Copper tarnish protector for jewelry

Dear Jewelers:

I have begun to use a lot of copper plate and wire in my jewelry
design. I would like to find out what you recommend to seal copper
and brass from tarnishing. Is there a product that can be painted
onto the metals that will be non-toxic to the wearer and safe to
use? If there is no reliable product, is there a safe method to
remove tarnish that I can pass onto my buyers? I have been told about
a product called permtec and another called Protectaclear but I am
hesitant to use something that no one else may have used. Let me
know, if you can, as soon as possible because of a large fair that I
am scheduled to attend soon.

Regards, Bjeweled

I can’t speak to a sealant but I can give you a wonderfully non-toxic
and effective tarnish remover for copper. Mix roughly one tsp of
plain table salt with 1/4 cup white vinegar and drop the piece in.
Let sit for a couple minutes then rinse and dry. Works great,
especially on pieces with inaccessible areas, like chain mail.

Cheree
In rainy Maryland where the weather is crazier than usual

Try ProtectaClear from Everbrite.com. Their site should answer all
your questions and yes, it does work and prevent copper tarnishing.
Don’t work there, just a happy customer.

Michele
MikiCat Designs

I can’t speak to a sealant but I can give you a wonderfully non-toxic
and effective tarnish remover for copper. Mix roughly one tsp of
plain table salt with 1/4 cup white vinegar and drop the piece in.
Let sit for a couple minutes then rinse and dry. Works great,
especially on pieces with inaccessible areas, like chain mail.
Cheree In rainy Maryland where the weather is crazier than usual

Most pickles aren’t particularly toxic, but as has been said before,
after they have been used on copper, they become toxic due to the
dissolved copper ions.

Jason

I have recently begun using the Protectaclear & find it to be very
effective on copper & sterling silver. I bought a quart since it was
more cost effective. I put some into a baby food jar & “paint it on”.
Sometimes I also “dip it”. It must be used in a well ventilated area.
I hang pieces to dry by an open window.

Regards, Audie Beller of Audie’s Images

Try Protectaclear 

The website for this product should be everbritecoatings.com (unless
you like neon).

David Stitt

Hi Bjeweled,

Hopefully this is in time for your upcoming show. Here are two I’m
aware of as jewelry safe (not sure how stringent a “non toxic” you
were looking for):

If you want to completely seal the metal, then the most effective
approach–assuming it doesn’t flex much–is a lacquer. Permalac is a
brand I’ve heard recommended a number of times, though I haven’t
cracked my cans yet. It’s available in quarts+ from the manufacture
or smaller quantities from Sculpt Nouveau:

https://www.sculptnouveau.com/Details.cfm?ProdIDF

The other way to seal the metal is with a wax, the best of which is
Renaissance Wax:

http://www.ottofrei.com/store/home.php?cat=3419

Also available at Rockler and Woodcraft stores if you have them
locally. Renaissance Wax will dry/buff out to become odorless, but it
does contain chemicals. An alternative for people who are
hyper-sensitive could be a warmed, simple organic wax like
beeswax–less effective, harder to work with, and potentially leaving
a haze, but one ingredient.

BTW, these aren’t really expensive, but they are going to run $15-25+
and require either hunting down a retailer or an online order. It’s
more hassle than most folks are looking for, which is why they’re
generally used by artists as finishing sealants, not owners for
ongoing care. In which case, if you’re protecting your pieces so
well, you may want to consider also upgrading these pieces from
plate to solid copper/brass findings. For me at least, copper vs.
silver is generally a style choice because by the time I factor in
time and materials to apply patinas and sealants, the gap between the
two is so close.

Cheers,
Ann