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How does the amount of zinc affect the color of brass?

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A periodic table element box for copper shows its symbol Cu, atomic number 29, atomic weight 63.546, electron configuration, and name. Icons indicate copper is a solid, weakly basic transition metal with face-centered cubic crystal structure. A key explains the symbols and color coding. — copper Properties of copper.

The color of brass—an alloy of copper and zinc—is directly influenced by the proportion of zinc present in the mixture. As the amount of zinc increases, the color of the alloy shifts through a spectrum ranging from red to yellow and eventually to gold.1

Conversely, when the zinc content becomes higher within specific ranges, the resulting color becomes paler. Commercially used brasses typically contain up to 45 percent zinc, with the specific ratio of these two metals determining the final aesthetic and mechanical properties of the alloy.21