Do you love COPPER Jewelry?.

Well those of you who follow me KNOW that I adore copper.

When I first started taking metals classes, the instructors always had us making the designs and templates with copper. Copper was considered a low cost alternative to silver and gold (Duh!)

So we could make lots of mistakes on our journey to become designers… without the financial burden.

That made lots of sense of course, and I have gone through more copper than I care to admit

In the process, I also discovered that I loved working with copper. Patinas (the finish) with copper are amazing. Heating can produce a bronze color. Adding peanut oil deepens the color, Sesame oil reddens it, vinegar and ammonia turn it blue green… and so on. In my designs I fuse copper with sterling to achieve yet another unique and vibrant finish.

FYI: If you are concerned about the ‘greening of the skin’ that can happen when copper oxidizes, remember that I treat all my designs to inhibit this process.

Did you know that copper was probably the first metal to be used by humans? It was used by the Egyptians in 4000BC and also used as far back as 8000BC by the Neolitihic people. Copper is found in tandem with many other minerals, too. Chrysocolla is a great example of this!

Copper is a great conductor of electricity. When worn it is said to be an effective treatment for arthritis as it opens up blocked energy flow. Copper’s energy flow enhances the properties of other gemstones too.

You can find my copper creations at http://www.alenesadornments.com