Pinchbeck (alloy)

Definition and Origin of Pinchbeck

Pinchbeck is an alloy of copper and zinc that closely resembles gold in appearance.
It was invented in the early 18th century by Christopher Pinchbeck, a London clock- and watch-maker.
Pinchbeck allowed ordinary people to buy gold effect jewelry on a budget as gold was only sold in 18-carat quality at that time.
Pinchbeck jewelry was used in places like stagecoaches to prevent theft.
The original Pinchbeck was made by Christopher Pinchbeck and his descendants until the 1830s.

Dishonest jewelers passed off Pinchbeck as gold, leading to its association with cheap and tawdry imitation.
Over the years, the name Pinchbeck came to mean any gilt metal, depending on the dealer.
Pinchbeck fell out of use in the second half of the 19th century and was replaced by low-carat gold.
Low-carat gold became legal in 1854, providing a more affordable alternative to Pinchbeck.
Pinchbeck is typically composed of copper and zinc in ratios of 89% copper to 11% zinc or 93% copper to 7% zinc.

Gilding metal is another alloy used for gilding and has a similar appearance to Pinchbeck.
Princes metal is a copper-zinc alloy used for imitation gold jewelry.
These alloys are related to Pinchbeck and have similar applications.

Tolkien, Tracy; Wilkinson, Henrietta (1997). A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry Key Styles and how to recognize them. Firefly Books. p.33. ISBN1552091562.
Levine, Gilbert; Vookles, Laura L (1986). The Jewelers Eye: Nineteenth-century Jewelry in the Collection of Nancy and Gilbert Levine. Hudson River Museum. p.28.
These references provide further information on Pinchbeck and its historical significance.

Pinchbeck is mentioned in the World Wide Words website, which provides insights into the origin and usage of the term.
The term 'pinchbeck' can also be found in the Chemistry Learner website, offering chemical insights into the alloy.
Pinchbeck is an alloy-related article stub on Wikipedia, and readers are encouraged to expand its content.
Pinchbeck belongs to the category of copper alloys.
This article is categorized as a stub, indicating that it is a brief or incomplete entry.

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/pinchbeck-alloy
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinchbeck_(alloy)
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1153163
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/07k_c7