JEWELLERY DESIGN MENTOR

COPPER: The metal chameleon

BY LUMA QUSUS AWAD 20+ YEARS IN THE BIZ

Have you ever noticed a certain green discolouration on your skin after wearing a piece of jewelry?

Well, that means your piece of jewelry is made out of the metal, copper. You may have seen labels saying that these pieces were “plated” in other metals such as gold or silver. Plating means that the base is made out of copper and coated with another metal. If you don’t take care of your jewelry, this plated layer will wear off eventually and expose the base metal it’s made out of.

The green colour is a result of oxidization and it is not harmful to your health, though some people experience an itchy rash or another sensitive reaction to the metal and may wish to avoid exposure to it. An interesting example of how copper turns green is the Statue of Liberty. The skin of the Statue was dull copper and over the years a green layer called patina was formed due to the exposure to air and weather conditions. The artist intentionally used copper knowing that this iconic statue will change in colour to stand out in shades of green.

My recent pomegranate lucky charm collection was also made out of copper. Copper symbolizes love and luck so combining it with pomegranates, the symbol of prosperity was just perfect for the New Year. These pomegranates are hand hammered to give a resemblance of the real fruit texture and the adjustable necklaces are made out of coloured silk.

There are several ways to prevent future discolouration of your plated jewelry and specifically your copper metal ones. A simple way to do this is by coating your copper jewelry with a lacquer finish (clear nail polish) using a soft paint brush. Another option is to coat the item with a thin layer of beeswax. You should also always keep your copper plated jewelry pieces in plastic bags removing the excess air and sealing it. If you don’t catch it in time, though, don’t worry. A little trick of the trade that I’ve learned over the years is that copper jewellery can easily be cleaned with some lemon juice and warm water.

Copper jewellery can easily be cleaned with lemon juice and warm water.

Copper is a recyclable metal and can last several generations with reasonable care. It is a durable metal that will not rust over time but rather form a green patina. Because of its pliability and durability, many jewelers prefer crafting their designs out of copper, I personally enjoy working with this metal especially when I came to realize the beautiful colours that come out when copper is exposed to oxygen and fire.

If you’ve ever wondered how to match your copper jewelry with your wardrobe remember that copper jewelry complements mostly all colours on the colour wheel such as peach, sage green, terracotta brown, coral, turquoise, orange and jewel tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, and deep purple. Nowadays, it’s very trendy to mix and match metals, so feel free to enjoy the contrast between the cold tones of silver and the warmer tones of gold with your timeless copper jewelry piece!

One of a kind pieces are available on my website.

https://www.inamullumani.com/