I like to darken copper with liver of sulfur, but I prefer to do it outside because of the smell. Last week we had a beautiful day—no rain, not scorching hot—that was perfect for working outside. I darkened a pile of copper pieces: long skinny rectangles, chain, charms, and scrap pieces of metal that I wasn't sure how I'd end up using. Since then I've only had time to finish a bracelet and bookmark with my new treasures, but more items will be coming.
For this bracelet, I darkened the hand stamped copper-plated charms, the chunky chain, and the toggle clasp. (The "read" charms are brass.) You can see my finished bookmark with the Albert Einstein quote near the bottom of the page.
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Tips For Adding Patina to Copper
- Before you get started, wash and dry your metal pieces. Try not to touch them too much after they're clean. Otherwise, your fingerprints may show up on the darkened metal. That has happened to me before. It felt a little CSI to have those fingerprints that I hadn't noticed show up!
- I prefer the gel form of liver of sulfur. It lasts a long time and is so easy to use. It just takes a couple of drops and it's easy to add more if needed.
- Dip the pieces one at a time in the patina solution to better control how dark each one gets. Whenever I've tried to do multiple pieces at once, I always end up having trouble fishing one of them out with my spoon and it gets noticeably darker than the others. This might not be a big deal if you're making separate pieces, but if you're doing bracelet charms or earring pairs, you probably want them to be similar. You can always put a piece back into the solution if you want it a little darker.
- You can darken some plated metals like the copper-plated chain used in my Book Bracelet shown above; you do not have to only use bare copper. You'll need to do some testing. Some "copper" metals may have a coating or finish on top that does not allow them to take on the patina. You can see more of my experiments with plated metals in an earlier blog post.
- Be sure to put your finished pieces in a neutralizing solution so that it stops the darkening process. I like to rub baking soda on the piece and rinse it with water.
More Resources
There are many different ways to add patina to metals. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments! I'm sure other readers will want to try them.
- Mark Nelson of Rio Grande has a short video on how to create a patina on metal clay.
- Lexi Erickson on Beading Daily offers a very thorough "Liver of Sulfur 101" including tips for finishing your piece.
- I had fun with the potato chip and vinegar patina a few years ago. (It's great if you need an excuse to buy potato chips!) I've also used vinegar and salt on brass.
- Pearl who writes the smart and fun Beading Gem site wrote a great round-up of 8 Ways to Patinate Jewelry including links to the non-toxic hard-boiled egg method which I've used with success.