I thought I’d share some insider information about the construction of lapel pins for those of you who have ever wondered what exactly they’re made from. Most lapel pins are die struck, meaning that they are stamped from a strip of raw material under high pressure, think of a large, heavy hammer slamming down on a penny. This die striking process creates an impression of a design onto the metal, thus creating the pin design. (This is how most coins are created) Another process is casting. The casting process involves pouring molten metal into a mold (cast) and sitting until the liquid metal cools and solidifies into the shape of the mold. This process can yield more detailed, 3d objects, but typically isn’t as strong or durable as a stamped lapel pin. Lapel pins are struck from copper, brass, or iron. The material used usually determines the cost of the lapel pin as some materials are more expensive than others. After being struck, most lapel pins receive a precious metal plating, such as 14k gold, silver (or nickel), or another plating like copper or a brushed (antique) finish. Plating is usually handled through a process called electroplating. In the electroplating process, the lapel pin is given a negative charge, while raw gold or silver is given a positive charge, both are submerged in a tank of high-conductivity fluid, which allows the gold or silver particles to adhere to the pin. (see illustration) I hope this gives a little insight into what pins are made of (and the process of creating them).

This entry was posted on Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Lapel Pins, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.