Touch a magnet to the side of the clean candlestick. If the magnet sticks, the candlestick is not brass or is skimpily brass-plated. If the magnet falls off, the candlestick is probably genuine brass, since brass is non-magnetic.

How can you identify 18th century brass candlesticks?

Look at the shape of the base to see if it is round. The round-shaped bases on brass candleholders are often an indicator that they are antiques. That is because the base underside was cleaned by hand, and to get that finery throughout, the base had to be arched.

What is brass attracted to?

Magnets can be made with rare earth elements other than neodymium, but neodymium magnets are the most powerful permanent magnets known. If a brass item contains enough iron, it may be attracted to a neodymium magnet.

Is brass worth anything today?

Generally, scrap brass is sold to salvage yards or other metal recycling services, and they pay per pound. But, if your brass is valuable (think trumpets, horns, ornaments, and figurines), consider a pawn shop. Youll get more bang for your buck than if you were to sell per pound.

What is considered dirty brass?

Dirty brass generally has foreign contaminants such as paint, oil, and other metals. Glass and wood can also cause your brass to be considered as dirty. If there is copper attached to your brass materials, this generally does not cause it to be qualified as dirty. This is because copper is used to produce brass.