Copper Sinks Online works directly with 3rd generation coppersmiths in Santa Clara Del Cobre, Mexico. Santa Clara Del Cobre is a lively and passionate little town known for its copper craft and the highest quality copper goods available. The town is located about a 20 to 25-minute drive into the mountains from Patzcuaro, Michoacan.
Santa Clara enjoyed a boom back in the late 1990’s but has been experiencing a downturn with higher world copper prices and cheap imports from India and China. However, nothing made in either India or China can match the handmade techniques, the traditions or the quality of the products from Santa Clara.
The skill demonstrated by the Santa Clara craftsmen is impressive. Looking at their handiwork you cannot imagine all the hours and weeks involved in making these beautiful copper products. The length of time it takes per piece depends on its size, thickness, and decorative features.
The process used to create these amazing copper pieces is not even close to the mass-produced products sold by others. These are true works of art. Copper objects from Santa Clara Del Cobre have been collected by museums and collectors in various parts of the world.
If you visit the town you can find copper artisans happy to demonstrate their craft. Starting with a lump of copper, firing it and hammering it over and over using different hammers, they turn the lump of copper into a glistening copper object. The local copper mines are no longer in production but recycled copper is purified and used to make all new items.
The Process
The copper vessel making process starts by carefully calculating the size of a pure, solid copper lump before work begins. The lump is next heated red-hot before it is hammered, thinned, shaped, trimmed, bleached, polished and decorated with embossing. The initial hammering may require several people with sledgehammers to flatten the copper into a workable shape.
After the first round of hammering, smaller hammers are used as the piece thins. The work needs to be precise as it is almost impossible to correct errors in the sculpting process. If errors are produced the only solution is to start over. Many different types of tools are used and most are made by the artisan in the same workshop as the copper pieces.
After the basic shape is made the decorative and finishing work begins. A piece may be hammered from the inside to push the shape outwards and embossed by chiseling and engraving. Etching is done with acid. All the work is done solely by hand. Many hands may be required in the production of just one copper object.
It’s no wonder an order for a copper sink may start a process that takes several weeks to complete, but the end result is a quality copper piece that will last years and become a focal point of a beautifully designed kitchen, bath or bar.
Call us for a quote on a custom copper sink or choose one from the many beautiful styles in our online catalog. We are always happy to hear from you.
