I start with cutting copper shapes out of a larger piece of copper sheet. (Depending on the thickness you would want to use either metal snips or a jeweler’s saw.) Copper gets shaped, sanded , buffed and cleaned carefully, holes are added with a drill or a manual hole maker. I then put the pieces into a “fumigation” container (a plastic container with lid works well) with ammonia or vinegar. If the pieces have holes it is easy to string them on a copper wire. Usually I also add salt, but it is not absolutely necessary for the patina growing. Close the lid and now the waiting begins!
How long do you wait? Well, that depends… like I mentioned before patina growing is not a guaranteed process. There are times when it just doesn’t grow enough for me to make it into a piece of jewelry. Other times it grows just like magic. There are times when you may want to redo the whole process – clean the pieces of copper and make a new fumigation bath. After the patina is how I like it, the pieces are rinsed and let dry and eventually clear coated. You will have a unique piece of handmade real natural patina jewelry. If you want to know more about the process see my Patina Tutorial.
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