[Jewelry making - Article 00992] - Re: [Orchid] Patination 101

[Karen Goeller]

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Buon Giorno, Davide!

    (that's pretty much the extent of my Italian other than "ciao!" and
    "grazie" and "no capisco") 

    You ask a good (and logical) question. Perhaps the best way to
    answer it is to ensure that you understand what the patination
    process is doing. 

    Patination is the process of creating an oxidation layer in the
    metal that changes the refraction of light hitting the metal. That
    oxidation layer can form in many different ways and at many different
    depths. 

    When you expose copper to the sawdust patina, you wait until the
    oxides form to the level you wish, then wash the piece thoroughly in
    soap and water. This removes any residual traces of the ammonia or
    ammonium salts, but leaves the oxide layer to provide the color. 

    You can also do fume patinas, where the metal is in a sealed
    environment (like a lidded jar or zip-loc bag) suspended over the
    ammonia for a period of time. The fumes cause a layer of oxidation to
    build very evenly over the surface of the metal. In this case, you
    still wash the metal afterward, but there's never been any contact
    with the liquid ammonia. 

    Patinas can be delicate and can scratch or abrade. Many can be
    sealed with lacquer (I'm really liking Rio's "Midas" finish lacquer
    for this currently) or a mixture of turpentine and beeswax. The
    darker patinas, as well as the golden/chocolate colors work very well
    this way. The iridescent patinas (on silver) don't seal as well,
    because they depend on the refraction of interference colors; I'm
    working on researching some options for sealing them, but have
    nothing definitive to report yet. 

    Your best bet when working with patinas, though, is to design around
    the fact that you're using them. Create recessed or protected areas
    where they can be worn without abrading or contacting the skin (which
    will darken them via skin oils and help them wear away and dull
    quickly). 

    Hope this helps! 

Karen Goeller
No Limitations Designs
Hand-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry
www.nolimitations.com
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