Cleaning & Care: Copper Jewelry
The Basics of Wire Wrapping
Wire wrapping is an art which uses various gauges of wire to create an artistic design and sometimes encase a focal gemstone or other object. There is no glue involved in traditional wire wrapping and the gemstone must be set in place solely by wire wrapping techniques. Sometimes beads or drilled stones are used, but many of my creations use undrilled stones.
Copper Wire
Copper is a soft metal which hardens a bit during the process of creating, but still remains very malleable after the production and should be handled with care. Please don’t put your jewelry in your pockets or toss them into your purse. Always store them in a safe place and treat your wire wrapped jewelry with extra care.
Allergies: Allergies to copper are common and should be taken into consideration before purchasing, especially those wishing to buy a gift for a loved one.
Skin Discoloration
Many people avoid copper jewelry due to its reputation of turning skin green, but please don’t discard this beautiful metal because of this bad reputation! This is a harmless side effect and doesn’t happen every time or to everyone. For the majority of people, most pendants and loose bracelets won’t be in contact with your skin enough to turn it green. The green color you see is simply a chemical reaction of your body’s pH level with the copper. Copper is beneficial for our health and can be absorbed through the skin, helping to alleviate certain health problems. It has been used since ancient times in natural medicine. These green marks are not allergic reactions and they will wash off.
This is most common with copper rings since the jewelry sits so close to the skin and is in contact with sweat and water throughout the day. If the green color bothers you, you may clean the inside of your ring with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover and afterwards, apply two coats of a high quality, clear nail polish to the inside of the ring band. Frequently worn rings will need to have the polish re-applied as it will wear off over time.
Oxidation
Copper wire is famous for its ability to quickly oxidize. It is a beautiful metal that is always changing! Polished copper will have a bright, golden pink appearance and is often mistaken for Rose Gold (Rose Gold is gold mixed with copper). Please note that copper and rose gold are very different! Even though my photos are taken after polishing, your jewelry will gain orange and eventually dark brown hues after being exposed to oxidants in the air.
Storing Your Jewelry
To help slow oxidation, you can store clean copper jewelry in an airtight plastic bag or container. Never store your jewelry when wet, as the humidity will form a green patina on the metal. Always store your jewelry away from sunlight, heat, and humidity. Never leave your jewelry in the bathroom or a hot car. Please keep in mind that your jewelry is fragile and should be stored in a safe place like a jewelry box.
Cleaning Copper Jewelry
Copper jewelry can be cleaned with home remedies or products bought from a store/online. In every order I include a free polishing kit which includes a small polishing cloth and a plastic bag to store your jewelry. The small blue cloths are a free gift and are to be used until you are able to invest in a better quality polishing cloth or pads. The yellow cloths or little white pads are given with more intricate pieces and are samples of my personal polishing materials which are recommended below.
—Shine Rite Pro Polishing Pads or EuroTool Pro Polishing Pads: These are my preferred way to quickly shine copper jewelry. These small, white square pads have micro-abrasives which quickly remove the brown color from darkened copper. They are compact and can be folded to reach those small, hard to polish places. These work especially well on fragile or intricate pieces since not much pressure needs to be applied to brighten the metal. How to Buy: You can find these by searching online and finding a retailer that ships to you.
—Sunshine Polishing Cloths: These give a rich shine to any metal. Some pressure does need to be applied to polish the metal, so these work best with sturdy, woven pendant that can’t easily be misshaped. These are wonderful because you can use them on all of your jewelry that is made to be polished (no plated jewelry!) Sunshine Cloths are readily available in USA and Australia, but you can equally use the brand name that’s available in your country. How to Buy: You can find these by searching online and finding a retailer that ships to you, or you can purchase a polishing cloth at your local jewelry store.
—Lemon juice + Water: You can use lemon juice to brighten your copper jewelry. Pure lemon juice will give the metal a pink-ish appearance, but you can dilute the lemon juice with a little water for a less strong solution. Always rinse your jewelry with clean water and pat dry with a towel. This technique works especially well for fragile pieces, like wire earrings, that might risk getting misshaped by applying too much pressure with a polishing cloth. If your jewelry has a gemstone, I recommend applying the lemon juice with a cotton swab to avoid dipping the stone in the acidic solution.
—Copper Cleaner: Copper cleaner is another alternative for fragile pieces of jewelry, but please make sure to rinse well with water after cleaning. Leaving traces of the cleaner on the metal may create a green patina in the crevices. I do not recommend this for intricate pendants. Copper cleaner may potentially remove the black patina from your jewelry.
Other home remedies include white vinegar, tabasco, and various other products. Directions can be researched online. Use at your own discretion.