About Bronze and Copper Jewelry

Bronze and Copper, used as far back as 6000 BC, delivered strength and durability  and commanded a high price.  Every day, bronze and copper artifacts are unearthed,   still in excellent condition, still rich in color, full of history and representing an incredible combination of skill and art.

The archeological period where bronze was the hardest metal in widespread use is known as the Bronze Age. In the ancient Near East this began with the rise of Sumer in the 4th millennium BC, with India and China starting to use bronze around the same time; everywhere it gradually spread across regions. The Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age starting from about 1300 BC and reaching most of Eurasia by about 500 BC, though bronze continued to be much more widely used than it is in modern times.

The discovery of bronze enabled people to create metal objects which were harder and more durable than previously possible. Bronze tools, weapons, armor, and building materials such as decorative tiles were harder and more durable than their stone and copper ("Chalcolithic") predecessors.

In many parts of the world, large hoards of bronze artifacts are found, suggesting that bronze also represented a store of value and an indicator of social status. In Europe, large hoards of bronze tools, typically socketed axes, are found, which mostly show no signs of wear. With Chinese ritual bronzes, which are documented in the inscriptions they carry and from other sources, the case is very clear. These were made for elite burials, and also used by the living for ritual offerings.

Bronze was still used during the Iron Age, and has continued in use for many purposes to the modern day. Among other advantages, it does not rust.

 

Bronze As Wearable Art?

Bronze is harder than silver or gold, so it is actually more time consuming to produce wearable art from Fine Jewler's Bronze.   The value of the pieces creates is derived from the time that it takes to make them, which is a larger portion of the sales price than the cost of the actual raw material metal value, as with fine solid gold jewelry.  You could compare this with a painting, whereas the value of the painting is not in relation to the cost of the canvas and the paints used but based on the finished piece of artwork and its value as such.    If our creations would be made of solid gold they would not be as affordable as they are, as gold is at nowadays at a record high, and would cost you about 20 - 30 times as much.  

More... Modify ▼How Do I Take Care Of My "Natural" Bronze Or Copper Jewelry

With the proper care your Bronze and Copper Jewelry will give you a lifetime of enjoyment.  Bronze is a natural material that will tarnish over time.  You can prevent / prolong tarnishing by keeping your piece of wearable art in a anti-tarnish bag or small Ziploc bag with an anti-tarnish square added, both provided with your initial purchase. 

We choose to not lacquer any of our jewelry pieces as we do not feel it is appropriate and takes away the natural metal feel of the Bronze and Copper, and any applied lacquer could peel off over time. Therefore we believe in 100% natural Bronze and Copper to be our choice of finish.

HOW TO CLEAN BRONZE & COPPER JEWELRY : 

Most of our bronze and copper jewelry has been treated either with a special non-alergic jeweler's clear coat so it will not tarnish, and you can even wear your Bronze or Copper Jewelry in the Pool.  We may also sometimes use Renessaince Wax, which will prevent tarnishing for a long time, or leave the jewelry natural, but we will always indicate with every piece what type of finish was applied, if applicable.  

For NATURAL BRONZE here is how to clean it: Remove your bronze wearable art from any chain.  Use a fine brush ( like an old toothbrush ) and Bronze Cleaner like BRASSO or BLITZ for Bronze or Copper .  Put a little dab of the cleaner on your jewelry piece, brush lightly for about 1 minute and rinse off with cool water. Voila, your piece will be nice an shiny again.   You can do the same with any chain.  On a light chain we recommend to wrap it around a wooden dowl, or another round object, as not to pull on the chain for cleaning so it does not get damaged accidentaly.

Should your jewelry piece become very tarnished and you do not want to clean it yourself, you can always just send it in to us ( USPS Priority mail w/ tracking), and we will be happy to re-polish it for you for a minimal labor charge.   If you piece becomes damaged or scratched due to some kind of unfortunate accident, we can always refinish it for you, too. We always will be happy to help, as long as you own your Varez Wearable Art, so it becomes a piece you cherish for life.