Materials Explained: Brass, Copper, Silver, Gold & Gemstones
Every piece of jewelry begins with a material.
Before a stone is set, a surface is polished, or a piece is shaped into its final form, there is a decision about what it will be made from. That decision affects how a jewel looks, how it feels to wear, how it changes over time, and how it can be cared for.
At IZASKUN ZABALA, I work mainly with silver and 24K gold-plated brass, combining them with natural gemstones and other materials chosen for their colour, texture and character.
But materials also carry stories. Across cultures and centuries, metals and gemstones have been associated with qualities such as strength, protection, love, clarity or transformation. These associations belong to traditions, mythology and human symbolism rather than being scientific properties — and that distinction is important to me.
In this guide, I want to take you behind the materials I use and explain what makes each one different, both physically and symbolically.
Why Materials Matter in Jewelry
The material of a jewel is not simply a technical choice.
It influences its weight, colour, durability, texture and how it changes with wear. It also contributes to the character of the finished piece.
A silver ring will age differently from a gold-plated brass ring. A pearl requires different care from a garnet. A translucent gemstone can create an entirely different feeling from an opaque stone.
Understanding these differences can help you choose jewelry more consciously — and care for the pieces you already love.
Brass: Warm, Versatile & Made for Jewelry
Brass is an alloy made primarily from copper and zinc. Its exact composition can vary, which means that different brasses can have different colours and mechanical properties. Brass can range from reddish tones to warm golden yellow, depending on its composition.
It is also a material with a long history in decorative objects and jewelry. Its combination of strength, workability and warm colour makes it particularly useful for handcrafted pieces.
Why I Use Brass for Gold-Plated Jewelry
I chose brass as the base for many of my gold-plated pieces because I love the warmth it brings to the finished jewel.
Its natural golden colour also works beautifully beneath gold plating. When a piece is worn and the plating gradually changes, the underlying brass does not create the strong visual contrast that a pale metal might.
For me, this makes brass part of the aesthetic of the piece rather than simply something hidden underneath the gold.
I wrote more about this decision in Why I Choose Brass for Gold-Plated Jewelry, where I explain in greater detail why brass has become such an important material in my work.
Copper: The Metal Behind the Warmth
Copper is one of the oldest metals worked by humans. It is naturally reddish-gold, relatively easy to work, and highly conductive. It has been used for thousands of years in tools, objects, ornaments and jewelry.
Copper is also important because it is one of the main components of brass.
Copper in Jewelry & Symbolism
Throughout history, copper has appeared in jewelry and decorative objects across many cultures. Its warm colour and ability to develop a patina give it a particularly expressive quality.
Traditionally, copper has been associated with love, connection, vitality and Venus, especially within European and alchemical symbolism.
These associations are part of the cultural history surrounding the metal rather than scientifically proven effects. I find that distinction fascinating: a material can have a long symbolic history without needing to make promises about what it will do to the person wearing it.
Silver: A Precious Metal with a Living Surface
Silver has been used in jewelry for thousands of years. It is a relatively soft, shiny metal, and sterling silver contains 92.5% silver, with the remainder usually made up of other metals such as copper.
One of the characteristics I particularly love about silver is that it changes.
Silver naturally reacts with compounds in the air and can develop a darker surface, known as tarnish. This does not mean that the metal is damaged beyond repair — it is simply part of the way silver behaves over time.
With the right care, it can be polished and brought back to its original brightness.
The Symbolism of Silver
Silver has long been connected with the Moon, intuition, reflection and femininity in mythology and alchemical traditions.
This symbolism is especially interesting to me because silver and lunar imagery have shared such a long relationship in art, mythology and ritual.
It is one of the reasons silver feels so natural within a jewelry collection that explores symbolism and the stories we carry with us.
Gold: Beauty, Permanence & Light
Gold has fascinated humans for thousands of years.
It is a soft, highly malleable metal with a characteristic yellow colour and remarkable resistance to corrosion. Gold is also chemically relatively unreactive, which helps explain why it has remained so valued in jewelry throughout history.
Pure gold is 24 karat, although gold alloys are commonly used in jewelry because pure gold is very soft. Gold can also be applied as a thin layer over another metal through electroplating.
Gold-Plated Jewelry
When I describe my pieces as gold-plated, I mean that a layer of gold has been applied over another metal.
This is very different from solid gold jewelry, and I believe it is important to be transparent about that distinction.
Gold plating allows me to combine the warm appearance of gold with other metals that offer different physical and aesthetic qualities.
It also means that the surface of a jewel is something to care for. With time and wear, gold plating can gradually become thinner, particularly in areas that experience frequent friction or contact with water, cosmetics and other substances.
If you would like practical advice on caring for gold-plated jewelry, you can read my guide How to Care for Your Jewelry.
The Symbolism of Gold
Gold has been associated with the Sun, light, vitality, abundance and transformation across many cultures.
Its resistance to corrosion and its enduring colour have made it a natural symbol of permanence and value.
For me, though, gold does not need to represent perfection or permanence. I like the idea that even a gold-plated jewel changes through the life of the person wearing it.
Gemstones: Colour, Character & Story
Gemstones bring another dimension to jewelry.
Unlike metals, which form the structure of a piece, stones often become its focal point — introducing colour, light, texture and sometimes an element of surprise.
Each gemstone also has its own physical characteristics. Hardness, toughness, treatments and sensitivity to heat or chemicals can all affect how a stone should be worn and cared for.
This is one reason I don't think of gemstones simply as beautiful colours.
I choose them according to the character I want a piece to have.
Natural Gemstones & Their Individual Qualities
Some of the stones I work with include sapphire, tanzanite, garnet, tsavorite, tourmaline, lapis lazuli, topaz and pearls.
Each has a different personality.
Garnet, for example, can range from deep red to many other colours and has a hardness that varies according to its variety. Aquamarine is relatively hard and well suited to many types of jewelry, while pearls are much softer and require considerably more care.
These physical differences matter when designing a piece.
A stone that works beautifully in an everyday ring may require more protection in a ring than it would in a pendant or pair of earrings.
Gemstone Symbolism
There is another layer to gemstones that has fascinated humans for centuries: meaning.
Different cultures have associated stones with qualities, stories, planets, seasons, birth months and personal virtues.
Garnet has long carried associations with vitality and protection. Aquamarine has been connected with the sea and with calm. Pearls have gathered associations with the Moon, femininity and purity.
These meanings are part of the rich cultural and historical language of gemstones. They are not scientific claims about what a stone can physically or emotionally do.
I enjoy working with this symbolic language because it gives the wearer another way to connect with a piece.
A gemstone can be chosen simply because you love its colour.
Or because its story reminds you of something important.
Or because you were born in a particular month.
Or because it became part of a meaningful moment in your life.
Sometimes, the reason is simply: this is the stone that spoke to me.
Choosing a Material for a Meaningful Piece
When I design a jewel, I don't begin with symbolism alone.
I also think about how the piece will be worn, how it will move, how it will age and how the materials will work together.
The metal creates the structure.
The surface creates the colour and texture.
The gemstone can introduce another story.
And the design brings everything together.
This is what makes handcrafted jewelry different from simply choosing a material from a catalogue. Every decision becomes part of the final object.
Materials Are Part of the Story
A jewel is small, but there is a surprising amount of history inside it.
Copper and zinc become brass. Silver develops a changing surface. Gold is transformed into a fine layer of colour. A stone formed deep within the earth becomes something worn against the skin.
These materials have physical properties that determine how a piece behaves, but they also carry centuries of human associations.
That combination is what interests me most.
Beauty is not only what we see. It is also what we know about the thing we are wearing.
Discover the Materials Behind My Jewelry
Every IZASKUN ZABALA piece is handcrafted in my studio in Acebo, in the Sierra de Gata, using materials selected according to the design and the story I want each piece to tell.
If you are curious about the process behind my jewelry, you can also read The Art of Creating a Unique Handmade Jewel, where I take you through the journey from wax carving to casting and gold plating.
And if you already own one of my pieces, visit Care & Repairs to learn how to look after your jewelry and what I can do when a well-loved piece needs attention.