Our bells are made of bronze, a noble alloy of 78% copper and 22% tin. This alloy guarantees the bell good resistance and excellent sonority. 

 

Bronze also gives the bells an exceptional longevity. Indeed, the oxidation of this metal is stable. Unlike iron that rusts and disintegrates, bronze turn green (or tan, depending on the climate) but retains its integrity perfectly. This explains why bells that are centuries old, or even millennia old, can still ring.

 

It is very important to keep this in mind when choosing the finish of a bell: whatever the chosen finish, at the end, the bell will be green or brown ! The aging process of bronze has a very variable duration : from 2 to 5 years in some cases and from 15 to 30 years in others. In simple terms, we will say that the drier the air, the more the bell retains its patina, the more saline and moist it is, the faster aging.