Difference Between Bronze and Copper

March 1, 2019

The critical difference between copper and bronze is, Copper is a pure chemical element as well as a natural mineral whereas bronze is a metal alloy. Bronze and copper colors have definite yellow, orange, and red tones; this can make them hard to distinguish. I love both colors, and the mix with silver or yellow make an extraordinary combination.

Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (such as aluminum, manganese, nickel or zinc) and sometimes non-metals or metalloids such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon. These additions produce a range of alloys that may be harder than copper alone or have other useful properties, such as stiffness, ductility, or machinability.

Bronze vs. Copper

According to Wikipedia Copper is a chemical element. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orange color. Copper use as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material, and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as sterling silver used in jewelry, cupronickel used to make marine hardware and coins, and constantan used in strain gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.

Copper is its element, while bronze is composed of copper alloyed with tin. Because of this, the colors of the two metals differ slightly when “raw.” Bronze may have a deeper, yellow-brown tone than copper, which may appear more red-pink overall. The difference in their chemical composition directly affects the difference in their visual appearance. I hope you enjoy both colors in Ayleen López Jewelry collection!