We are committed to ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability, including the use of only ethically sourced genuine gemstones, and the use of recycled precious metals.

Solid gold or sterling silver should always be your first choice when selecting your precious keepsake. When you purchase a design from us, you can be assured your jewellery has been made with nothing but quality precious metals made under a certified RJC & CSC member, and certified with a stamped hallmark on every piece.

Almost every design we offer is genuine 14k solid gold (or higher), or 925 sterling silver, unless very clearly stated otherwise.

What is solid gold? 
Solid gold jewellery is just as the name suggests - the whole jewellery piece is made entirely of gold. There are many different karats of gold, which determines the amount of gold vs alloy. Pure gold (24k) is too soft and malleable to wear in jewellery, so the gold must be alloyed with other metals to give it strength and durability. 14k solid gold means 14 parts gold (58.3%) and 10 parts alloys (41.7%), while 18k solid gold means 18 parts gold (75%) and 6 parts alloys (25%). 

What is sterling silver?
Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver. In this form the metal is beautiful and suffers from minimal tarnish, but it's generally too soft and malleable for many uses, including making most silver jewellery.

Instead, fine silver is alloyed with copper to create sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. This percentage of fine silver is why you will sometimes see sterling silver referred to as '925 silver' or hallmarked with a 925 stamp.

The copper makes the silver harder, more durable and therefore much better to work with and use, but without compromising on colour. Most silver jewellery that you buy and wear will be sterling silver.

Can solid gold or sterling silver tarnish or discolour my skin?
One of the biggest misconceptions of solid gold or sterling silver jewellery is that tarnishing indicates that the jewellery is not real. This cannot be further from the truth. As you have probably known, pure silver & gold never corrode. However, you can’t find jewellery made of pure silver or gold since it is too soft, so jewellers mix this precious metal with an alloy to make it suitable for making jewellery. The higher the karat of gold means that less metals were mixed in with them. 

The reason behind the actual colour change can be explained by a chemical reaction between your skin and the other metals of the ring. Factors such as sweat, moisture, and your natural pH levels can react & cause discolouration on your finger.
If you are constantly using cologne, perfume, hairspray and detergents on parts of your body where your jewellery lies, you will also notice an increase in tarnishing.
Acidic foods can also be a contributing factor. Food such as onions, spices, pickles, and lemons can all make gold jewellery tarnish.
Another contributing factor can be the oxidation through contact with oxygen of the materials within the ring, causes the discoloration on the skin.

Although the colour can be alarming, this is not an indicator that your jewellery is of low quality or not real.

Due to the way that your body works, some people may experience tarnishing or a skin reaction, and most may never at all.

You can minimise chances of this by following our jewellery care guide HERE

What other gold options do we have apart from solid gold?
We also offer a very limited selection of 14k gold filled designs such as our Mothers own milk ring & our Ovate pendant, which are very clearly stated on these particular designs. Gold filled is not the same as gold plated.

*We do not ever use gold plated, except for the option of yellow gold plated or rose gold plated bead inserts in our European beads.

What is 14k gold filled?
14k Gold Filled jewellery is not the same as gold plated jewellery. It contains 5% of solid gold, and is done by a process of heat bonding. The layer of gold is permanently bonded with heat and pressure onto the base metal (usually brass, or sterling silver). Unlike plated or “dipped" metals, Gold-filled is legally required to contain 5% or 1/20 gold by weight. This 5% is then described by the karat-age of the gold alloy. Usually made with 14k gold, gold filling is hard wearing. With reasonable care it will not peel or flake, and should last as long as solid 14k gold jewellery. It is safe for most people with metal allergies. Excessive moisture when stored can reduce the lifetime of the piece. 

Essentially it is an affordable alternative to solid gold, and with the correct love and care, Gold-Filling should last as long as, or close to pure Gold

Pro tip
The number one best way to store your jewellery in something airtight. Less airflow = less chance for any chemical reactions that cause tarnish!

Store it clean. Remove any sweat, oil, dirt etc with a gentle polishing cloth.

Ideally, a little ziplock bag works best - they're compact, and we know they don't contain any chemicals that cause tarnish.

Store in a low humidity environment.