How to tell if it is Real Bronze？

What is Real Bronze made of?

      Bronze metal is a copper and tin alloy that is shaped using the traditional method of bronze casting, using the lost wax process – used by artists in ancient Greece. These two metals could be mixed together, the copper content could range from 60% to 90%, and tin makes up the remaining percentage. But our YouFine bronze sculpture consisted of mostly copper (around 90%) and tin (about 10%).

Here are Some Tips to Tell a Real Bronze Sculpture:

1. Sound Test: Generally this is the easiest way to tell a real bronze. If you tap a bronze sculpture with another object such as your finger or a solid object like a wedding ring, the real bronze produces a clear, resonant sound for a few seconds, similar to a bell. Whereas the fake bronze or other materials may produce a dull thud or plastic sound and no reverberations.

2. Patina Test: Real bronze would form a unique patina over time as it relates to the environment. This patina may be various in color, from green to brown to black, depending on factors like exposure to air and moisture. Real bronze sculptures often show one natural patina, while fake bronze may not or show signs of artificial patination.

3. Weight Test: The real bronze sculpture is generally heavy due to the high density of the metal. So if a sculpture feels unnaturally light, it may not be made of real bronze. Of course, sometimes bronze resin could be heavier than real bronze sculpture. So we need to tell the real bronze sculpture more carefully.   

Some Real Bronze, Brass, and Copper Color Change:

Bronze: starts reddish/brown and ages to black brown

Brass: starts yellow/gold and ages to light brown

Copper: starts reddish and ages to green

Above mentioned tips may help us to tell a real bronze sculpture. But here I want to say if you are really worried about the quality of bronze sculpture, maybe you could choose our Tong Yun Sculpture factory. YouFine has specialized in the design and manufacture of bronze sculpture for more than 40 years, and we are the origin of China sculpture, there are 80% of bronze sculptures in the market.