One of Kind Copper plated necklace

One of Kind Copper plated necklaceThis beauty is a true work of art! I began with a slice of a sea shell and adorned it with some beauties Amazonite, Amethyst and Labradorite stones and then plated it all in copper. It is definitely one of a kind and sure to spark up all sorts of conversations when wearing. What is electroforming? Electroforming is the science of plating copper onto objects. To start I paint a copper conductive paint onto where I want the copper to plate. I then

This beauty is a true work of art! I began with a slice of a sea shell and adorned it with some beauties Amazonite, Amethyst and Labradorite stones and then plated it all in copper. It is definitely one of a kind and sure to spark up all sorts of conversations when wearing. 

What is electroforming? Electroforming is the science of plating copper onto objects. To start I paint a copper conductive paint onto where I want the copper to plate. I then submerge the piece in a "bath" of plating solution (an acid solution I make myself) and hook it up to a power supply. The copper ions are then transferred one by one onto the area that the conductive paint was applied. This process takes anywhere from 12-36 hours depending on what I am plating. After the piece has a nice layer of copper built up it is removed from the bath, neutralized and then either sealed to preserve the bright copper finish or I paint on a patina to give it a more antiqued look that shows the depth better. A lot of work also goes into prepping the piece before the conductive paint is even applied. Sculpting, sealing, designing etc. Some pieces take a week to finish due to the many steps it takes.