A few years back, my stepmom Annie was visiting and her heavy copper cuff bracelet was quite tarnished. Instead of asking me to use my professional jeweler toys (a tumbler, rotary tools, stacks of polishing cloths or crockpot full of hot citric acid pickle) she just opened up the fridge and pulled out the ketchup bottle. Within a few minutes, she had restored its orange copper shine.

Copper is a very reactive metal and tends to tarnish quickly especially when exposed to moisture (like when you leave your jewelry in the bathroom or live near the ocean).

Clean your copper jewelry with ketchup in 4 easy steps

Step 1) Cover your jewelry in ketchup. It doesn’t require a lot - a thin layer will do the trick. You can leave your jewelry marinating in this ketchup for a few minutes if you like, although I haven’t found it necessary with lightly tarnished copper.

Step 2) Rub the ketchup over your jewelry. This is the fun part!

Step 3) Rinse your jewelry thoroughly. Lets face it, ketchup scent is not very fashionable…

Step 4) Dry your jewelry with a rag. This is really important to prevent water marks from forming.

How does it work?

Two of ketchup’s ingredients - salt, (sodium chloride) and vinegar (acetic acid) combine to produce hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid!) and sodium acetate. These chemicals are extremely efficient at removing the oxidation from the surface of the copper.

What if I’m all out of ketchup?

If you prefer to save your ketchup for your french fries, consider other condiments that contain salt and vinegar. Who ever uses that whole bottle of Worcestershire sauce?

You can even make your own special sauce. Combine vinegar, salt, & flour in equal parts to create a paste that is easy to apply.

Now that my copper jewelry is clean, how can I keep it that way?

Tarnish is inevitable, but there are some strategies for preventing copper tarnish from occurring rapidly.

Do you have a home recipe for cleaning copper jewelry? Please share it in the comments below.

Your beautiful copper jewelry, which started out so shiny and sparkling, has gradually lost its rosy luster. Over time, the jewelry has become chocolate brown - maybe even black. What is going on? Tarnish.

Is tarnish a problem for my copper jewelry?

Like most things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We call this layer a “patina” when it looks nice and artistic, and a “corrosion layer” when it has gone too far. Left unchecked, the corrosion can eventually cause pitting as the copper is slowly dissolved.

How can I prevent my jewelry from tarnishing?

Tarnish is inevitable, but can be slowed by storing your jewelry away from humidity. Assuming you don’t have a spare vacuum chamber available, store your copper jewelry in a sealed plastic bag to limit its exposure to air. At the very least, avoid storing your jewelry in the bathroom!

If you are determined to prevent your copper jewelry from changing color, you can consider coating it with a clear lacquer or nail polish. This will create a physical barrier to keep the copper from interacting with the atmosphere. I personally choose not to coat my copper jewelry this way since I prefer the tarnish over the fumes when applying this treatment.

How can I remove the tarnish from my copper jewelry?

There are quite a few ways to remove the tarnish layer and restore your copper jewelry’s original shine. As a jeweler, I have easy access to a hot pot of citric acid pickle and a tumbler. Since you probably don’t, let me suggest a couple easy ways to remove copper tarnish.

Ketchup. Yes, ketchup (or is it catsup?) is a very effective, readily available remover of tarnish on copper. Learn how to clean copper jewelry with ketchup.

Do you have a favorite method of preventing or removing copper tarnish? Please share in the comments below.

If you are one of the women who has never had the chance to wear endless hoops before, this video is for you. In just a few minutes, this video will teach you about my handmade hoops, including how to put on and secure the closure.