tumbling copper but want to keep the natural aged patina

Hi,
I have several coils of vintage copper wire that has a lovely aged patina that I would like to keep to the steampunk jewelry I make. I basically want to tumble the pieces to eliminate sharp edges, burrs etc. Is is possible to smooth the wire pieces I make and still maintain the patina? Thanks, Chris


Stacy's Answer: Hi Chris. I suggest that you file or sand away any sharp edges and burrs using first a jewelry-style metal file, then perhaps a heavy-duty nail file, the kind that looks like an emery board or sandpaper on a stiff foam insert (not the metal variety), or perhaps using different grits of sandpaper. If you tumble the wire, you run the risk of changing the lovely patina.