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Susan Olivio Jewelry & Supplies

solivio's Shop Announcement

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the oxidized wire that I sell. I think a lot of people may be confusing this with colored wire that has been sealed and is not a true patina. The color cannot be buffed out and is left as one consistent color.

I start with either pure copper or brass, and use a chemical treatment on the wire to speed up the oxidizing process. The wire has not been sealed so that you can buff it out and bring out highlights. There will be light areas and the recessed areas will be darker, giving your pieces an antiqued look.

A patina is soft powdery coating that forms on the outside of the wire. It can occur naturally after a long exposure to moisture or it can be hastened by applying chemicals.

Normally the jewelry is made from raw materials then antiqued and buffed out to bring out highlights. To buff, I use a very small piece of scotchbrite pad that can be purchased at the supermarket or paint section of the hardware store. We're sort of doing this in reverse. The wire is antiqued first and you'll be making your jewelry. Since the coating is very delicate, some of it will rub off on your fingers while you're working with the wire. This is natural but a bit messy. Just be sure to wash your hands after you've worked with the wire. For this reason, I antique the wire very darkly so you'll have some patina still left on the piece when you're finished. Sometimes you'll see that it ends up a little uneven in tone because of handling the wire. Buffing works wonders to smooth out the finish and even the tone.

When I make the earwires I sell, I normally do it from raw materials and then antique and polish. But I do frequently work with pre-oxidized wire when I need to get something shipped out quickly and don't have time to wait for pieces to dry. So this is a material that I work with myself and can say, the end product comes out the same whether you start with raw then antique or start with pre-oxidized wire then construct.

I hope this helps clear up some of the misconceptions about the oxidized wire that I carry.

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It seems I never have enough hours in the day to do all that I want to do!

I realize that I have a lot of items in copper, but don't always have the matching listing in brass. Anything that you see in copper can be made in brass for the same price. Just send me a quick note with what you're looking for and I can do a reserved listing for you.

All designs can also be done in Sterling Silver and Gold Filled as well. I can give you a quote if you need something done in either metal.

Thank you all for your wonderful support!

Sue