What is coppersmithing?
Coppersmithing refers to the craft of making things from copper like jewellery, ornaments and sculptures. Traditionally, copper would have also been used to make utensils, cookware and everyday objects like lanterns and watering cans.
Copper is the first metal to be discovered and used as it occurs naturally in pure forms. Copper was first used more than 10,000 years ago and was also used to make weapons and tools. Did you know Otzi the Iceman was found with an axe and that the head was made of 99% pure copper? Around 3000 BC, copper axes were seen as a status symbol and were carried by men of high ranking. When they pass away, their copper axes are buried with them.
(We met a coppersmith in Bosnia during our travel!)
According to researchers, copper was once widely used for a period of time also known as Copper Age before it was substituted with bronze between 3500 – 2500 BC. As pure copper is relatively soft, it is enhanced with the addition of tin. The combination of copper (90%) and tin (10%) results in bronze which is harder and more suitable to use to make weapons and tools.
Copper mining has been prolific in Ireland during early history with some of the early mines located in County Kerry and County Cork. In Northern Ireland, copper occured mostly at Conlig Lead Mines in Newtownards. However, the copper mined was mostly used to trade with Cornwall for tin during Bronze Age so it is unsurprising that many ancient weapons made from copper can be traced back to Conlig!
Coppersmithing is a dying art. Many traditional uses of copper like utensils, cookware, lanterns, etc have been replaced with the likes of plastic. According to Heritage Crafts, there are fewer than 12 people working with copper and most people who start out with copper switch to silver. Not only can the coppersmith charge a higher price, the people are prepared to pay more based on the value of the material instead of the level of craftmanship.
Did you know that copper…
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Has Antibacterial Properties?
Copper’s antimicrobial activity is said to be a lot better than that of silver. However, they are not used in hospitals because it’s easier to mass-produce plastic and stainless steel.
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Is one of the many important minerals that we need?
About two-thirds of copper can be found in our skeleton and muscle. Our bodies need copper to function smoothly and to keep our immune system in tip top shape. Luckily for us, copper can be found in most of the food we eat such as seafood, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables. BUT if you consume too much copper ions, you risk getting copper toxicity!
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When added to gold produces rose gold?
We all know that copper is renowned for its trademark reddish brown colour, making it one of the two only non-silvery ions in the whole periodic table, the other being gold. And because copper readily bonds with other metals such as tin and brass, you can expect many fun combinations such as rose gold.
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Is everywhere?
Besides being utilised by our bodies or worn as ornaments, copper can actually be found in many things we use from plumbing to cars to our TVs. It is said that on average, we use 1500 pounds of copper just to enjoy today’s standard of living. Even more so if you use copper cookware!