Do you know anything about vintage metals?

[grasswire]

Specifically, mica?

I have an old wall lamp from a rummage sale that's never been rewired. I used it for half a dozen years until the cord frayed, and then put it away. However, I happened to look at it again and realized that it is hand-hammered metal and in the art nouveau or craftsman style. The patina is heavy. I thought it might be copper. So on the backside, I pulled back the felt cover and used salt and vinegar on a cotton swab to see what color the metal is under the patina. It's an extremely bright gold color. Brighter even than a gold piece of jewelry.

Okay, I thought...maybe it's brass. But it's brighter even than brass.

Anyone know anything about mica? I know it was used to make lamps early in the 1900s. But is it ever hammered?

Any input is appreciated.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Mica is not a metal. It is a crystal. It can not be hammered without shattering

Some mica has a transparency. In fact, it was once used as the window 'glass' in oven doors. It is used in lamps as a shade material. In lamp shades, it would be used in a way similar to how stained glass is used.

As to your lamp, going solely from your description, I have no idea what the metal might be other than brass or bronze. Unless it is a plated base metal (pot metal, cast zinc, etc.). Even 'way back when' they had non-precious metal platings that looked like gold.

[grasswire]

4. good info, as usual -- thanks. (eom)

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. pic? n/t

[grasswire]

3. I couldn't get a very good shot showing the color.

And I tried scanning the back of it, but that didn't work well either. I'll try again later today.

[yy4me]

5. Remember the words, "Original Condition'. You are doing the

right think by checking first to see what you have but also remember that if you poke the thing too much, you will inevitably hear, sometime down the way "too bad it has been cleaned up".

We once cleaned up an old--what we thought was badly tarnished brass--lamp that we bought at auction. Cleaned up nicely. A few days after we placed it in the shop, on came a local dealer who had seen the lamp at the auction but did not bid on it because he had to leave.

Yup, there were those words, "too bad you cleaned it up" You see, it was Bronze and worth a good size bundle in its original condition but had become just another old lamp with our intervention.

[grasswire]

6. don't worry....

...I just cleaned a pea sized spot under the felt backing on the back side. I never do any altering or fixing. Thanks for the caution, though. :-)

[Duer 157099]

7. I'm kicking this thread back up because I have a similar question

and was getting very close to just taking some metal polish to the underside just to have a look-see, you know my curiosity is killing me.

So what other way to test whether it's bronze or .. or whatever else it might be?

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. If you're asking about the base of the lamp you recently posted

go ahead and use Brasso or Twinkle Brass and Copper Cream cleaner on it.

The base of your lamp is cast brass. :hi:

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Adding...

What you may be perceiving as accumulated patina may actually be applied faux patina.

[Duer 157099]

10. except that the parts that look really well patinated (?)

are the exceptions, in the more recessed areas - or of course, could be that the applied patina just was never removed by some prior cleaning attempt. It just looks very real, very rich and deep - if this is applied then damn, they have some really fine faux whatever! I may try to get a photo to show what I mean, if possible - it will be tough I think.