Copper Claddagh Necklace

Description

With the luck of the Irish and speaking of friendship, caring and love, this claddagh necklace is approximately 1 3/4” (45mm) wide by 3/4" (22mm) tall. The unlacquered chain is about 20 inches long. The copper was first etched in my original claddagh design, and then a permanent patina added to bring out the design. As the pendant also has no finish, it will develop copper’s natural patina making the added patina more subtle. If you would prefer to lacquer the pendant to maintain its current patina, please let me know in the notes section of your order. The chain is unfinished so that over time it will develop its patina to coordinate with whichever patina you choose.

I want you to enjoy my useful 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 a great way of making attractive jewelry and household items.

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 to the copper. The copper is then placed in an etching bath which eats away the open areas of copper and leaves 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 cleaning 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.

Added on Nov 07, 2009