Caring for your living copper art
This item is a one of a kind piece of copper art. While it should withstand normal wear, please be gentle and avoid exposure to moisture, salt and harsh chemicals. Store in a cool dry place between wear, or consider an anti-tarnish container. Copper is a “living metal” that reacts to the elements and evolves over time. Changes in color or finish to the surface of the metal is natural and part of its beauty and originality.
I prefer not to seal my copper work so that it can more easily be re-polished and maintained as needed.
Intentional patina applications like Liver of Sulfur (LOS) and antique finishes that I use in some of the pieces could be removed by deep cleaning, solvents or vigorous polishing so be aware if your piece was treated with these and you wish to keep it. The best way to polish up these pieces is to use a jewelry cloth or gentle silver polishing method of choices.
Non-sealed pieces without a patina can be brightened by brushing with a brass brush, polishing cloth or 0000 fine steel wool. Occasional light polishing will brighten the surface and remove dull natural patinas.
Will it turn my skin green?
Extended skin contact may result in mild green discoloration for some wearers. Copper reacts to skin Ph and moisture. Unless you have a copper allergy, this is not harmful. A misconception about copper is that the tarnishing indicates low-quality and irritating jewelry. This is thanks to the prevalence of nickel in many mass-produced pieces that often causes skin irritation.