Ask the Experts Mixing Metals Q&A

I'm looking for information on mixing different metals within one jewelry piece. Specifically, I'm wondering if there would be any bad reactions between brass and sterling silver. Is there somewhere I can find that kind of information? Thanks.

- Lucy

There's no problem in mixing brass and sterling silver on the same piece of jewelry.

The only thing you may find you'll be dealing with eventually, as do all of jewelry designer artists, is keeping the tarnish factor at bay. To help prevent this common problem, store your finished jewelry in an airtight container with a Shine-On™ anti-tarnish paper inside, or just put it into a reclosable anti-tarnish bag.

If you do wind up with some tarnish, use a cleaning fluid or polishing cloth to clean your piece. If you have included gemstones in your work, see the ''Gemstone Cleaning Chart'' to make sure the polish won't affect the stones.