Will the copper turn my finger green?
It honestly depends on who you are and how your body chemistry is. Some people turn green while others don't. The copper reacts with the salt and oils on your skin which causes oxidation and that is where the green color comes from.
It will not hurt you and can be kept at bay by washing your hands and drying the ring thoroughly.
I do seal all of my rings but the sealer only lasts for so long because of the wear that rings get. You can recoat the inside of the ring with a clear nail polish or varnish to help with the greening.
How can I care for my Jewelry?
I recommend storing your copper jewelry in a dry dust free space. A humid bathroom is not ideal for copper jewelry.
Necklace chains and rings can be kept bright and shiny by gently polishing them with a jewelry polishing cloth.
Intricate pendants should not need polishing because I do seal them and they don't get tons of wear against the skin.
Also be careful of dropping pieces with stones in them because they are made of organic material and can break or crack.
Are they dipped in copper?
This is a very common question and the answer is no. They are not dipped it copper but they are put through a process called electroforming.
Electroforming is the intricate process of forming copper around another medium such as crystals, twigs, leaves and bugs with a low voltage electrical charge. The piece that is being formed with copper is coated with a conductive paint and suspended in an electrolytic solution of sulfuric acid and copper sulfate. The anode (copper pipe) in the tank is positively charged to break down the copper into small particles that swim around in the solution and are attracted to the piece that is forming which is negatively charge by the cathode. The copper slowly builds and forms itself around the piece that is being created.
Are any animals harmed?
I've never actually been asked this question but I just wanted to put it out there. I do not harm any bugs or animals for my artwork. All of the bugs, bones, and small animals parts that I use are naturally found in nature. Many of the bugs that I use are found for me by other people and are already dead. My kids love to bring me all sorts of odd things that they find in the summer time. I like to use many of these things because I sort of feel like im giving them new life and immortalizing them forever.