Copper Care and Facts

Copper Care and Musings!
Sherry's Jewels

For your amuzzzment and possible edification, here are my musings about copper and the care thereof.....

I like the theory about the metal being a living thing - the ever changing warm colors showing it's character. Let it live!

Most of my copper projects are either raw [which go thru maximum changes related to the atmosphere, and respond well to a quick lemon juice bath], or Oxidized [my personal favorite, especially on highly detailed pieces]

If, after wearing, you give your copper a gentle soap bath, dry thoroughly and store in a plastic zip bag, oxidation will be greatly minimized.

To bring up some shine, give your piece a quick buff with any soft cloth - t-shirt is Nice. If your piece is oxidized, little care is needed, the quick buff will make it gorgeous!

As your copper morphs over time, should you not care for the current color of the piece you choose to wear Today, give it a little bath. *My* favorite method of restoring the raw copper color is a quick dip in lemon juice. Mmmm smells yummy! Easy Peasy! Read on --->>>

The Recipe:
[[[ Memorize this part -- !!! NEVER EVER WALK AWAY FROM THE LEMON JAR UNTIL YOU REMOVE THE JEWELRY!!! Cleaning should take about ONE Minute! ]]]

A small jar with a wide mouth, like a pint canning jar, makes a very nice container for two of those plastic yellow "lemons" found in the produce dept. of most grocery stores. Or use your favorite brand lemon juice.
Optional - Add about one teaspoon of salt to make it work just a bit faster.
Keep it in a convenient cupboard, lid closed tight to prevent evaporation, no need to refrigerate, always ready to be used again.
A dunk of about one or two minutes is usually enough. Rubbing is optional and not usually necessary. If you think you need more shine, try rubbing with additional salt. Love the metal in all it's colors!
Quick dip, quick rinse, pat dry and go on your merry way!

***Rinse well or you will get lovely green in the cracks and crevices, which can be beautiful, but it flakes off.

The metal will start tarnishing again immediately. The atmosphere of the day will determine how quickly.

To slow the color change a bit, try a little wax - your favorite type, whether for furniture, floor or car.

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A word about copper and green skin...
It's a chemistry thing.

I used to turn green when sweaty. It wipes right off and is not harmful of itself. I didn't turn green in air conditioning or in the winter. In the summer of 2010, I added vitamin D to my regimen. No more green skin. Happy camper!

I know people who never turn green, ever. Personal body chemistry. Think of it as a warning signal - something is not right. Fix your PH balance, find out what's out of sync, you'll probably stop turning green.

If you are interested in more copper information, check out the copper pages on my tutorial blog -

http://sherrys-jewels-tutorials.blogspot.com/p/how-to-take-care-of-your-copper-jewelry.html

~~ All articles are copyright to their respective authors. Be kind. Karma is a bitch. ~~