Why Copper Is My Favourite Metal — Even When It Misbehaves
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
Article summary
Copper is unpredictable, alive, and constantly changing — much like Nature itself. In this article, I share why I choose copper over more traditional metals, how its Venusian energy shapes my work, and why its refusal to be controlled is precisely what makes it so compelling.
Why I Work With Copper
I get asked a lot why I work with copper.
The honest answer? It’s not the easiest material to handle.
It’s moody. Stubborn. Unpredictable.
Some days it plays nicely. Some days it completely ignores the rules. And I love that about it.
In esoteric traditions, copper is associated with Venus — the planet of beauty, attraction, emotion, and choice. And honestly… that tracks. Copper is constantly reacting to its environment: the air, the water, the temperature. I sometimes suspect it even reacts to the sound of music in my studio — or perhaps to my own state of mind.
Copper, Venus, and the Refusal to Stand Still
Like the Goddess herself, copper does not enjoy being alone or static. Unlike gold — associated with the Sun, masculine energy, authority, and permanence — copper never truly stands still.
Gold holds its ground. It remains unchanged, regal, and self-contained. Copper, on the other hand, bonds easily.
It enters into relationships with air, water, and anything it comes into contact with. It continues to evolve long after a piece has left the maker’s hands: from the silky salmon and peach tones of freshly formed copper, through bright orange, into rustic browns, then deep blacks — and eventually bursting into turquoise and emerald patina over time.
From a traditional jewellery perspective, this is a nightmare.
Why Traditional Jewellers Avoid Copper
For a jeweller who needs predictability, copper can feel almost disrespectful.
It is impossible to perfectly seal a transitional colour. Copper will eventually react with the sealant itself. More often than not, the result is disappointing — dull, muted, as if the Goddess resents being restrained and responds by withdrawing her beauty.
This is one of the reasons many classical jewellers avoid copper or do not consider it a “serious” or respectable material.
But for more adventurous or romantically inclined makers, this very instability opens up an extraordinary field of creative possibility.
The Gifts of Letting Go of Control
Once, during the patination process, copper gave me an extraordinary silvery-grey finish on a leaf pendant — soft, stormy, almost smoky. I have tried to reproduce it ever since, without success.
Another time, it surprised me with a vivid, fiery red. I was inexperienced then and attempted to preserve it, only to lose it to an ordinary brown.
On yet another occasion, I left a freshly electroformed copper leaf on a table in the garden of my country house, deep in the forest. Over time, it developed the most delicate pastel shades of pinks and greens in the style of DEGAS — the result of its bond with the purest forest air. I have never seen such subtle colours emerge in my city studio. It was a truly beautiful bond with Nature itself.
Copper, Time, and Transformation
Copper patina can sometimes retain its colour for years if handled with care. But eventually, copper always wants to move on.
It changes. It evolves. It surprises its keeper with something new.
This changeable nature closely mirrors Mother Nature herself — endlessly shifting, offering infinite possibilities. Yet unlike silver, which is associated with the Moon and reflects light back to us, copper is active rather than reflective.
Venus is playful. Joyful. Unpredictable — like a young lover rather than a nurturing mother, aka Moon (silver).
Copper's melting point is higher than that of silver. Just like the Goddess of love it demands from the maker to show a lot fire and passion before it agrees to soften and melt on his terms.
Copper invites us into an ongoing dance of movement and transformation, asking us to cherish the fleeting moment in its temporary stillness, rather than cling to permanence.
Why Copper is my favourite metal
Copper fits naturally within the Red Forrest philosophy of preserving nature talismans in their original, unrepeatable form. It mirrors Nature itself — changeable, responsive, and quietly playful. No other metal can match copper’s ability to echo nature’s rich palette, unfolding over time into an extraordinary range of colours. This expressive depth is something neither silver nor gold can fully replicate.
For me, working with copper is not about perfection. It’s about process. I don’t mass-produce. I don’t chase trends. I work one-on-one with each piece until it feels right.
Sometimes copper gives me exactly what I want. Sometimes it gives me something better than I planned. And sometimes it simply does its own thing — and I have to step away.
There is a kind of trust in that. And a powerful metaphor.
Nature does not rush. And it rarely repeats itself.
Neither do my pieces. That's why copper is my favourite metal...
Amazing!!!