Brass and Gold are two very different metals, Although looking very similar to each other gold and Brass have many differences and uses in today's modern times.
Brass is not a 100% pure metal it is an alloy, and comes in many variations. They differ in density, value, use, resistance, and durability. I will analyze and explain how to Identify the differences in the two different metals gold and brass.
The Differences in the types of metals
Brass and gold can look very similar with brass having a similar yellow-brown color and gold having a honey-like yellow color depending on the mixture of metals in the brass and gold. Brass is not a pure metal as I stated before it is an alloy, an alloy is a mixture or combination of metals.
"According to https://learnaboutgold.com/blog/brass-vs-gold/ and https://howtodiscuss.com/t/brass-vs-gold/57652. "Brass is not a pure metal like Gold Brass is 67% Copper, and 33% Zinc" the amount of metal used is not always the same. It may also consists of Tin, Aluminum, or Nickel.
Gold comes in many different variants though real pure Gold is 100% metal and can be found in nature. This being said a key difference between the two is corrosion, corrosion is the process of metals or stones corroding.
Brass will corrode over time, but gold will not. Gold holds non-reactive properties making it impossible to corrode. If the gold does corrode I am willing to bet it's either fake gold or an alloy of gold.
In today's world real Gold is hard to come by so most industries like the jewelry industry tend to mix metals with inexpensive metal to make it appear gold. You can find Copper spots on refined Gold.
There are three main types of Gold, New Gold, Old Gold, and Fake Gold.
New Gold is manufactured gold by purifying raw Gold bullion, Old Gold is a mixture of recycled old jewelry pieces and other old gold pieces, Fake Gold is made from Pure Gold and a mixture of inexpensive metals because it will not hold its original shape.
Gold has a higher melting point than Brass. Gold's melting point is 1.064 Celsius, while the melting point of brass is between 900-940 Celsius." Gold is a soft metal and appears shinier than brass, brass has a more of a dull yellow color.
Identifying Gold Metals
When Identifying Gold it's important to understand Gold has a purity rating. 10 karats being the lowest amount of Gold found in the metal, and 24 karats is 100% pure Gold.
The color of gold so you're not to be fooled is a shiny bright yellow, brass looks very similar but is not as shiny as true gold. A close inspection will allow you to see if there's any discoloration, or if color differs in different spots on your Gold.
Real Gold is not magnetic if the Gold is attracted to the magnet then it is a fake Gold product.
"According to https://learnaboutgold.com/blog/brass-vs-gold/ "Some Gold items have a karat rating or some type of marking stamped into them." This is another way to identify if your gold piece or gold jewelry is fake. Or it can even help you realize the worth of your gold, by reading the purity or karat rating you can tell how much gold is in your jewelry.
The amount of copper varies in different jewelry pieces. Gold is 2x times the density of brass." The acid test is the next best way to identify if your metal is gold. All you need is your nitric acid and two coins.
When you pour the acid and you see a smoky, or green fizzy reaction then your testing copper." Or at least your gold contains copper. Gold is soft and leaves gold streaks when scratched. Gold is also a softer metal than brass. "if you scratch it across a ceramic surface, it will leave gold streaks."
Identifying Brass Metals
When Identifying Brass Metals it is important to remember it is not fake gold or a replica, brass contains no gold what so ever. Brass is an Alloy, a mixture of metals.
Brass can contain elements other than zinc and copper "According to https://howtodiscuss.com/t/brass-vs-gold/57652" Brass is primarily a Copper alloy with the addition of Zinc or other elements." Brass metals come in many different shades and tones.
Brass can vary from red to yellow depending on the amount of zinc added to the alloy." The more Zinc Brass has the whiter the tone of metal, the more copper the metal contains the Yellower the tone of metal.
Brass items are commonly white-yellow or dull-yellow and if it doesn't contain these shades or tones its most likely not brass. Even though this true you can still find brass with shades of dark brown and reds. Real brass will not stain and will not rust.
Pricing and usage of the two metals
Gold in today's time is commonly used in the jewelry industry, decorating, awards and for currency all around the world.
Brass is used more for musical instruments, furniture, locks and other common everyday items.
Gold can be used as currency and for trading while brass cannot. Gold is way more valuable than brass. "The current price of gold is 1913$ dollars while brass is 1.25-1.92 per pound.
Gold vs. Brass Resistance
Gold beats Brass by a long shot when it comes to resistance and durability. you can actually mold and shape gold any way without breaking the metal, because of how soft gold actually is.
You can mold it in any way, without causing any harm or ruin to the metal. Gold holds non-reactive properties, in shorter words, it reacts to nothing and will never tarnish no matter how long you had it in your possession or exposed to other elements gold is forever.
It won't ever tarnish, regardless of how long it is exposed to air or other elements. Gold doesn't rust either, but Brass will react to various acids and elements and will degrade over time. Brass will degrade, and color difference will be eminent.
A good way to identify if it is real gold or not is with an acid test, if its 100% real gold it will have no effect. To conduct the test you need access to nitric acid.
Place your two metals down and put two drops of the acid on the coins. Now if you look and you start to see a smokey green fizzy reaction than you're most likely dealing with copper in your gold.
A milky-like reaction indicates gold plating over sterling silver. If you need more confirmation, or if you just you don't have nitric acid then you could always grab your trusty scale and weight both metals.
Gold is way more dense than brass. Gold density depending on the size should be twice as much as your brass metal."
Gold vs. Brass History
Gold has a long history, and has been in use longer than human history it pre-dates 6000 years going back as early as 4000 B.C.. Traces of brass can be found all the way up to 10th century B.C.
Benefits of Using Gold
Buying Gold is an investment it can help protect you from inflation in your country, because gold has a standard worth around the world. it can also help with your taxes. But you have to be carful that it is real gold or your investment is worthless.
Conclusion Gold vs. Brass Final Thoughts
In Conclusion, Gold far exceeds Brass in terms of worth, value, resistance and durability. Gold durability allows it to last longer than brass due to the fact it is a non reactive metal.
While Brass may look similar its just a more sensitive metal, brass reacts to all the water, dirt, or air. Brass is an easy oxidizing metal.
Gold has zero Oxidation reaction and is no where near the worth of brass, with brass being cheaper. Gold can be traded and can actually be used as a form of currency. The United States of America uses the Gold standard for its dollar.
Gold coins and Brass Coins for example, look so similar it is easy to mistake the metals for each other. But knowing the difference in color tones and shades can play a big part in identifying the metal you're looking at.
A good example, of someone explaining the differences of gold and brass with actual gold and brass coins is featured in the following youtube link: https://youtu.be/Weyu5Gk861A.
The video explains the differences and the value of the two coins in live video.
Most gold items have stamped karat rating marks indicating how much gold is in your metal. Some gold items have a karat rating or some type of marking stamped into them. Even though the two metals are very similar to each other with proper procedure and information you can tell the difference.