Jewelry Materials

COMPONENTS

Beads: ABS, acrylic, glass, gemstone, or non-precious metal. 

Pendants: non-precious metal with a golden, silver, or bronze finish; resins in various colors; gemstones

Chains: non-precious metal with a golden, silver, or bronze finish.

Jump rings: high-quality copper alloys, not easy to fade.

Earring hooks: hypoallergenic, high-quality copper alloys, not easy to fade.

Earring backs: transparent silicone, soft & comfortable, safe to wear & hypoallergenic. 

Bracelet Cords: elastic, so they can slip easily on to your wrist.

MATERIALS USED

ABS is light weight, has a strong resilience to breaking and tearing, and high impact resistant. So for non-precious materials it often the choice for beads.

Resin is a material that can be used to form interesting shapes, difficult to achieve otherwise.  But it is typically not waterproof and direct sunlight can discolor or soften the material.

Glass is a material that can be melted and formed into various sizes and shapes.  It is less likely to scratch than ABS, acrylic, or resin but can be less shatter resistant.  It is a popular material used in beads, charms, and pendants elements.

Crystal Glass is infused with another element to make them “sparkle”.  Beads, charms, and pendants elements will sometimes use this material to get that extra sparkle.  In the past, the industry used lead oxide, but lead oxide has not been used for some time due to toxicity issues.

Non-Precious Metal is better suited to hold the detail and more wear resistant than other materials. So, it is often the material of choice when it comes to charms, pendants, and detailed spacer beads. Zinc or copper alloy is often found in non-precious metal jewelry.

Silicone is well suited for earring backings as they are less prone to wear experienced by friction earring backs.  They can also be more comfortable than their metal counterparts.  Typically, silicone will not yellow or break down like other plastics. Silicone earring backings are also relatively inexpensive to replace if lost.

Copper alloys is a non-precious metal used in jewelry because it is soft, extra-pliable and is also hypoallergenic.  However, pure copper will not wear well so other metals are added to create a copper alloy that increases its durability without sacrificing much of hypoallergenic quality.

 NOTES

NOTE: At this time, we do not use bone, shell, wood, ceramic, or polymer clay for components in our jewelry, but these materials may be up for future considerations.  If these are used, we will add them to our list of materials used.  We will not likely be considering materials from endangered species for personal ethical reasons.

NOTE: At this time, while the metals listed below can be excellent choices for jewelry, we do not use these metals as a material in our jewelry to keep costs affordable for the customer, and maintain a more consistent luster, color, appearance, durability between the jewelry pieces within any specific collection.

SILVER

Silver plated jewelry uses a coating over a base metal as a more affordable option for those who want the color of the metal but not the price associated with sterling or fine silver jewelry.  The disadvantage is over time that plating can wear away. Also, the silver plating provides the benefit of being hypoallergenic until the coating wears away.

Sterling Silver jewelry, sometimes known as 925 Silver Jewelry (92.5% pure silver) uses this alloy for durability over fine silver; however, it scratches quicker than White Gold jewelry.  Sterling Silver is typically hypoallergenic. Sterling silver can tarnish more easily than pure silver. It can be more easily polished than gold jewelry.

Fine Silver jewelry, sometimes known as pure silver uses this metal for distinct color.  Silver is hypoallergenic. Because pure silver is easily bent, distorted, or damaged, it is used to make fine jewelry that will not receive much contact. It is also more expensive than Sterling Silver jewelry but typically less expensive than gold or gold alloys.  It is softer than gold or platinum. It is typically not as “shiny” as gold; however, it is easily polished.

GOLD

10K Gold jewelry (41.7% pure gold) uses this alloy for jewelry that would experience significant wear; however, it is the palest of the gold alloys.

14K Gold jewelry (58.3 pure gold) uses this alloy for its yellow hue brighter than 10k and its wear resistance. This material is often the material of choice for fine jewelry but typically more expensive than non-precious metals. 

18K Gold jewelry (75 % pure gold) uses this alloy for its rich yellow color for earrings, necklaces, or other fine jewelry that will not receive much contact since it is softer than 14k gold, thus prone to scratching and scuffing. Poor choice of materials for rings with regards to wear and durability. It is also more expensive than 10K or 14K gold.

24K Gold jewelry use pure gold & while it is hypoallergenic is often too soft for jewelry. It will scratch and deform easy. It is rare jewelry uses this metal in a non-alloy state for this reason.

Rose Gold jewelry uses gold alloy, a combination of pure gold and copper, and provides a “rose” hue to the gold.  It is not as hypoallergenic, for very sensitive skin, as the other gold alloys because of the copper content.  It is, however, more durable and affordable than yellow or white gold alloys.

White Gold jewelry uses gold alloy, a combination of pure gold and silvery alloy such as silver, nickel, or platinum, and provides a “silvery-white” look resembling platinum.  It is typically coated with a metal called rhodium for its gleaming white color and to protect the softer gold alloy its coating.  It is typically less expensive than gold and wears better than silver.  In the industry, it typically comes in 9K (37% pure gold) or 18K (75% pure gold).

OTHER METALS

Surgical Steel jewelry uses a stainless steel alloy that is inherently corrosion resistant that can be for very sensitive skin, but not as easily shaped as other jewelry metals.

Titanium jewelry uses an alloy that is strong, light weight, corrosion resistant, hypoallergenic (most biocompatible of metals used in jewelry), but difficult to machine, shape, or resize.

Platinum jewelry uses a platinum alloy that is extremely durable and strong, as well as resistant to extreme heat or cold.  It provides a “White” metal appearance.  It is also hypoallergenic.  This metal is more scare than other metals used in jewelry and as a result is significantly more expensive than gold jewelry.  It does tend to lose its high finish and sharp edges over time, but it is easily polished. Finally, it can be more difficult to work with versus gold or silver.

Palladium jewelry uses an alloy that is often 95% pure are typically used for rings.  It is resistant to scratches, but platinum is better with regards to impacts.  Palladium is more expensive by weight than platinum; however, palladium is less dense than platinum.  So, palladium is actually less expensive than platinum.  It is also more tarnish resistant than sterling silver.

DEFINITIONS

Alloy: a substance that combines more than one metal or mixes a metal with other non-metallic elements to improve its properties such as durability.  For example, steel is an alloy made from iron and carbon.

Hypoallergenic: relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.  Approximately 5-10% of the population has a nickel allergy. The nickel allergy is also the most common metal allergy. 

Tarnish: Gasses in the air react with the metal, causing it to discolor, fade, and appear "dirty".

Toxicity: Degree to which a substances such as lead or cadmium can damaging an organism.