Pinchbeck (alloy)

Pinchbeck is a form of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, mixed in proportions so that it closely resembles gold in appearance the idea being that ordinary people could buy gold 'effect' jewelry when gold was only sold in 18 carats which pushed the price way over what people could afford to pay. Invented in the 18th century by Christopher Pinchbeck, a London clockmaker. The inventor allegedly made pinchbeck jewellery clearly labelled as such. Pinchbeck jewellery was used in places like stagecoaches where there was a risk of theft. Later dishonest jewellers passed pinchbeck off as gold and it came to mean a cheap and tawdry imitation of gold.

Pinchbeck typically comprises copper and zinc in ratios between 89% Cu, 11% Zn; and 93% Cu, 7% Zn.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Prince's metal