Copper Bangles

While I started using copper wire because it was inexpensive and readily available, I have grown to appreciate it's earthy tone and rustic appearance.  I recently began soldering and started with copper because I knew that there was going to be a large learning curve. The more I work with it the more I love using it and it is no longer a "learning and experimenting" wire, but a staple for me.

Copper is a naturally soft metal and therefore easy to texture. A little hammering and some oxidizing with liver of sulfur and you have a rich, rustic look.

Beading Daily Reader' Gallery

Beading Daily is a great website for beaders and all jewelry makers. They have free patterns and projcets along with ones that you can purchase. They have great, informative articles, polls and a readers gallery.

The call went out a few weeks ago for submissions for a readers gallery that would showcase combined techniques. I submitted my bead crochet bracelet with copper end caps and clasp and it made it into the gallery along with a lot of other great pieces of jewelry.




Click here to view the entire gallery.

Simplicity

Sometimes I like the simple things the best. I made 2 pairs of these earrings - one pair for my shop and one pair for me to wear. I wear mine all the time.

Copper - Shiny or Oxidized - You Choose

Whenever I make a new piece of copper jewelry I love how bright and shiny it looks when I take it out of the tumbler. I admire it for awhile and then decide if I am going to add a patina or not. Here are a few pairs of earrings that I made both ways so you, the buyer, can decide which they prefer.

All are available in my shop.

Rustic Earrings

I love how these earrings turned out. I made simple hoops out of copper wire and then hammered it to give them some texture. I decided to oxidize them instead of leaving the copper shiny. I gave them a quick dunk in liver of sulphur and this is how they came out. They remind me of something rustic that you might find in an old barn. I'm going to make myself a pair and I am hoping to duplicate the patina exactly.

These are available in my Etsy store

A Byzantine Variation

Byzantine is one of the most well known chainmaille weaves. It is the first one that a lot of people learn when they decide to give chainmaille a try. Byzantine is used for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even key fobs. It is also easy to make variations of byzantine. You can do as I have done and add small byzantine sections to the main weave. You can also weave 2 seperate lengths and then join them together with smaller sections. Byzantine is one of those weaves that you can take wherever your imagination leads you.

Lifesaver Earrings

I made these earrings from copper wire and some small glass green donuts that I found at a bead shop. I thought they looked like green Lifesavers - they're about the same size. After the earrings were made I added a patina to the copper so the green glass would stand out even more.

Patina Copper with Egg

I do a lot of work in copper and I go back and forth between liking it most in its natural shiny state and adding a patina to it so it looks darker and aged. There are examples in the photo to the right of the copper both ways.

A lot of artists use liver of sulphur to add patina, but I don't have a source close by and I really didn't want the odor and fumes in my house. I don't have a separate shop with a ventilation system so I looked into alternative methods. After much research and discussion on various forums I decided to give the egg method a try.

Hard boil and egg and while it is still warm, cut it in a couple of pieces and put it in an airtight container with your item. I have read people stating to not let the egg touch the item, but my egg and item always get jumbled together and I never found it to be a problem. In fact, when I was using the egg method on this bracelet I squished the egg and mashed it into the bracelet. This bracelet has a very tight weave and just leaving it sitting with the egg wasn't working very well. I use a ziploc bag to do this so I can keep moving and turning the item to get good coverage.

Having never used liver of sulphur, I can't be sure, but I believe that this method takes quite a bit longer. In fact, most of my pieces get left in the egg overnight.

All the copper in my Etsy shop, so far, has been left shiny. I do indicate in the descriptions that it will darken on its own over time, but maybe it would sell better if I added the patina. What do you think? Any opinions on copper bright verus darkened?