I am have thought about this question extensively, since I work in
copper constantly, and will share my thoughts. I will also very much
look forward to what others with more experience say on this
subject, always hoping to learn. Maybe there’s a solution I don’t
know about.
There are some options to prevent patination that would seem obvious
- lacquer is one. But I feel that copper’s natural luster is ruined
by lacquer, no matter how thinly applied. Lacquer also does not last
forever. It wears off over time, will craze, and then you have
patination happening underneath and unevenly. Wax is a another
option, but it definitely must be redone periodically, so that is not
going to solve the problem. You will still end up with a customer who
thought the piece was going to remain looking one way and so
eventually will be unhappy with what is happening to it. I had some
hopes for Renaissance Wax, which is a conservator-level wax used
extensively in museums. But I have tried it, and had several
conversations with the vendor who I bought it from - he is himself an
antiques dealer and has a lot of experience using it himself - and
the bottom line is that it really does not work with copper. Copper
patinates easily, that is the nature of the metal. It is better on
brass and bronze, but, again, must be periodically reapplied.
Then there are products like “Everbrite” which are sold for
protecting things like weather vanes and decorative copper objects.
I have not tried any of those. Too much hassle to apply and since my
pieces are mixed metal I don’t see how I could selectively apply
such a product without some further fabrication step messing it up,
or messing up the rest of the piece, depending on where in the
assembly process I used it. In addition, Everbrite does not last
indefinitely, either, so again there would be the problem of a piece
of jewelry eventually beginning to patinate. (Or needing another
application of the product.)
Here is where I ended up regarding this issue: It was very important
to me that I be able to retain the beauty of the metal - I use
copper because I love its natural color - and anything I put on it
besides wax would prevent me from doing that. Neither did I want to
coat a piece with something that would break down or wear off some
time in the future, after I’d sold it and the customer had taken it
home. I think that is everyone’s nightmare - that you sell something
and in time it begins to fall apart, degrade in some way, and the
customer is very unhappy with you.
In truth, there is a very simple and absolutely foolproof way to
keep copper shiny and lustrous forever, and that is with a polishing
cloth. It only takes a moment to buff down a piece and in that way a
customer can keep a piece shiny indefinitely. (Or not. There are
those who like patinated copper.)
If a customer wants to wax a piece on their own to slow things down,
that’s their business, and if they do they know they are going to
have to redo it from time to time.
My solution therefore has been to provide a Sunshine Cloth with
every piece of jewelry (the small ones are cheap and can be bought
in quantity from Rio) and include a care sheet. Then I feel
confident that anyone who buys my work can easily maintain the
shine, and will not be faced with unexpected problems down the line.
Now - I hope someone out there will blow all of this out of the
water by presenting a wonderful alternative.
Rachel