Electroforming... What is it?
A true form of modern-day copper alchemy. Electroforming is the magical, intricate, process of fusing metal onto another medium using a low-voltage electrical current.
The scientific process was discovered by Professor Moritz Von Jacobi in St. Petersburg, Russia. Thomas Edison also used electroforming in his work, as did Michael Faraday, a famous 19th-century physicist, and chemist.
The process involves coating an object in conductive material. This could be a stone/crystal, an organic item, or anything you want to form in copper. The piece is then suspended in an electrolytic solution made of copper sulfate and sulfuric acid. The electrical charge breaks down a positively charged copper anode and deposits it onto the conductive piece, which is suspended from the negatively charged cathode. A layer of copper slowly forms over the piece. After many hours of moving copper ions onto the conductive piece, it is removed from the bath and goes on to the polish, patina, and sealing processes. A leaf, an insect, a bone... it's now a beautiful copper piece! It is sturdy and durable, while the original organic material remains encased in the copper.