How to Make Handmade Copper Jewelry Shiny

Copper tarnishes quickly over time.

Copper is a sturdy and long-lasting medium for handmade jewelry. Unfortunately, it is also quick to tarnish and lose its original shine. In fact, copper jewelry must be cleaned quite frequently. If left alone, copper forms a dark brown or bluish patina along the surface of the jewelry. If you are creating accessories from copper or acquired a dull piece of jewelry, restoring copper to its original shine is easy and painless.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup vinegar
• Table salt
• Lemon (optional)
• Jewelry cleaning cloth
• Medium-sized bowl

Instructions

1. Pour a cup of vinegar into a medium-sized bowl.

2. Stir in table salt until it no longer dissolves in the mixture. Add lemon juice for particularly dirty or tarnished objects.

3. Immerse the jewelry into the vinegar and salt mixture. If the jewelry is fragile or contains other components, dip a cloth into the mixture and rub the surface of the jewelry vigorously instead.

4. Wipe away the tarnish with the cloth until the copper is smooth and shiny again.

5. Allow the jewelry to air-dry completely before wearing.

Tips & Warnings

• Ketchup works in the same way as vinegar and salt, but it is considerably more messy.

• Apply a jewelry lacquer over your jewelry for a permanently shiny finish and to prevent tarnish.

References

• How to Clean Things; How to Clean Copper; Adam Bjerk
• Copper Shop: Copper Care