Caring for you Copper Jewelry
Here are some FAQs about caring for your copper jewelry.
Not so shiny anymore -
When copper is oxidized and weathered, it develops a greenish coating. This is known as a patina. To clean tarnished copper, use a cleaner that contains acidic ingredients, such as lemon or vinegar. Soak your copper jewelry in the liquid and wash away thoroughly after about half an hour. You may need to use a brush to ensure that you get rid of all the dirt and grime in the piece.
Regular maintenance of your copper jewelry will ensure it sparkles and remains beautiful for a long time. Wash with warm soapy water and dry with a soft cloth. Don’t use abrasive materials to handle your copper jewelry. Use a commercial polish or even car wax to give your copper jewelry that extra shine. This will also help to prevent it from turning your skin green.
There are many ways to clean your copper jewelry at home.
Cleaners and polishers -
- Lemon Juice and Salt - Use the lemon juice to wet the copper then sprinkle some table salt on the surface of the copper. Using a soft cloth, rub the copper piece to remove the tarnish. A pro tip is to sprinkle the salt on the cut half of the lemon and then rub the copper with the lemon. After a few minutes, the copper is going to be shiny and lustrous. Rinse and dry.
- Ketchup - Regular ketchup works like a charm to get rid of copper tarnish due to the vinegar in the ketchup. Squeeze some ketchup onto the copper piece and rub until the tarnish is gone. You can use your fingers, a cloth or even a small soft toothbrush. Rinse well to get rid of all the ketchup.
- Commercial Copper Cleaner - I have used Wright’s Copper Cream before to clean my copper jewelry. Follow the instructions on the product.
- Jewelry Polishing cloth - You can easily get these at a store or order them online. They will be useful for your other gold, silver and brass jewelry pieces as well. It takes just a little bit of elbow grease to get the copper back to gleaming again. For a light cleaning you can just use the cloth but for more heavily tarnished jewelry I recommend using a cloth after cleaning with one of the above listed. This is one you can order on Amazon that works wonderfully on your copper and silver jewelry. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S28IBUS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0YJ9648R3PWXGZ6NM7CK
My skin is turning green! -
So if copper is considered healing why is it turning my skin green?
Actually, it’s totally normal.
The good news is that, unlike some silver staining, green copper stains are not permanent. Simply wash it off with ordinary soap and water.
If you maintain your copper jewelry and clean it regularly, this will help in preventing it from causing your skin to turn green. Also, if you want to avoid this altogether, you can purchase sealed copper jewelry, where the copper is covered in a thin coating to prevent it from staining
Copper reacts naturally with our salty skin, which can be created whenever we sweat. This just means you have to be aware of when you might be working out or in the sun. But copper can also react to acidic environments- and your body acidity is related to your diet. Junk food, processed food, and lots of red meat will make your body acidic.