Materials & care
We are immensely proud to be launching our new fine jewelry line, the Minimal Collection. We have chosen to start with gold-filled pieces that are an affordable alternative to solid gold, while still displaying incredibly similar benefits. We have created our materials and care page to explain everything there is to know about our pieces before purchasing them! As we grow our line, we will continue to update this page with more information to help provide the most efficient guide in choosing your jewelry.
Please note the following information only portrays to our Minimal Collection, and not our Indian Accents Jewelry.
The difference in gold jewelry
Solid Gold
In its purest form, 24K gold is highly yellow in colour and soft, making it harder to work with in jewelry making. To increase the strength, it is mixed with other metals. This process creates an alloy better suited for jewelry work, which includes 9K, 10K, 12K, 14K and 18K. The higher the karat, the purer the gold. The colours change with cutting down the Karats and in our opinion, 14k gives off the nicest subtle champagne tone.
Benefits: Highest value, hypoallergenic, durable, and will not tarnish - making it amazing for everyday wear
Cons: Expensive
Gold Vermeil
With a base metal of 925 Sterling Silver, a coat of gold is electroplated onto the outer shell. To legally qualify as vermeil, the thickness of the gold layering must be 2.5 microns.
Benefits: Higher quality than gold-plated jewelry because of the base metal, hypoallergenic, and can be good for everyday use if taken care of correctly
Cons: Can tarnish more quickly
Gold Plating
With a base metal of copper, brass, or nickel, a coat of gold is electroplated onto the outer shell. The gold is 0.5 microns thick and can go up to 2.5 microns for heavily gold plated items. Gold plating can be done with higher karat gold and can be coated in anti-tarnish to increase its overall wearability time.
Benefits: Inexpensive and great for low use fashion jewelry
Cons: Holds the lowest value, can tarnish more quickly, and can be highly allergenic to sensitive skin
Gold-Filled : This is what we currently carry within the Minimal Collection
What is it & how is it made
Gold-fill jewelry is created with a thick outer layer, generally of 10k, 12k, or 14k gold over a base alloy of either fine jewellers brass or 925 Sterling Silver.
Constructed in layers, gold is bonded through extreme heat and pressure over the core metal. Unlike electroplated pieces, this process creates an actual barrier of karat gold rather than a thin coat of dipped film.
Creating gold-filled pieces does have its limitations. It cannot be casted, whereas solid gold pieces can be. Gold is melted down and poured into a mold, which creates a specific design. This is often used in the making of wedding rings. With gold-fill, this process would mix the two different metals together and destroy the layered effect. Therefore, gold-filled jewelry pieces are limited to a smaller range of design possibilities.
Benefits
Our Minimal Collection contains pieces that all consist of 14K gold-fill. It has 100 times more gold alloy than plated jewelry and is highly tarnish resistant. Durability is high in these pieces as the karats used are stronger than higher karat alloys. There is also a 5% value of gold within these pieces. Each piece is stamped 1/20 14K.
Gold-filled is legally required to contain 5% or 1/20 gold by weight.
Gold-filled is an amazing alternative for people with sensitive skin. Both of us have very different body chemistry - Sara being hypersensitive to metals and Ashley, the complete opposite, with no allergies towards metals. Neither of us came across any issues while wearing these pieces. That being said, everyone’s body chemistry is different - what works for one person may not work for another. Gold-filled is hypoallergenic and in our opinion, it is the next best thing to solid gold.
Possible Con
There is a small percentage of people whose hormonal chemistry may react with the metals and increase tarnishing. If you have experience with 14k gold reacting negatively with your skin, then solid gold with a higher karat may be your best option. If you are not sure, gold-filled is always a great way to experiment because of its affordability!
Care
To prolong your jewelry life span, we suggest the following:
While you can get away with it, we always recommend removing your jewelry before exercising, washing your hands or showering.
Keep your jewelry away from harsh chemicals. Always apply perfumes, sprays, lotions, and hair care products before wearing. Avoid wearing them in hot tubs or chlorine filled pools.
Cleaning Instructions: Gold-filled pieces are low maintenance, but if you would like to up your care game, you can wipe the piece down with a soft cloth. If you are aware that it was exposed to the elements listed above, you can lightly wash it with mild soap and warm water. Be sure to dry it off completely with a soft cloth before wearing.
It is important to note that while gold-filled is very resilient, following these steps will add further longevity to the piece. Gold-filled pieces can last years to a lifetime if well cared for.