Copper, iron and silver were usually preferred for coins, while gold was used for jewelry. The Kuan-tzu notes that, "Emperors collect jade; nobility collects gold."
當時的銅器很薄，表面不適合裝飾凸起的陽紋，因而發明瞭「錯金」，就是銅器表面鑲嵌鮮明的異色金屬，黃金為其中之一。此種工藝通常稱為「金銀錯」。