Liver of Sulfur XL Gel:
Liver of sulfur is one of the most common patinas used on silver and copper jewelry.
The most common use of Liver of Sulfur is for oxidizing (or antiquing) a texture piece of jewelry. But I personally love using it to achieve beautiful rich bronze tones of color on the surface of copper components.
My choice:
Liver of Sulfur XL Gel
If you prefer to use the nugget form, look for it in a small paint can so it lasts longer.
Liver of sulfur is a chemical that is commonly used to oxidize or ‘antique’ silver jewelry. But it can create beautiful bronze color patina on copper as well!
There are 2 forms of liver of sulfur commonly used for hand-made jewelry…
The nugget form was what we all used years ago. It works well. Use a mortar and pestle to grind it into a powder for accurate measuring. (Please note: once you use the mortar and pestle for this purpose you will no longer want to use it for food.) It will maintain its strength longer if it’s sealed really well (like in the little mini paint cans some suppliers still offer). The plastic containers are not as air tight. You also need to keep from getting any moisture in the container. If the nuggets get wet, they lose their efficacy.
This issue of shelf life is what makes the gel so attractive. The gel is also easier to measure by ‘drops’. I will warn you though that the gel bottle can get fairly messy. I recommend handling it with a paper towel and/or rubber gloves.
Once mixed, either form provides essentially the same result, so it’s just a matter of preference for storage and measurements.
Where to purchase…
You can get liver of sulfur XL gel through most jewelry supply stores. You can get the nuggets in a small can through Rio Grande.