Customer Service, Electroforming Help & Frequently Asked Questions

*❅* *❆* ❃* ❊** ❉**❅* *❆* ❃* ❊** ❉*❃* ❊** ❉*
Christmas Day is Monday December 25th. To receive by December 25th, jewelry orders MUST be placed by:

Shipping address in the USA:
December 11th – Ground Advantage
December 14th – Priority Mail
December 17th – Express Mail

International shipping address:
December 1st – First-Class Mail International
December 2nd – Priority Mail International
December 12th – Express Mail International

  -Please note that international packages may be held in customs inspection. You must contact your country's customs office for more information if your package is detained. I am not held responsible for this delay. 
- The above dates are for jewelry items only, Electroforming Kits and Solution must ship via UPS Ground, and may not arrive in time for Christmas.

View my complete 2023 Holiday Shipping guide HERE

*❅* *❆* ❃* ❊** ❉**❅* *❆* ❃* ❊** ❉*❃* ❊** ❉*

For my jewelry items, I currently am only shipping to select countries(United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Norway, Switzerland, Greenland, Iceland, Israel, India, Philippines, Mexico, Argentina, Armenia, Isle of Man, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Norfolk Island, Taiwan, & the U.S. Outlying Islands) International shipping generally takes 2-4 weeks to arrive for first class mail, or sometimes longer due to customs, weather issues, or covid restrictions.

If you are from the UK or EU, please purchase on my Etsy shop, as there will be no shipping options available on this website's checkout due to the new VAT registration laws: EnchantedLeaves.Etsy.com

*Due to frequent requests, prices are NOT printed on packing slips for our international orders.

Currently I am not able to ship my Electroforming Kits and individual liquid components Internationally.

All items are made by hand to order, so please keep in mind that orders can take 3 to 7 business days to create before shipment. I always try my best to get all order made and shipped out ASAP, within a day or two if I can. 

Please understand that October through December are my busiest times of the year, and I am a very small business of just one person that makes and ships everything!

First class packages within the United States take 3-5 business days for arrival, and international packages take business 2-3 weeks(or longer- depending on your country's customs inspection). Priority Mail within the United States takes 2-3 business days, and International Priority Mail takes 6-10 business days. Express mail take 1-3 business days in the United States, and International Express can take 3-5 business days.

Prices depend on quantity, your location, and delivery method. I have a shipping calculator that can be seen on your shopping cart page.

All Cu Electroforming Kits and Liquid Electroforming Supplies ship UPS Ground (to the continental US states only). Shipping costs have already been integrated in the listing cost.

Sadly, due to the increasing cost of postage and packaging materials, I unfortunately can no longer offer a free shipping option. 

However, if the actual postage costs ever turn out to be higher than shipping charges, then I will issue a refund for the difference.

At this time, there is no pick up option available.

You will be able to choose the method of shipping during checkout. Please keep in mind that all items are made to order and require processing time, especially during the holidays. This processing time is in addition to the estimated shipping arrival times. 
Please see my Holiday Shipping Deadline page for further details. 

First class packages within the United States take 3-5 business days for arrival, and international packages take business 2-3 weeks(or longer- depending on your country's customs inspection).
Priority Mail within the United States takes 2-3 business days, and International Priority Mail takes 6-10 business days.
Express mail take 1-3 business days in the United States, and International Express can take 3-5 business days.

Please use the tracking number provided in the shipping notification email sent through stamps.com, or also found in your order details under "my account". For international orders, your package may be held in your customs office for inspection, which can result in 4 weeks-4 months of delay. Contact your local post office with the tracking/customs number so that they can provide you with release information. For orders in the US, delay could be a result of a problem with your address provided, a forwarding on your mailing address, or your local post office could be holding for pick up. If the tracking information seems to have stopped after a certain date, please contact your local post office with the tracking number.

Starting in 2021, there are new VAT compliance laws in place for shipping to the UK or EU, which currently prohibit me from shipping to UK and EU address for orders placed directly from my website.

Instead, if you are from the UK or EU, please purchase on my Etsy shop instead: EnchantedLeaves.Etsy.com

Unfortunately I am not currently able to ship to Germany anymore, as my business does not comply with the German Packaging Act that became strictly enforced in 2019.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that may packages to Brazil have taken over 5 months for delivery, if at all. Many packages have also been declared stolen before delivery, so therefore I have reluctantly stopped accepting orders with Brazil addresses :(

I accept all major credit cards, debit cards, and also PayPal. Please be sure to correctly enter all of your billing details (name, billing address/address on file for credit card, expiration, CVS code) , or else the transaction will not go through.

If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your jewelry, you may return it within 15 days of purchase(international orders extended to 3 weeks from when the order was placed) for a product refund, minus shipping costs. You are responsible for covering return shipping costs as well.

There are no returns accepted on custom design orders and sale items.

If your merchandise arrives damaged, I will either refund you in full, or send you a replacement item. Please contact me for additional questions on returns or refunds.

All Cu Electroforming Kits and Liquid Electroforming Supplies contain hazardous liquids, and are non returnable and non refundable.

Yes, you may exchange your item(except for custom design orders and sale items) within 15 days of purchase(international orders extended to 3 weeks). You are responsible for shipping costs for the exchange in sending in back and receiving the new item. 

If the item you wish to exchange is valued less than the new item, you must pay for the value difference.
If the item you wish to exchange is valued more than the new item, then store credit will be given. 
Please contact me for additional questions on exchanges.

All Cu Electroforming Kits and Liquid Electroforming Supplies contain hazardous liquids, and are non returnable and non refundable.

All orders placed in California will be charged 7.5% CA sales tax.

Absolutely! All wholesale information is found on the Enchanted Leaves Wholesale page.

Here are some tips to help you keep your Enchanted Leaves jewelry looking beautiful:

• Always remove jewelry before you shower, exercise, swim, or go to bed
  
  
• Lotions, perfumes, bug sprays, and sunscreen will damage ceramic and wooden jewelry, and will tarnish metal jewelry. Be sure to remove jewelry before applying any of these
  
  
• To help prevent natural tarnishing, store all sterling silver(solid or plated) and copper pieces in a plastic bag when not in use. All Enchanted Leaves jewelry is packaged individually in anti tarnish bags
  
  
• To remove natural tarnishing, use a jewelry polishing cloth (found on our shop, or at most jewelry and department stores) to gently clean and brighten jewelry. You can also use polishing liquid on the cloth. Click here for more information on tarnishing
  
  
• To prevent patina on copper jewelry, do not allow the piece to get wet. If this happens, make sure to dry it immediately

Natural tarnishing or oxidation can happen when uncoated copper comes in contact with moisture, sweat, sunscreens, skin oils, perfumes, lotions, or other substances.
You can clean and shine it up again by soaking it in white vinegar and using salt as a scrub. After you wash and dry it out, you can use a polishing cloth to shine it again. Another wonderful, fast acting effortless product to use is a Copper Cleaner.
You can view a helpful wiki page on cleaning copper here.
If you want to prevent the tarnishing from happening again, you can coat the clean and dry pendant with jewelers wax or jewelers varnish to protect the copper. Clear nail polish is also an inexpensive alternative to use to seal in your piece. I highly recommend the non-uv light gel style.

Yes! I would love to help you with your custom project. I have a custom order page with all the details here.

Hello, I am Nedda! I am the owner/artist/maker behind Enchanted Leaves. You can read more about me and my process on the About the Artist page.

There is no physical storefront for Enchanted Leaves, but I live and create my work in beautiful Thousand Oaks, California. You can see my jewelry in person at any of the shows(typically I do a few shows a season), or at a local jewelry shop near you that carries Enchanted Leaves jewelry. Click here for a list of retailers that offer my work.

At this time, I do not have bracelets on our website. However, I do have simple silver chain bracelets that I can attach your favorite charm style necklace design of mine to. You can leave me a note during checkout if you would like me to use the chain bracelet instead of the chain necklace. 

The materials range from a variety of materials including glass, wood, ceramic, lucite, copper, brass, pewter, sterling silver(usually plated over either copper or pewter), and natural organic materials(leaves, acorns). All product descriptions include a list of materials for the pendant and chains for each particular item you are viewing.

All items are lead free/R0HS compliant. I do my very best to only source materials that are nickel free. If you have any issues with any items, please contact me right away.

They are available in a range of 16", 18", 20", 22" 24", and 28" size chains. (40.64 cm, 45.72 cm, 50.8 cm, 55.88 cm, 60.96 cm)

*Please note that the chain sizes are cut and measured out from end to end (the circumference), and not from end to center. This is the standard for listing jewelry sizing. Here is a necklace chain sizing chart: 

The credit card processing has a high security filter, and can only accept payment from cards if ALL the billing information is entered properly. You must type in EXACTLY the way your information is on file for your credit card. This includes your name, your complete address (if you typed "rd.", but the credit card statement shows "road", then it will reject it). If you enter the expiration date or security code(3 or 4 digit number) incorrectly, it will reject it until all information is corrected. 

I apologize for any frustration this may cause, but this is the best way to avoid and filter out fraudulent orders.

I really do appreciate the request, but I am not participating in reviews or giveaways.

I am now offering Electroforming Kits and Supplies for you to also learn to make fun and creative electroformed jewelry! I am also actively working on my electroforming resource page, with tips and free step by step tutorial instructions. Also you can join my Cu Electroforming Facebook Group to post questions and get help and advice, or my sign up for my Electroforming newsletter.

Of course! I absolutely love doing custom wedding orders. Please see my page that is dedicated to custom Wedding jewelry for more details.

All of my items are gift packaged in either an organza gift pouch, or a small white jewelry box- depending on the item. During checkout you will have the option to select if you are purchasing a gift, which will direct me not to include any pricing details on the packing slip. You may also leave a gift message from you to include in the package.

I have done my best to only source materials that are stated as nickel and lead free with RoHS certifications. If you experience an allergic reaction to any item, please contact me right away. 

Single-sided necklaces are made with the clasp on the right side of the chain- if you are left handed, please let me know during checkout, and the clasp will be attached to the left side.

I did! I am the Enchanted Leaves jewelry designer/owner Nedda Angelina. I designed all graphics for Enchanted Leaves on the web and printed materials(business cards, stamp logo, letterhead, etc). You can see more of my illustrations and artwork on my(poorly updated) portfolio site: www.Heart-String.com 

Sure thing! Scroll down to the very bottom of this FAQ page to fill out my contact form.

Please be sure to check this FAQ area to see if your question was already answered.

You can also DM(direct message) me on Instagram: @EnchantedLeaves

If you don't hear back from me, please check your spam folder

Currently I can only ship the Electroforming Starter Kits to the contiguous United States, and Canada.
They are shipped via UPS Ground, which can take 5-10 days to arrive, as they can only travel by surface. Expedited options are not available, as the kits contain liquid chemicals, which are restricted to ship by air.

If you live in Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico, you can purchase a kit, but without the liquid chemicals, and I can help you locally source the materials needed to create the other components. If you are interested, please contact me!

If you live in Europe or Australia, I can also help you get in touch with companies in your area that can provide you with materials needed to electroform. I am currently working on resources pages especially for international sources, so in the meantime, please contact me!

Kits are shipped via UPS Ground, which can take 5-10 days to arrive, as they can only travel by surface. Expedited options are not available, as the kits contain liquid chemicals, which are restricted to ship by air.

At this time, there is no pick up option available.

Unfourtunately, because the kit contains HazMat, I am only able to ship it out using UPS Ground/Surface. I am not able to offer any expedited methods, as it can not be shipped by any air methods.

If you need it quickly, check my current show schedule to see if I'll be vending at a location near you, and we can arrange for you to pick up the kit from us in person at the show.

Subject to DOT(Department of Transportation) rules and regulations, I cannot accept or process returns for hazardous materials. Only those that are certified and trained may do so. There is a heavy liability when shipping hazardous materials.

Disclaimers regarding this policy have been posted on all the product pages of electroforming kits and supplies that contain HazMat regulated properties. I encourage all my potential customers to read this very thoroughly. 

You may ask, "Then why is it that you were able to ship it to me?", which is a valid thought.
In order for me to ship out Class 8/Corrosive HazMat product in the mail, I had to become certified through training on handling and shipping.
For these reasons, I can only ship them within the continental USA, Canada, via ground/surface methods, and follow a strict guideline of safety packaging and labeling.

More info on DOT/HazMat rules and regulations can be viewed here:

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/welcome.htm

https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-center/packaging-and-supplies/special-care-shipments/hazardous-materials/definition.page?

https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-guide/hazardous-materials/resources.html

 At this time, I am not offering classes/workshops. Hopefully in the near future I will at local (Southern and Northern California) Maker Spaces.

I am currently working on getting YouTube tutorial videos made and published.

I often run electroforming demos at the shows I vend at. If you attend, please feel free to ask me any questions about the process as I'll have all my materials and teaching tools there with me (and kits for purchase!) You can see my show schedule here.

Appreciate the free electroforming information and one-on-one help I provide? Consider donating for further Cu Electroforming research and development. Any amount is greatly appreciated.
Donate via: PayPal, Venmo(@EnchantedLeaves) 

Come join my on the Cu Electroforming Support and Help group on Facebook, or my super brand new (as of January 2020) subreddit at r/CuElectroforming! 

Here are some main differences between the water and alcohol base conductive paints:

-The alcohol base paint dries almost instantly, and the water base one dries similarly to acrylic paint.

-The alcohol base paint requires high percentage isopropyl alcohol (90%+) to thin when needed, and any grade of isopropyl alcohol can be used for brush clean up. Thinner is available, or isopropyl alcohol (90%+) may be found at certain local grocery stores or on Amazon/eBay.

-The water based conductive paint is water soluble, and requires distilled water for thinning when needed, and tap water is fine for paint brush clean up. 

-While both types of conductive paints need to be stirred before use, the water base paint requires VERY thorough stirring from the bottom until smooth with a stir stick(provided in each order) each time you use it, since the conductive particles are heavier than the water and separate to the bottom pretty quickly.

-The alcohol base paint needs to be stirred or shaken every once in a while.

-They are both conductive from graphite, yet the water based paint is slightly more conductive than the alcohol based paint, which only means it will achieve the first base/coverage of copper layer slightly faster than the alcohol based paint. 

Yes! I'll be more than happy to help you the best I can in troubleshooting the issue.

Send me an email with as many details as possible.
Include: 
-What is the issue, and what is the item you are trying to electroform?
-What is the surface area calculation/amps setting? How long did you run it for?
-What solution are you using? Is it premade or homemade? How old it is?
-What kind of power supply(aka rectifier) are you using?
-What kind of conductive paint/solution are you using?
-Did your item require sealant prior to painting, if so, what did you use?
-Are your lead wires connected correctly?
-Is your anode/cathode touching?

In a follow up reply, please provide photos of your piece and set up.
If you send me an email and you don't hear back from me within two days, please check your spam folder

You can also DM(direct message) me on Instagram: @EnchantedLeaves

Or, you can join/post your issues to my new Cu Electroforming Support and Help group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuElectroforming/

Your piece will sometimes come out of the bath looking pink/salmon colored, with a dull or matte texture. DON’T WORRY! Luckily, it will still shine up with a few simple tools such as steel wool, a brass brush, a dremel tool with a wire wheel attachment, or a rock/jewelry tumbler.

Several variables can contribute to this outcome. If using brightener drops doesn't improve the finish, then most commonly it is the result of either the amperage setting being too low for the surface area(below the target of 0.1 amps per square inch), or from oversaturation of copper ions in the solution from too much surface area of anode in ratio the the size of your cathode/design, and low distilled water levels. Using a 2:1 anode to cathode ratio, along with replenishing evaporated distilled water will help to maintain the copper to acid levels in your solution.

If your plate is brittle, textured or glittery in appearance, then you may need to perform bath maintenance, which can be found in the FAQs section of my online tutorial.

 For this issue, it could be one of the following causes:

-Your amps are too high for the surface area of the piece, which should be .10 amps for every square inch of surface area.

-You have the wrong type of solution for copper electroforming. If the ingredients are just copper sulfate and water(commonly sold on Amazon as "Copper (II) Sulfate Solution" by Noble Scientific, Labline Copper, or the Curated Chemical Collection), it is for electroplating not electroforming. Electroplating is plating a thin layer of metal on metal, and cannot build a thicker substantial "shell" layer of copper deposits as needed for electroforming(plating metal onto an object that wasn't originally metal). Look for a solution that specifically says the words "Electroforming" on it. 

-You are using a copper wire/coil anode AND a magnetic stirrer together. Doing so causes cupric oxide to get stirred without oxygen, which results in brown crumbly results. Only phosphoric anodes(pipes) should be used with a magnetic stirrer. 

You can use any acceptable, thin gauge uncoated metal wire as a cathode suspension wire (copper, titanium and brass are good to use). Paper clips are generally made of steel, which will destroy your electroforming solution! Do NOT use it to suspend inside your tank! Steel, aluminum, iron, and some other alloys should not be used.

Provided in the electroforming starter kits is a spool of 26 gauge uncoated bare copper wire.

Since the graphite paint is black, it will darken the light and transparency of any clear or semi transparent objects such as glass, plastic, or transparent crystals/gemstones. When copper electroforms on your design, it deposits on top of the graphite paint, and does not replace it, leaving the darkening effect as seen when the paint was first applied. To avoid the darkness of the conductive graphite paint showing through your finished piece, first put a layer of white paint or silver nail polish down on the area before applying the conductive graphite paint layer. This will reflect the light once more and brighten your design.
Alternatively, you can use copper based conductive paint, or copper foil tape in place of the graphite paint.

This can happen if too much paint is applied at once, or if additional coats are applied before the initial layer has dried. 
Remember that whatever the surface texture is in the painted stage will carry over when you electroform.

If you are using my alcohol based paint, then you can soften the cracks by dipping your paintbrush in the thinner (90%+ isopropyl alcohol). You may need to do this a few times. Once smoothed out, you can repaint the area with conductive paint to ensure the paint thinner didn't obstruct the conductivity of the surface.

First check and make sure your anode and cathode are not touching in the beaker. If you are using a conductive bus bar, make sure your anode is not touching it. Next, confirm that your lead wires are correctly set up: The red lead wire (+) clips to your copper anode wire, and the black lead wire(-) clips to your cathode/your design. If these are reversed, your design will not plate. An easy way to remember is this mantra: “Red to Red (Copper), and Black to Black(Graphite)”, as you connect the red lead wire to the red copper anode, and the black lead wire to the black graphite painted cathode.
If the problem is not fixed, then your issue might be due to any of the following:
-The conductivity of your design is not strong enough, and needs more layers of conductive paint.
-Your suspension wire has a coating or anti-tarnishing agent on it, as most craft wires found at hobby stores carry. Only use bare copper wire (which is included in your kit).
-If corrosion is present on your lead wire clips, anode, suspension wire or bus bar, then you will experience connection issues, as current will be blocked from flowing to your piece. Scrub down all your components clean of any solution exposure corrosion and try again.
-Your power supply or lead wires may be faulty. Contact the manufacturer for troubleshoot advice. If you are using the Cu MiniForm power supply, refer to the troubleshoot manual, or contact me.

Lightweight items such as organics(leaves, acorns, wood, etc), or plastics will tend to float up in your tank, which can be very frustrating when you are trying to keep them submerged in the electroforming solution. 

You can weigh them down simply with a piece of glass for an anchor and a short nylon string. Both of these items are non conductive, and resistant to the solution's acid, so it will not interfere with your electroforming.

I offer an anchor set as a kit add on, if you do not have something suitable yourself.

You can find and download the SDS sheets on our file page here.

View the technical data sheet 

View the information and troubleshooting sheet

Also see a Youtube video of how it's made! (note: the above info is for the 2022-2023 5 amp model only, our 1 amp model is no longer being produced)

Here are some troubleshooting notes for the 5 Amp Cu MiniForm XL:

Solid USB Warning Indicator

The USB wall adapter and/or cable is not compatible with MiniForm. MiniForm will automatically limit the maximum amperage setpoint depending on the capabilities of the USB wall adapter. If the provided wall adapter and cable are being used, inspect for corrosion.

Solid Output Warning Indicator

Miniform has detected an open connection. Check that the lead wire clips are securely connected to the anode and cathode wires, and that the anode and cathodes are not touching. Scrub clean any corrosion present. To maintain a good connection, keep MiniForm’s surface, lead wire clips, anode, conductive bus bar, and suspension wire free from corrosion, which can be caused by splashes, droplets, or prolonged proximity to the electroforming solution. Output warning errors can also be caused by a superficial connection between a conductive busbar and the suspension wire. Only use bare copper for the cathode suspension wire and anode. Do not use products that have a coating or anti-tarnishing film over the conductive wire. This will block the current from flowing through the circuit.

Rapid Flashing Output Warning Indicator

An abnormally high voltage is detected, this can be due to very small surface area, series connected baths, or poor connections. Refer to Table 4 in the technical datasheet for suggested series connections. The datasheet is available for download on the Enchanted Leaves website MiniForm product page. 

Intermittent Flashing Output Warning Indicator - More On Milliramp

If abnormally slow progress is detected, MiniForm’s output warning indicator may intermittently blink to warn the user that copper deposition is slower than expected. This intermittent blink does not necessarily mean something is wrong, but that the setup should be double checked. This is often caused by too few coats of conductive paint and/or the suspension wire not making a good connection with the conductive paint. 

MilliRamp begins by applying a limited voltage and extremely low current for up to 20 minutes to attempt to establish a copper bond with the conductive paint. While this is happening, the output warning indicator will not illuminate, even if there is a poor connection. This is because it is normal for the early stages to have high resistance, and electrically appear to be a “bad” connection even if they are not. After this time, if a poor connection is detected in the circuit, the output warning indicator will illuminate.

Thanks for your interest in our awesome little power supplies!

Due to popular demand, they periodically sell out, as they are each personally made in-house and put through individual load tests. We personally design and manufacture each one, so unfortunately a little more time is required to keep them in stock. 

You can sign up to be notified of our restock on the product page.

If they are listed as out stock, then know they will be available again soon! As these are all made in-house, and lovingly hand assembled by a small company of two people, we often run out of stock. So we are always constantly working on making more. 

You can also sign up on the product page to be notified when they are relisted.

5 Amp Cu MiniForm power supplies are currently being produced, and all back orders placed at Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 will be shipped out during the first week of November.
Look out for an email with a tracking number soon! (please be sure to check your spam folder)