How To Make Handmade Jewelry With Patina Finish
- October 17, 2009
- 1,883 Views
Liver of sulfur creates colors making your handcrafted jewelry, handmade earrings and unique bracelets extraordinary. Colors can be as dark as night or a beautiful iridescent rainbow and they range from subtle gold to magenta, purple, and everything in between. Nothing else can produce such eye-catching color on the surface of many metals including copper.
You Will Need
- Heat source (for example: a cup warmer or bowl of very hot water)
- Prepared liver of sulfur solution
- Bowl of cold water
- Plastic spoon for mixing and/or dipping
- Soapy Baking soda rinse water
- Rag
- Handmade Jewelry, earrings, bracelets
Step 1
Working in a well ventilated area is a must. It is hard to mistake the odor of rotten eggs produced by liver of sulfur. It is easy to be intimidated by the smell or baffled by the surprising results that can be achieved. With a bit of practice you will feel less intimidated, and once you realize that liver of sulfur patinas can be removed, you might feel free to experiment without worrying about ruining handmade bracelets or handmade earrings you have spent hours creating.
Step 2
Liver of sulfur comes in liquid or solid form. The liquid can be used straight from the bottle. Solid liver of sulfur is usually sold in small chunks, which are mixed with water as needed. It has a shelf life of one day to six months when stored in a cool, dark place. For this reason, buy small amounts of the solid and make your solution mixing only what you can use in a single session to create the most beautiful handcrafted jewelry.
Step 3
To mix your solution, put a pea-size clump of solid liver of sulfur in a glass or plastic container with 1 cup of water and stir. The color of the solution should be a very pale yellow. A strong solution will develop too quickly, taking control out of your hands and moving through the colors too quickly to stop the process at your desired color.
Step 4
Set up your workstation so you can easily move from one stage to the next. A row with the heat source first, then the liver of sulfur solution, then a bowl of ice cold water.
Remember the secret to controlling the process is the temperature at which you work and the solution strength. The hotter you work, the more quickly the colors will move from shade to shade. They progress roughly from gold, pink, magenta, blue, purple, bronze, gray and finally black.
Step 5
Before you begin, your metal handcrafted jewelry piece should be squeaky clean and free from dirt or oils from your hands. Liver of sulfur will begin to work the instant you put a handmade bracelet or handmade earrings into it. To accelerate coloring, heat either the liver of sulfur solution or the handmade jewelry piece. Let the color develop for a couple of seconds, then remove and put in the cold water to stop the patina developing. Repeat this progression until you reach the desired color. Small steps will produce a more even patina on the handmade bracelets and handmade earrings. Finally, rinse the piece in soapy water with diluted baking soda to remove any liver of sulfur residue that may continue to develop.
Do not rub the handcrafted jewelry piece with the baking soda mixture as abrasives will remove the patina.
Step 6
Liver of sulfur produces a patina finish on metal handmade jewelry and if not treated the effects will wear off over time. You should not have a problem in crevices, but higher areas are more prone to being brushed or rubbed. Use a clear lacquer finish to protect your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets with their new patina finish. Be adventurous and watch how a kick of color can change your handcrafted jewelry into a masterpiece!
To see more examples of handmade jewelry with patina finish please visit our website:
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Comments (2)
Worthwhile article I'll keep for reference. I have a bit of LOS to try but was never really clear on how to control it. Thanks!
over 2 years ago by Lois_Linquist
When using patina you have to make sure that the temperature is right. If it is too humid it might not work well for your hand made jewellery
about 1 year ago by Jennifer_Hisir
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