Small Manta Raku

Manta shaped patinaed copper with 18K Vermeil disc. Sterling earwire clasps in back.

I create my copper finishes using a Japanese technique called "Hiirodo" where I heat the finished copper shape until brightly glowing, then plunge it into boiling water to achieve a plum red appearance. In what I call the the “Raku” version of this patina, variations in the surface coloration are created by pressing the white-hot copper onto wood, causing flames and smoke which change what would have been an even, plum red finish into more organic tans and dark browns.