Often, it takes a soft cotton cloth to polish up the metal and thus achieve its ultimate finish and look. Brass beads are an inexpensive substitute for gold. It is also an alternative to gold-plated beads. Brass itself will vary in color from a dark copperish gold to a bright yellow gold, depending on its chemical makeup. Just use a soft cotton cloth to polish it to its original shine.
Copper gives an ethnic or antique look to jewelry.
Copper will tarnish. Use a soft cloth to polish it to its original shine. This is an inexpensive substitute for silver, but it has a duller shine to it. It turns black over time, and will polish up with a soft cloth. Nickel-Silver typically has no silver in it at all.