Smelting copper ores containing zinc produces brass rather than copper. This result was doubtless initially achieved inadvertently. Deliberate and widespread production of bass is first evident in ancient Rome, where brass was used for jewelry production, as coins and to decorate garments.
The European brass industry began to flourish by the Middle Ages. Based in Belgium’s Meuse Valley where zinc was plentiful, brass was generally reserved for the production of sacred objects. Fallowing the Middle Ages, the European brass manufacturing industry rapidly developed. Brass household items were produced as a display of wealth.
Brass was also widely used to make cannons until the middle of the 19th century, when steel supplanted brass and other metals for this use. High quality brass furnishings remain popular today, although they are generally costly compared with household items made of more common materials.