The Metals We Use

Tempi Design has been innovative by bringing you options in metal which offer different price points for the same design. We are all familiar with Sterling Silver and 14K Gold. Tempi can certainly provide those. 

In my early days of designing, I needed to get copyrights on a family heirloom of Pharaoh’s Horses launching line, and found the very beautiful metal called “Ancient Casting Bronze”. It rivals pink gold quite closely in color. It is readily available and has no toxic elements. The process for applying for the copyrights entailed sending the exact pieces mounted, and I chose the Ancient Casting Bronze. My father, an engineer, told me I needed to keep using that metal. It was amazingly beautiful.

Ancient Casting Bronze (Rose Bronze) has a copper base, so you will see the properties of copper. It needs to be polished unless you like the patina it will give you.  When the item is just finished and off the buffing wheel, it looks very close to rose gold.  It will immediately begin to oxidize, based on how it is stored and handled.  Humidity, temperatures, hand oils or lotion residue etc. can affect the metal’s finish. 

Tempi offers 2 options to keep the design looking like it just came off the buffing wheel:  We include a free sample of the Prism Polish with all orders of our bronzes. Alternately, Tempi offers a Tarnish Blocker treatment, which seems to hold up well. Most people prefer to polish now and then, and many just love the patina. It is your option to add our sealant called " Diamond".

Tempi expanded use of the Bronzes when we started offering Belt Buckles. To keep with the typical Yellow and Silver metals for Buckles, Tempi offers a Yellow Bronze and White Jeweler’s Bronze.  These metals do have a 4% lead, so they cannot be used for jewelry. There was unquestionably a learning curve to work with these bronzes, but ultimately, these metals make stunning buckles.

For large orders of quantity, Tempi can use a casting house if needed, and work is sent to me to hand finish, per usual. One such casting house has a proprietary alloy for jewelry use that is a buttery yellow color. It is simply call “Yellow Alloy”. I call it "Golde".    Designs made in this metal are lower priced than Sterling, and in fact the Rose Bronze and the Yellow Alloy items are the same price points  [for the very same item].

Over time, the yellow allo, Golde,  does  oxidize and gets a brassy look. Once again, Tempi sends a sample of our Prism Polish to keep it beautiful, or you may opt for the Tarnish Blocker sealant, "Diamond".

Tempi is delighted to use lesser known metals to give you the same designs in metal colors which have various price options. And our customers adore the Rose Bronze! Please reach out to us if you have questions!!