Victorian Lace Earrings

Description

Each solid copper earring is composed of 3 ½” discs for a length of almost 2 inches long. They were roller printed (see below for technique) and a permanent patina added to bring out their design. A clear finish has been added to both the front and back to help maintain the patina. The ear wires are niobium, which is hypoallergenic.

I want you to enjoy my wearable art. If for any reason you are not pleased with my item, please contact me within 7 days. I will accommodate you in any way I can. If you would prefer, return your purchase within the 7 days in its original condition and I will refund your purchase price minus shipping charges.

As an Eclectic Metalsmith, I enjoy working with metals in unique ways. With the right equipment and chemicals, the multistep process of etching copper is great way of making attractive jewelry and household items.

I created this pattern by etching my design on a sheet of brass. I then place a sheet of softened (annealed) copper over the etched brass sheet. By putting the two sheets together through a rolling mill, the brass design is “squished”, under high pressure, into the copper. The etched design becomes a 3D mirror image in the copper sheet.

Etching brass is done the same way as etching copper. I start with transferring a black and white design to a special material used for etching metals. With the design placed on a cleaned sheet of copper, heat is applied to transfer the black part of the design. The copper is placed in a ferric chloride etching bath, which eats away the open areas of copper but will not eat away the black areas that were transferred. After a period of time, the copper is etched deeply enough to clearly see the pattern. At this point the copper is cleaned, dried and the piece completed if no antiquing is to be done. For antiquing, the piece is dipped in the antiquing bath. By rubbing sandpaper over the top of the copper sheet, the antiquing layer is cleaned off the top of the metal and remains in the etched area. The antiquing step is performed a couple of times to darken the etched background and to give clear definition to the design. To prevent the normal darkening oxidation of the copper, the piece is then given a protective coating.

Added on Oct 15, 2009