Editing Sphalerite (section)

=== Brass and bronze ===
The zinc in sphalerite is used to produce [[brass]], an alloy of copper with 3–45% zinc.<ref name="Klein-2017b"/> Major element alloy compositions of brass objects provide evidence that sphalerite was being used to produce brass by the Islamic as far back as the [[Middle Ages|medieval ages]] between the 7th and 16th century CE.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Craddock|first=P.T.|title=Brass in the medieval Islamic world; 2000 years of zinc and brass|publisher=British Museum Publications Ltd.|year=1990|isbn=0-86159-050-3|pages=73–101}}</ref> Sphalerite may have also been used during the cementation process of brass in Northern China during the 12th–13th century CE ([[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jin Dynasty]]).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Xiao|first1=Hongyan|last2=Huang|first2=Xin|last3=Cui|first3=Jianfeng|date=2020|title=Local cementation brass production during 12th–13th century CE, North China: Evidences from a royal summer palace of Jin Dynasty|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2352409X2030448X|journal=Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports|language=en|volume=34|pages=102657|doi=10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102657|bibcode=2020JArSR..34j2657X |s2cid=229414402}}</ref> Besides brass, the zinc in sphalerite can also be used to produce certain types of bronze; bronze is dominantly copper which is alloyed with other metals such as tin, zinc, lead, nickel, iron and arsenic.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tylecote|first=R. F.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/705004248|title=A history of metallurgy|date=2002|publisher=Maney Pub., for the Institute of Materials|others=Institute of Materials|isbn=1-902653-79-3|edition=2nd|location=London|oclc=705004248}}</ref>
[[File:Etoile d'Asturies, sphalerite.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Faceted sphalerite, known by the name of Étoile des Asturies, one of the largest in existence. It actually comes from the Aliva mine, Cantabria (Spain). Cantonal Museum of Geology of Lausanne.]]