#copper electroforming

[dmitriybrovkojewelry]

Wire wrapped copper necklace with real electroformed leaf and Sunstone beads.

https://www.inspireuplift.com/Wire-Wrapped-Copper-Necklace-With-Real-Electroformed-Leaf-And/iu/97793

[dmitriybrovkojewelry]

Copper leaf pendant with Larimar. Wire wrapped copper necklace with real electroformed maple leaf and Larimar bead.

https://www.inspireuplift.com/Copper-Leaf-Pendant-With-Larimar-Wire-Wrapped-Copper-Necklace/iu/102240

[sicksicksickx]

[dmitriybrovkojewelry]

Wire wrapped dreamcatcher necklace with electroformed feather and Kyanite beads.

https://www.inspireuplift.com/Copper-Dreamcatcher-With-Kyanite-Beads-Wire-Wrapped-Dreamcatcher-Necklace/iu/91371

[sicksicksickx]

3D printed osprey talon and lab. Electroformed in copper.

[sicksicksickx]

Copper and real found butterfly wings.

[pinealvisionjewelry]

There seems to be a fast growing interest in copper electroforming/electroplating. One thing I see a lot are questions about the difference between electroforming & electroplating. Electroplating is simply plating a type of metal over another surface of metal. With electroforming, you are using a non-metal material to create a form in which you paint over with a conductive paint to create a metallic surface. Then you plate your desired metal over the painted surface & the non-metal material is then removed (if wax is used you would leave a hole where you can melt the wax out) leaving a metal shell in the form you want.

[pinealvisionjewelry]

Copper Electroforming Over Amethyst Crystals

Today I have been experimenting with some of my amethyst crystals! Who doesn't love amethyst?! Here are the 3 pieces I want to electroplate with copper.

I already coated them with conductive paint. I didn't paint the silver wire & jump rings cause those are already metallic & copper will form on anything metal. So I just dunked them in the bath one at a time for several hours. I put them on higher than usual. I get a better coverage that way. I set the amerage on about .21 for the sliced cluster piece.

As you can see the silver wiring at the top is still showing so I put it back in the bath for some time. It looks to be getting nice coverage.

I didn't snap a photo of the amethyst cluster after the second time in the bath so I apologize. It was somewhat like the other 2 pieces in this photo. So I sanded it down with my dremel & got that beautiful penny-like shine! I love it & I think I'm readyay to antique it then sell it!

The other 2 pieces were in the bath, separately, for several hours each. I got a nice thick coating. I discovered that with the amethyst ball pendant the copper would have eventually grew all the way around the ball if I had left it in there for longer. I knew this cause I only painted the very top & the copper grew way past that paint line. (see first photo for reference.) So that was really neat!

Come back to see the other 2 pieces finished! I will be incorporating my macrame knot work with these pieces so you don't want to miss that! 

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Thanks for reading along!

-- Brittany Witt, Jewelry Designer at Pineal Vision Jewelry.