I'm not sure there's anything special about copper over other metals in helping to eliminate that shocking feeling. I would have thought that any of the standard jewelry metals work just as well.

As for the green stuff, I didn't find any scientific studies that either credited or falsified the claimed health benefits of wearing copper. Copper is an essential element, but the copper that comes off the bracelet is mostly copper oxide, of which the body doesn't absorb much. Even when it's in a vitamin/mineral supplement. Just like you can't get the dietary iron you need from rusty cans. So if anything, the bracelets may be false security.

I did discover that people can get green skin scabs (technically, keratoses), and blondes can get green hair, from swimming in pools that have too much copper in them. Not the best strategy for St. Paddy's Day, even if it is next month.