, may we suggest checking out our Instagram?

Many of our decor pieces are made with some type of metal. But who knows what it means in regards to performance. Here we walk through some common metal types and their properties, ranked in order of strength:

Steel: Man-made. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. Steel is stronger than iron and significantly tougher.

Stainless Steel: An alloy of iron that contains chromium and usually nickel, and may also contain other elements. It is corrosion and rust resistant.

Iron: A naturally occurring element which is stronger than aluminum. It is a lustrous metal and is highly malleable.

Nickel: A common element that is naturally occurring and used to make stainless steel. Nickel is a hard silver white metal, which is malleable and has superior strength and corrosion resistance.

Brass: An alloy of copper and zinc but more malleable. Corrosion resistant and not as hard as steel.

Aluminum: Naturally occurring and easily cast and formed. It's lightweight, non-toxic, has excellent corrosion resistance and can be polished to produce a shiny attractive appearance.

*Plating: is a finishing process in which a metal is deposited on a surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years and can bring a new luster to products. This allows a product to be made of a very strong metal and then plated with a more lustrous one; the result - a gorgeous finish!