Round & Oval Solid Copper Beads

Unfortunately, many copper beads and other findings these days are represented as 100% pure copper, only for unfortunate customers to find out when they arrive that they are plated.

Below are several simple methods to test if your purchases are authentic copper beads.

• Color: Look at the color. Genuine copper will have a natural, reddish-brown hue, while plated items will have a lighter color.
• Feel: Copper cannot be compared to steel in terms of sturdiness. However, you can compare the feel of pure copper if you weigh a copper bead on one hand and a steel bead or imitation on the other.
• Salt and Vinegar: Scrub the copper beads clean. Mix together a solution of salt and vinegar, and then rub it onto the bead. Copper turns green during oxidation.
• Magnets: Copper is a diamagnetic element. If you use a strong magnet, pure copper will appear to float or resist. You’ve likely bought plated copper, not pure copper if your copper beads stick to magnets like steel.
• Filing System: Get a magnifying glass and observe a random nook on your copper bead. The color of copper is consistent throughout. If the bead seems to have a completely different color in one area, then it’s likely plated.
• Sound: Copper has a unique and smooth sound—nothing like the usual, high-pitched, and tinny sound of steel. Thumping a bead lightly will allow you to tune in to its sound. Be careful, though, as genuine copper is delicate can easily be dented. This is a different kind of test that you can do on beads that you may have dented or damaged. Check the genuineness of the entire pack by doing a hearing test on just one bead.

These methods may or may not suit your taste for determining real versus plated metal.