After so many years in the market selling beads online, we realised that we hadn’t described what zamak is. Stay with us to learn more about this material, its advantages and how you should take care of it so that it always looks like the first day.
Zamak and its name
ZAMAK is an alloy of several metals in which zinc is present in a higher proportion. Aluminium, magnesium and copper are also present. Specifically, the name ZAMAK refers to the Zinc, Aluminium, Magnesium and Kuper (copper) that compose it.
It is a metal alloy that dates back to the 1920s, when it was first created by the New Jersey Company. Due to its characteristics it is ideal for costume jewellery, although it is also used to manufacture a multitude of pieces that we interact with on a daily basis.
Benefits of this metal
This is a metal that has numerous advantages to make all kinds of articles for costume jewellery. Here are its 5 main benefits.
Hypoallergenic
Zamak is a metal that is completely free of nickel, so it is suitable for all skin types and we say that it is hypoallergenic. All the zamak pieces that we work in Abalorios Zamakor receive a silver finish.
Low weight
Another of the curiosities of this material is its low weight. It can be used to make many models of earrings and pendants with a greater thickness than usual, without being very heavy or difficult to wear.
It is ecological
You may not be very familiar with these jewellery terms, but the fact that zamak melts at a much lower temperature than gold or silver means that far fewer energy resources are needed to create beads with it. So we can say that in addition to all of the above, it is a very environmentally friendly metal.
It is recyclable
Following on from the above, this metal alloy can be recycled over and over again. We know you won’t want to re-melt your favourite pieces, but at least you know it’s an environmentally friendly metal.
Does zamak deteriorate?
In this section we have to make a clarification with regard to whether the zamak gets ugly or on the contrary it does not keep in good condition over time. The zamak pieces that we manufacture in Abalorios Zamakor have a generous silver plating that goes beyond 8 microns.
This means that the finish is completely identical to that of a piece made in pure silver. Over time (a long time) and through the oxidation process of silver, it can take on a yellowish or even greyish colour. This can be cleaned in seconds with a simple dry cloth.
On the other hand, there are manufacturers who do not finish their zamak beads with silver, but use tin and other much cheaper metals. In these cases it can happen that in the long run they can get damaged and lose their shine.