HOW TO REMOVE TARNISH/PATINA FROM COPPER JEWELRY

Over time, copper jewelry will loose its bright shine and take on a patina of its very own.  For many people, this is to be desired.  In fact, often the jewelry artist that made the piece will artificially oxidize (tarnish) the copper so as to achieve a beautiful, dark patina.  If this is the desired end point, then, of course, you don’t want to “clean” it as outlined below.  You may, however, want to coat it as outlined above to protect your skin from discoloration, but that’s about it.  On the other hand, many pieces of copper jewelry are most beautiful when the copper is clean, bright and untarnished as the jewelry artist that made it most likely intended.  Fortunately, to maintain the piece in this condition is a very simple matter.  With some common household items and a little bit of elbow grease, your copper jewelry can be as beautiful as it was the day you purchased it.

Things You'll Need
  • A glass or ceramic bowl
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice  (fresh or bottled)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • A soft toothbrush
  • Ketchup (if your copper jewelry contains pearls or gemstones)
  •  0000 steel wool (optional)
  • Clean, soft, absorbent towel, or, ideally, a jewelry-polishing cloth (available at many drugstores and jewelers)

The Nitty Gritty
  1. In the bowl, mix thoroughly the warm water, lemon juice, and salt.
  2. Place the tarnished copper jewelry into this solution.  Leave it there for a few minutes until all traces of tarnish are gone.  Typically, it will take no more than 1-2 minutes, and certainly no more than 20 minutes.  To move the process along, use the toothbrush to gently scrub into the cracks and crevasses of the design.  If the cleaning solution becomes excessively dirty, prepare a fresh batch.  Do not leave the jewelry exposed to this solution any longer than it takes to remove the tarnish.  Too long exposure and the copper will begin to degrade.
  3. When you have achieved the desired cleaning, remove the jewelry and rinse. 
  4. Using soap and the toothbrush, scrub the piece, then rinse and dry thoroughly.
  5. If the copper is bright and shiny, you are essentially done.  If, however, the tarnish is gone, but the copper is dull, polish it with 0000 steel wool.
  6. Use the towel or, if you have one, a jewelry-polishing cloth to finish cleaning and polishing the copper jewelry.  

Note: Do not allow the cleaning solution to touch any pearls or gemstones.  Some find that for better control of the cleaning process, it is best to substitute ketchup for the cleaning solution and scrub it into the copper with a toothbrush carefully avoiding any pearls or gemstones.  If it is a very important or expensive piece of copper jewelry, you might consider having a professional clean it.