You may think your copper jewelry is just another “pretty face” in a sea of silvers and golds, but you’d be wrong about that. Copper has plenty more to offer than its fashionable looks and more than pulls its weight in other areas of life. In fact, copper is a lot of the reason you’re still alive! Inside the body, it supports nerve function and helps the body produce energy. It’s at work in enzymes and even functions in the production of skin color.
In folklore it was believed that copper bracelets were a remedy for arthritis. Some claimed that the bracelets worked by allowing tiny amounts of copper to get absorbed into the bloodstream, where they helped regrow cartilage and relieve arthritic pain. While scientific studies and disproved its usefulness in this department, copper certainly has many other functions in the health market. For one, some studies have indicated that copper’s natural antioxidants help prevent cancer. For another, copper is known to kill bacteria growth. Long before modern medicine, copper was used to sterilize wounds and drinking water. This phenomenon was documented in the Smith Papyrus, one of the oldest recovered texts in existence.
Another little factoid you might enjoy: copper is actually the first metal ever to have been used by humans in any capacity.