[Jewelry making - Article 00980] - Re: [Orchid] Use Copper in Jewelry...

[Noel]

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>     Do I waste my time, $, and energy backing copper that might not
>     sell well?

    I doubt that anyone can answer this-- it all depends. If the design
    is strong, it may be worth it-- all-copper jewelry cannot usually be
    sold for enough to make it profitable.

    But here are a couple of thoughts you might want to bear in mind.
    First, copper can still turn the wearer's skin green if it is
    backed-- it will still rub on the inside of the adjacent fingers. On
    the other hand (so to speak), I made a pair of copper and silver
    wedding rings (they insisted on copper and silver, and would not let
    me line the rings) and the couple don't have green fingers. They
    wear them all the time, and the copper has stayed what I call "baby
    pig pink" from the constant abrasion.

    And here's something you might not have thought of (I know I never
    would have). Copper and silver expand differently when heated. If
    you put copper over silver, then close a band to solder it, the
    joint will open up when you heat it. You say, "Geez, I must be
    slipping-- I thought that joint was tight!" You quench it to
    readjust it, and lo and behold! it is tight again. You have to wrap
    it in binding wire or some such to keep it together.

    If you made a copper lining for a silver ring, I suppose it would
    make the joint tighter... :>)

Good luck!
Noel

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