My love affair with copper
I love copper! I mean, who doesn't? I love its unique reddish tint, the way it plays with light and how it bounces shades of red and yellow around. It has a mystical aura, and it feels romantic and contemporary all at the same time.
Copper is often referred to as " man's eternal metal". However, few people realise that copper is 100% recyclable, and almost 80% of the copper produced is still in use today. We can continually recycle copper without changing its properties, and it retains 95% of its original value. That's pretty cool!
I adore the history and mystique this natural living metal carries. Since antiquity, copper has had many uses, from making tools to medical procedures. The ancient Egyptians saw copper as sacred and used this precious metal during religious ceremonies. It is not only one of the oldest metals since the beginning of time, but it is also an essential nutrient in our daily diet.
Nowadays, many still wear copper due to the perceived spiritual qualities it imparts. Some believe it can offer protection to its wearer, open blocked energy pathways, and balance mind and spirit.
Hi, I am Rethea, a creative jewellery designer living in the most beautiful city in South Africa, the mother city, Cape Town! I have always had a passion for gemstones and crystals. I feel like each unique gem is a true miracle of nature, with a lifespan that transcends time. Each individually formed gemstone has a rich history travelling through the centuries. For years I have worked with so many other mediums and techniques. Yet, I yearned to return to my childhood's raw, natural creativity, where I would spend hours searching for that beautiful little raw gem hidden amongst all the shiny stones, imagining all the places it had been and all the stories it could tell.
I knew I wanted to work with rough stones, which set me on the path of exploring and learning. Then, I happened upon a process called copper electroforming, and I was so interested in this process because it is an organic process. In its basic form, it is electrolysis, which allows the deposition of copper electrolytes on gemstones over several hours in a copper/acid solution. I was delighted to have found the medium to allow me the freedom to work with my treasured gems! The entire process is organic, and the results are unique and beautiful, with unpredictable textures - precisely the way I prefer things in life.
We often get asked about the skin becoming green after contact with copper. This colouration is a completely normal reaction to prolonged copper exposure, typically the result of oxidation. We all have our unique body chemistry, and we produce a different response generated by the acidic nature of our specific perspiration and other chemicals on the skin, such as lotions and soap. Rest assured that this is not harmful and is easily removed by washing the area with warm soapy water. The green hue will also fade once the item is no longer worn. If the colouration bothers you, simply paint the jewellery item with transparent nail varnish, and you won't have any further green colouration. Many people will not experience any skin discolouration whatsoever.
Copper is known for its therapeutic, healing and medical effects on the body. For example, ancient Aztecs gargled with a copper and water mix to avoid sore throats. Likewise, Hippocrates was an avid user of copper to treat ulcers and other sores.
Today, many people wear copper bracelets to ease the aches of stiff and sore joints and help heal sports injuries. The skin absorbs small copper particles as an essential mineral, reducing inflammation. Some use copper to assist in nipping headaches in the bud.
As copper is antimicrobial, many hospitals have incorporated copper surfaces to stem infections.
Whether you seek the timeless elegance or the myriad of positive healing and spiritual properties associated with this genuinely wondrous metal, I wish that you, too, will experience the appreciation for the beauty of the natural world by wearing a copper jewellery item. This magnificent metal has undoubtedly stood the test of time.
Next month we will celebrate the beautifully intense blue Sapphire, the most regal birthstone of September.
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With love from me to you
Rethea xoxo