Brass and Copper Jewelry Care and Understanding Why Tarnish Forms

Brass is a mixture of copper and zinc which is called an alloy metal. The term alloy means that the metal is made up by combining two or more metals. Some metals will tarnish sooner and quicker then others as their chemical make up is more willing to give up electrons and this means tarnish. When your jewelry or metal is tarnishing it is in the process of giving away tiny pieces of itself. To counter react this precess metal forms a tarnish to protect itself from oxygen which is the eroding factor to our metals.  If you like the look of tarnished brass then you can leave it and have the antiqued look. If you do not like the look of tarnished brass then there are several ways to clean your jewelry.

   * You can purchase a polishing pad from me. These are little 2" x 2" square pads that are coated with a cleaning solution and are made up of a sponge type of material with permanently bonded micro-abrasives. They work great and are an excellent product to have on hand. 

   * Another method that can be used is by mixing 2 tablespoons of baking soda and adding drops of lemon juice to form a concentrate that looks like a paste. The lemon juice will fizz and bubble when you combine it with the baking soda, but this will stop after a few minutes. Take an old toothbrush and scrub your piece of jewelry.  

   * If the piece is heavily tarnished you might need to place in vinegar for 30 to 60 minutes and then polish with an old toothbrush until clean and then rinse with water as vinegar is a corrosive to metals. Please note this is a more aggressive method and it can leave the metal looking more raw. 

To protect your Brass Jewelry from tarnishing you can polish a thin layer of wax over its surface. I recommend bees wax as it is a clean natural product. The wax forms a protective barrier around the metal and blocks oxygen from stealing the electrons. 

Copper is a very pure metal and the copper that I use claims a 99.9% purity. Copper also will tarnish when exposed to oxygen and the above methods can work on it too. The copper tarnish is also referred to as patina. When copper tarnishes its color of tarnish will depend on what airborne chemical is in the air. Sometimes you will get green, blue, black, or red patina. If you do not like the look you can clean your copper with a mild acidic solution. Such as the methods used above or by soaking your copper in tomato juice or catchup and buffing clean. 

by Dawn Kellett Owner
Birch Bark Design - Fun Handmade Jewelry for your Everyday Wear
http://www.birchbarkdesign.etsy.com