Liver of Sulfur Patina Tutorial

by Jennifer Hisir
(Copper Reflections Handmade Jewelry)

Creating incredible layers of color on your handmade jewelry is easily achieved with the use of liver of sulfur.

This wondrous chemical compound oxidizes many different metals creating fantastic colors on your handmade earrings and unique bracelets, making your handmade jewelry extraordinary.

The varieties of colors that can be achieved are incredible ranging from gold to black and everything in between. No other chemical can produce such wide-ranging color patterns on the surface of a variety of metals including silver and copper jewelry.

Liver of sulfur comes in two types:

The liquid form can be used straight from the bottle, but the shelf life is unpredictable even when stored in a cool, dark place.

Solid liver of sulfur is usually sold in small chunks, which are mixed as needed. For this reason, it is better to buy small amounts of the solid and make your solution mixing only what you need to create the most beautiful handcrafted jewelry.

For your solution, put a 1 cm or 1/4 inch clump of solid liver of sulfur in a glass or plastic container with about 1 cup of water. The color of the solution should be a very pale yellow.

A strong solution will develop the colors too quickly to stop the process at your desired color, while too weak of a solution can take too long and build a thick flaky crust.

Experiment to find the best concentration for the metal you are working with to get the results you want.

Set up your workstation so you can easily go from one step to the next. Have a heat source, the liver of sulfur solution, cold water bath and finally a soapy baking soda rinse.
Before you begin, your metal handcrafted jewelry piece should be clean and free from dirt or oils from your hands. Wearing gloves throughout the process is preferable.

Liver of sulfur will begin to react the instant you put handmade bracelets or handmade earrings into it. Let the color develop for a couple of seconds on the handmade jewelry piece, then put in the cold water to stop the patina forming.

Repeat these steps until you reach the desired color.

Finally, rinse the piece in soapy baking soda solution to remove any liver of sulfur residue that could continue to change the color of the patina.
Liver of sulfur produces a patina finish on metal handmade jewelry, but if not treated the effects will wear over time. Use a clear lacquer finish to protect your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets with their new patina finish.

Be adventurous and watch how a little color can change your handcrafted jewelry into a masterpiece!

Jennifer Hisir
Copper Reflections Handmade Jewelry
Copper Reflections Handmade Jewelry Blog