Leafy Copper Bangle

Leafy Copper Bangle
Originally uploaded by Ruth Jensen

I bought this bracelet from Ruth Jenson over at http://www.etsy.com/shop/sparkflight Ruth specializes in wire sculptures of very life like animals. Sometimes she turns her hand to jewelry. When I saw this bracelet I wanted it right away!
It's made of recycled copper wire that she often strips herself. She used a coating on the wire that gave it a pleasing shine and it feels good to hold and have next to the skin.
I wrote her and asked if she would divulge the secret of her coating with us. This was her response:

Not want to share?! I put a link to the product site in most of my listings 'cause I think it's the greatest discovery since copper! If people only knew!

www.everbritecoatings.com/copper_jewelry.htm takes you to Everbrite Coatings' promotional page for the product, which is called ProtectaClear. The fact that the stuff was developed for protecting construction metal made me confident in trying it, and it has really worked well. It comes as a spray or liquid; I've only tried the liquid, because I don't want to spray beads or stones and I only put it on finished pieces. It goes on like water -- no stirring -- and dries in a few minutes. I've tried dipping pieces, too.

I found and ordered ProtectaClear online last December, after I wore a bright copper cuff to Florida and brought it home a week later looking like a dark brown oil slick -- kinda cool, but not what I had in mind! I've been using it on all my copper ever since, whether the finish is bright or antiqued.

I'm doing my own test on the restored and treated bracelet: it's been sitting in the soap holder in my shower for a few weeks, getting soaped and sprayed with hot water a couple times a day. So far it looks perfect!

So that's the scoop! Oh, one more detail - I use denatured alcohol for the pre-cleaning, rather than Xylene; the instructions say use either.

Have fun!
Ruth


And I will tell you that with along with my bracelet, I recieved a gift-with-purchase! I got a weathered piece of recycled copper wire. The lady sure knows how to please! heehee