Caring for Copper and Brass Jewelry

 

Copper and brass will tarnish quickly, but are easy to clean. There are plenty of products available to clean these metals, but ketchup will also do the trick. Use a very soft toothbrush to apply the ketchup and let it soak for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly to make sure all the ketchup is removed. Dry completely with a soft cloth. Repeat if necessary.

 

Copper will naturally turn dark (patina), but can be restored to its bright new rose gold color by soaking in lemon juice with a dash of salt. Swirl the jewelry around, then rinse and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. If your copper is antiqued, it has been coated with a patina before purchase and should not be subjected to this treatment.

 

The green stain some people experience when wearing copper is a reaction between your skin’s oils and the metal. Some people never turn green when wearing copper, some people always do, and some people notice that it happens only when they perspire. This depends on your body’s chemistry, your ph balance. The stain does wipe off and turning green where the jewelry touches you does not indicate an allergy to the metal.

 

If you don’t like the antiqued appearance of copper patina,  car wax can be used to slow the darkening, but it does need to be reapplied periodically, according to how often the jewelry is worn.