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Electroformed annual cicada pendant. This cicada has been dressed up with a few green and red Czech glass cabochons before being electroformed to a leaf. The electroforming process has layered the cicada and the leaf with a delicate layer of copper. Wear it as a necklace or hang it wherever you like. This cicada is handcrafted and unique, making it a perfect addition to any natural jewelry collection.
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ELECTROFORMING- is a metal-forming technique that uses the process of electrodeposition. Please note that the copper obtained with this technique has a somewhat different structure than cast copper, and it is strongly advised not to try to bend the pendant. It is sturdy enough for normal wear but handle it carefully, like any piece of jewelry.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS-This piece of jewelry has been given a patina and protected with a special sealing to preserve it as long as possible. However, it won't last forever and will change with time. Depending on friction and use, some areas will lighten, and others will darken. It is a natural process that can't be avoided. Each piece will become even more unique and personal. If it darkens too much to your liking, you can clean it with copper care products or a very thin steel wool. Sometimes, copper and copper alloys (like brass) can turn your skin green. It is a normal and harmless thing, due to a reaction to your skin, depending on its acidity.
Jeweled Electroformed Cicada | Bug Jewelry
- The copper obtained when electroforming jewelry has a somewhat different structure than cast copper, and it is strongly advised not to bend the pendant. This is a very delicate piece.
- This piece of jewelry has been covered with a special sealing to preserve it as long as possible; this could be one year or ten, depending on your care. Here is some useful information and helpful tips to help keep your electroformed copper jewelry as beautiful as it was the day you purchased it.-If you want to prevent your copper from tarnishing, keep it in an air-tight environment (such as a ziplock bag) when it's not worn.
- Keep your copper jewelry away from humidity - (don't store your jewelry in the bathroom!)
- Copper is a naturally reactive metal, meaning that without the sealer, it will change color as the metal reacts to oxygen and moisture; this natural process is called oxidation. In addition, copper reacts to our skin's chemistry; some of us have more acidic skin, which is the culprit for copper skin discolorations. If your copper jewelry starts to change color, use fine steel wool to remove the oxidization layer, then reseal it with a copper sealer.
Electroforming is a metal-forming process by means of electrodeposition, similar to Electroplating and Electrorefining. The electrodeposition process takes place in an electrolytic bath and involves two electrodes (an anode and a cathode) and an electrolytic solution. The mandrel is placed in the bath, and the electrodes pass a DC through the solution. The DC converts metallic ions into atoms that are continuously deposited on the conductive areas of the mandrel until the desired metal thickness has been achieved.
Compared to other traditional metal forming technologies, for example, casting, forging, stamping, or deep drawing, Electroforming can deliver mass volume at superior accuracy and extreme design complexity due to the fact that it can replicate the shape of the mandrel at extreme accuracy.
