ABOUT MY
JEWELRY AND STONES:
All of the jewelry I make starts with sterling silver sheet. To make
it my look, I use 14 karat gold fill wire and/or 14K gold fill sheet
to create my spirals, squiggles, stars, moons, lightning bolts, woman
symbols, yin yang's, triangles and hearts.
If the stock number is for example B-2, then the bracelet is sterling
with 14K gold fill highlights. If it’s marked B-2V, then it is “VERMEIL”.
Vermeil is the process of plating precious metal onto precious metal.
I use 24K gold plated onto sterling.
In the United States, there is no standard for Vermeil. One can have a
piece of jewelry with 20 microns of 24K plated on it and call it
vermeil. I choose to use the European standard which is 120 microns of
24K gold on sterling.
In between the layers of gold and silver, I have a flash coat of
nickel plated on the piece.
Sterling silver is a mixture of fine silver and copper, Silver 92.5%
and Copper 7.5%.
The molecules of copper in sterling will unite with the oxygen in the
air and form cupric oxide-commonly known as TARNISH! That can eat
through the gold plating if the nickel wasn’t put on to stop it.
Now you know what I know about chemistry and chemical reactions.
I use electric engravers to draw my symbols and signs on each piece. I
can with no added cost to you, personalize the back of your piece.
I.E. “Dear Mom, Happy Birthday, love Dick & Jane, your rotten
kids". (Just kidding)
I can for an added cost, use 14K gold highlights on any piece.
Sterling pieces can (and should) be cleaned regularly with silver
polish. If your piece gets very tarnished, it’s really hard to get
it looking new again.
These are the stones I regularly use:
amethyst, garnet-both red and amber color, iolite (clear navy blue),
blue topaz, citrine, peridot, pink and green tourmaline. These are all
CABOCHONS (rounded top stones).
I can also set FACETED stones in most of the pieces. Think diamond
cut.
There is an extra charge for faceted stones.
The faceted stones I use are: amethyst, garnet-both red and amber
color, iolite (clear navy blue), blue topaz, citrine, peridot, pink
and green tourmaline. All of the stones I use are real.
I use real baroque shaped pearls on all pearl pieces.
I can also set both cabochon and faceted sapphires, emeralds and
rubies but there is an extra charge for these stones.
Chains: I use sterling silver chains for my sterling with gold
filled highlighted pieces.
I use 14K gold filled chains for my vermeil pieces.
Ear wires: I use sterling silver, heavy, good quality ear wires
for the sterling earrings and 14K gold fill ear wires (also heavy,
good quality) ear wires for my vermeil earrings. I dislike putting
effort into a piece and then putting on a cheap ear wire or clasp.
I welcome all questions, comments, compliments, stories etc.
