Featured Copper chain?

I picked this up today, it was obviously old looking at the clasp and quite heavy.
The surface plating is coming off too. No marks anywhere and 17inches long.
Would this be likely to be Victorian plated brass? Thanks.
~

 

Yes, it would. Love the links too.

 

Beautiful chain. I'm thinking it's either rolled gold plated or gold filled, which uses a thicker sheet of gold over brass or copper than plated metal. Your chain probably has copper sandwiched between two sheets of gold.

I suspect you could brighten it up with a polishing cloth. It won't take off the gold surface, but will shine up any exposed copper so it more closely matches the gold. Another option, which may horrify some, is to test one link with 0000 steel wool; if it brightens it up, you could gently rub it along the length of chain. I do that with tarnished antique gold filled or rolled gold watch chains and bangle bracelets. When done gently, it doesn't scratch the surface and really brightens up the whole piece.

 

If you really want it to come clean.
Squirt it with 50/50 ammonia and water. Drop it in a cup of Dawn dishwasher and water, swish it around, rinse and dry.

Agree with the rolled gold or gold filled.

 

Agree on date, and what it is. Sunshine cloth will do it, but I'd give it an ultrasound to get the crud out first.

 

Thank you to all. It was a buy based on the clasp, weight and look of the links. I don’t have ultrasound so I’ll give it a wash and a cloth polish first and invest in some ammonia if required.

 

Thankyou Joan, parts of it (ie the inner of the clasp) looked like brass but the chain looked more coppery.

 

Interesting. I'll have to try that. I use a hair dryer to quickly dry jewelry I clean in water or other liquid solutions.

 

If you don't have ammonia, vodka works.

 

A sad waste of vodka though!

 

If you have not used ammonia, be aware that you should do so in a well ventilated area.
NEVER mix with bleach or bleach products.

 

Ammonia clears the sinuses wonderfully well.

 

Thanks, I think I’ll give it a miss now I know that. I’m very sensitive to even strong perfume which gives me a closed throat and headache.