Our Materials
Gemstones
We use natural gemstones that range from good quality to high quality.
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[ 9K/ 12K/ 14k/ 18k ] Gold-filled
Gold-filled refers to the pressure bonding of multiple layers of solid gold with extreme heat over other metal such as brass. It won't tarnish and is much more durable than gold plated jewelry. With good care, it can last you 20-30 years or even a lifetime!
By '14K' gold-filled it means there is a minimum of 1/20th (5%) pure gold by weight.
- This material is hypoallergenic -
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Gold vermeil
Gold vermeil refers to the application of gold over sterling silver. Gold vermeil is also made through the gold plating technique but with a thicker layer of gold. In this case, the gold layer must be above 2.5 microns.
- This material is hypoallergenic -
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Gold Plated
Gold plated refers to the application of a thin layer of gold over a base metal such as copper and brass through a process called electroplating. It is a process whereby the base metal is placed in a chemical solution containing gold and applying electric current to attract the gold to the base metal such that it reacts and leave a very thin layer of gold covering (at least 0.5 micron). This layer is so thin that essentially it doesn't have any real gold value.
The values such as '14k' or '18k' for gold plating refers to the purity of gold used just like solid gold. The main difference here often refers to the color it produces rather than the value or thickness of plating. The higher the value, the more gold-like the color is.
Gold plated materials in general are not tarnish resistant and not waterproof. It will eventually wear off over time and has a general lifespan of up to 2 years with proper care.
(In general, gold plated are usually not hypoallergenic and is not recommended for people with very sensitive skin, unless otherwise stated by suppliers, depending on their technology.)
Gold Vermeil vs Gold Plated - Key Differences
- Base metal - whilst gold plating can take place on any metal, from copper to brass, gold vermeil has to be on sterling silver.
- Gold thickness - whilst gold plated has a minimum thickness of 0.5 microns, vermeil has to be a thickness of at least 2.5 microns. When it comes to gold vermeil vs gold plated, gold vermeil is at least a minimum 5 times thicker than gold plating.
- Durability - due to its added thickness gold vermeil is far more durable than gold plating.
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S925 (Sterling silver)
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of other metals.
- This material is hypoallergenic -
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Stainless steel beading wire
A flexible stainless steel cord made with 7 or 19 strands of miniature wire wrapped in a protective, abrasion resistant nylon coating.
They have good flexibility, good abrasion resistance and excellent strength.
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Seed beads
Seed beads are tiny glass beads that can be 2mm and smaller.
Galvanized Permafinish seed beads refers to beads with a metal plating on the surface.
Our seed beads are from the reputed brands Toho, Miyuki and Czech, who are known for their high quality micro glass beads.
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Swarovski crystals
Man-made glass beads made by Swarovski