Copper jewelry holds a special place in the industry whether it is traditional southwest, modern, or BoHo. Those golden brown tones are perfect for fall and complement many different stones. I love the malleability of copper and the many different colors it can be.
But as we all know, most all of us experience the green ring. This is completely harmless and natural. It is when copper combines with oxygen, sweat, oils, water etc. and creates copper carbonate (the green ring). Not very attractive! It is usually easy to get rid of the ring with soap and water. I use 100% real copper and a skin irritation is uncommon.
So, what do you do about it? There are several different ideas. First, you can prevent it with some type of barrier, usually that is a varnish. However, beeswax is a more natural barrier. A lot of people don’t want a chemical next to their skin. Which is why I do not coat most of my jewelry, unless requested to do so. Or. . . we just live with it. I usually tell people to wash and dry their bracelet and their arm when they wash their hands. Don’t wear your jewelry swimming, cleaning or even working out. That goes for silver too. Keep your jewelry in an air tight plastic bag.
That should help with the green ring. So, what about the jewelry itself? What if it oxidizes and tarnishes?
If you like your copper without any oxidation a great cleaning agent is KETCHUP. I know crazy, but it does the job. If you want to save the ketchup for the hotdogs, you can use a copper polish. But if you like a little patina, (like I do), I suggest very fine steel wool, just rub away the oxidation you don’t want and leave the rest.
I hope this will help you enjoy your copper jewelry this fall or any time of the year.
Hugs,
Lisha