Wearing Copper Jewelry For Fun and Good Health

Copper jewelry is quite popular thanks to its attractiveness and versatility. Because copper is so malleable, it lends itself to many creative designs. But did you know that there may also be health benefits from copper jewelry?

If you look around, you might be surprised at how many people wear copper bracelets, necklaces, and rings. It's a commonly held belief that by wearing copper jewelry, your skin will absorb certain minerals and as a result, impact your health positively. Copper is an important mineral essential to body metabolism and red blood cell production.

Even though copper is an important trace mineral for a healthy mind and body, it is still quite questionable whether or not wearing copper jewelry provides any direct health benefits. Common assertions include pain relief, especially arthritis, and/or improving skin tone. Copper bracelets with magnets in them are a common over the counter arthritis remedy. These types of bracelets can help alleviate pain due to rheumatoid and osteo arthritis.

will eventually oxidize, unless it has been coated with varnish or a protectant. Usually, copper will patina into a beautiful shade of green. Copper usually reacts harmlessly with skin oils to turn both itself and surrounding skin green. You will have a higher chance of your skin turning green the more often you wear your jewelry, especially rings.

Since copper can be easily minipulated into many forms, it has been favored by many ancient cultures. Eastern Europe, Egypt, and Iran have many astonishing examples of early copper jewelry. Copper in its naturally occurring state was probably the first metal to be used by humans. By 8000 B.C., copper was used as a substitue for stone by Neolithic man. It was first cast by the Egyptians around 4000 B.C., and was alloyed with tin to produce Bronze around 3500 B.C. Copper was associated with the goddess Aphrodite/Venus in mythology and alchemy, owing to its lustrous beauty and its ancient use in producing mirrors. The name copper is derived from the Latin aes Cyprium, which means "metal of Cyprus," which was later shortened to cyprium, and later corrupted to cuprum.

The Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan has probably the world's largest concentration of native copper. In the United States, Arizona has the second largest copper deposit. Other localities include England, Australia, Germany, Russia, and Bolivia. Although folk lore abounds with stories of how the wearing of copper helps ease the pain and discomfort of arthritis, you might want to own jewelry made from copper just because it makes a beautiful piece of jewelry.