The word brazen originally meant "made of brass" and is quite old, having been in use since the beginning of the 11th century in England. The word eventually acquired the additional meanings of "strong as brass," "with the appearance of brass," or "sounding like brass." Although the word brass was used to mean "shameless" as early as the 16th century, the phrase bold as brass didn't come into use until the 18th century. This is also the period in which brazen became a common way of describing women who were considered too bold, as in "that brazen hussy." The word brassy has also been used to mean "cheap or vulgar" because brass was sometimes used as an inexpensive alternative to gold.
But I like brass. It's harder and more durable than gold, which is a real plus when a piece of jewelry will get a lot of wear. It doesn't tarnish like sterling silver or copper. And it can take a variety of patinas easily. And to help us all be as bold as brass, here's a collection of brazen jewelry from the members of the Jewelry Creators Unite in Numbers guild on ArtFire. I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to click through to see the items larger.
