Daily Wire Tip Dec. 4: Protecting Copper from Tarnishing
Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
December 4, 2009
Question:
I just completed making a wire bracelet with bronzite beads. I used copper for the wire because it matched the color of the beads better than either silver or 14K gold-filled. However, copper tarnishes or turns green. I don’t want that – the bright shiny copper color is perfect. Is there a coating I can apply that won’t affect the polish of the beads?
Answer:
A lot of folks have asked me this question and I still cannot recommend a product that can be used without a lot of safety precautions. I have done some research and found a product made by the folks at EverBrite called ProtectaClear. This is a solution that will coat your all of your wire jewelry to protect it from tarnish as well as from turning skin green or black. I do caution anyone who decides to try it, because as with many jewelry and metal products, the solution can be dangerous if not used with adequate ventilation and skin and eye protection, but ProtectaClear has received great accolades from those who do use it. I also caution using this product on jewelry that contains gemstones and/or pearls!! For more information as well as explicit directions on how to use this product, search for ‘EverBrite coatings’. (No, personally I have not yet experimented with it.)
Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong
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coating for wire, copper wire, tarnished wire
Filed under:Cleaning, Polishing, & Care‚ Daily Wire Jewelry Tips‚ Technique Tips‚ Wire & Wire Wrapping
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What about Renaissance Wax. That helps with tarnish although not was turning the skin green. I have never had the piece turn green, but there is always a first. This was is great to protect copper against tarnish,etc.
Hi Dale,
I have been working a lot more in copper lately because of silver costs, and the fact that when it is polished bright it can have a color similar to rose gold. I recently was reading one of my Jewelry Artist magazines and they had a brief article about a product called Renaissance Wax. You’ve probably heard of it or used it. I LOVE this stuff! It is a product formulated by the British Museum to protect many types of surfaces. The minute I finish a piece or component I get the jar out and sparingly apply it with a soft cloth. It dries in no time and then all you need to do is buff it with another soft cloth or dremel attachment. I usually do two to three coats. It is also great if you dip a piece in Liver of Sulphur and then polish the high areas because you can apply it to preserve the depth of patina. It is widely available online, but I was able to find it locally at a Rockler woodworking store here in Denver. It is not cheap, but a little goes a long way.
I haven’t been using it long enough to tell, but it may not be a permanent solution to sealing a piece. I may need to retreat pieces periodically. BUT I have not experienced any of the problems I have had with flaking or blotching (or fumes!) that I had with many other types of sealers. Another great discovery was that it allows some of my friends who have problems with wearing silver to wear their jewelry with a lot less allergy issues by simply applying the product to the underside of their jewelry.
Thanks for the info Dale! I will try the ProtectaClear and see how it works. If you have tried Renaissance Wax I would love to know your thoughts on it as it’s still a new product for me.
JonAnn
Denver, Colorado
For copper I coat the wire only before making the piece. I use the most simple and safe product ever-the generic version of Mop N Glow.
It DOES change the feel of the wire. It is a liquid plastic.
It can also be painted on carefully to keep it off stones. Or just put on where the piece touches the skin.Clay or other permeable beads like it but highly polished ones can be ruined so stay away from them.
I\’ve been known to use it on plated wire too, silver or gold or colored, as it protects the wire from wearing.
Try it on something really cheap. You may not like it.
On copper and it’s tarnishing. I have found some tarnish resistant 20 guage copper wire. I am Australian but the wire originated in Pakistan, brand name is Darice. I have used it but cannot at this point in time vouch for the veracity of the tarnish resistant claim.
On the subject of coating wire especially copper to stop it turning green or tarnishing. I use clear nail varnish! It absolutely works a treat. I use it on all my jewellery to stop them turning a dull colour, on silver, brass and copper. I make a lot of jewellery in copper as I love the brightness that can be achieved, and the fact that if used with liver of sulphur can produce a rainbow of colours. I put it on thinly with the nail varnish brush it comes with and it preserves the shine on jewellery. Try it!
I have used everbrite and love it… I got the beginners kit. I use a tiny paintbrush and it takes just a small amount to cover the copper. This gives me far better control than a spray can.
I guess I am not the only one to look at copper as a economy supplement. I found a coated copper craft wire at JoAnne that works well w/o tarnishing it does change the feel of the bracelet but it is fairly inexpensive. The manufacturer also puts out copper with colored coating too. Only could find it in three gauges.
The other thing I would suggest as a preventative is good old Never Dull. You get it at the Hardware store and it looks like canned lint, but it is non toxic and was what saved us from general insanity when I was doing a city farmer’s market and had to repolish all of my stock every single week because of the sulfer dioxide from traffic. pull out a piece clean your copper and buff it with a clean cloth( i used paper towels)
Have fun
Jessie
Hi Everyone, I work with a lot of copper wire. I find that if you wear the copper piece a lot it gets nice and shinny and stays good. However if you leave the piece lying around it tarnishes and turns dark. If you leave the piece in the bathroom it tarnishes faster. I use Noxon 7 metal polish, it really works good. Keep a bottle on hand.
Don’t do this with pearls or stones without testing beforehand, but the easiest way I’ve found to remove tarnish from copper is to swish it in white vinegar, then rinse well in water and dry. It’s safe on crystal and glass beads, but don’t do it on anything else without testing it first. Some things, like pearls, are just too fragile. Also, I once used it on a good hard jasper, and the beads turned a rusty red — they’d been coated with something that reacted with the vinegar. But for plain copper wire, this is a great method.
Whew! Just finished some copper napkin rings with gemstones for a wedding gift. I really want to preserve that beautiful shine. I’ll try both ProtectaClear and Renaissance Wax and let you know what works for me. Thanks so much.
Thanks Susan – we look forward to your opinions!
I recently began creating rings with copper & other wire. At first I tried a nail varnish but that soon wore off after wearing it a couple of weeks. So I went online & read about EverBrite’s ProtectaClear coating, which you can dip or paint on. I put 2 coats on then baked it at a low temp for 2 hours. More labor intensive than I wanted. So I did some more research & found the plated craft wire that Wire-Sculpture carries, in all different colors & gauges. This wire comes already with a non-tarnish coating. So far I’ve had great luck with that. You just need to be careful when working with it so you don’t nick it & go through the coating. I use nylon covered pliers to prevent making marks & nicks on the piece. Happy creating!
Hi, I have used Renaissance wax and everything was very tarnished within a week. The items were kept in my home in plastic bags. Next I used Renaissance wax on wire before making jewelry. Three coats I put on, made jewelry and it was very tarnished within a week. A lot of work for same results as with out wax.
Ellie, it doesn’t sound like your “wax” experience was good at all! Maybe one of our readers can offer some more advice that will help you become a fan of this product?
I make engraved copper jewelry, and had the same experience as Ellie with the Renaissance wax . I have tried both coating the copper sheet prior to engraving, and after with the same results. I’m not a big fan.
Glad to hear about the Protectaclear..Im going to give that a try.