Jewelry Materials

I use high quality materials for all my jewelry work. The metals I use are .925 Argentium® sterling silver (Argentium® Silver, Anti-Tarnish Sterling Silver), traditional .925 sterling silver, and occasionally 14 karat gold filled, 14K and 18K gold, niobium, titanium, high quality copper or brass. I use crystals and natural stones extensively. I also use gemstones, individually crafted dichroic glass, freshwater pearls, gemstone beads, precious wood beads, lampwork and other beads, and found items. For stringing beaded jewelry, I use an appropriate cord whether it be silk, fine waxed linen, or extra-strong coated stainless steel beading cord. I also use various other materials for jewelry such as leather cord, shells, and any other items that can be turned into interesting, unique, fine jewelry. Whatever materials I use for a particular piece of jewelry, I describe them as fully as I am able, so that you know exactly what you're getting.

Argentium® Silver (.925 Argentium® Sterling Silver, Anti-Tarnish Sterling Silver)
.925 Argentium Sterling Silver is true Sterling AND is nickel free! This is my primary material for 2009 Learn more about it here on my Argentium page.

.925 Sterling Silver
.925 sterling silver is the traditional standard for silver. It is called .925 because it is an alloy that is 925 parts out of a thousand silver. It is allowed for the other 75 parts to be other metals (usually copper) to enhance its strength, because pure silver is very soft and is not structurally strong enough for many jewelry applications. .925 sterling silver has both the fine glow of silver and the durability for everyday wear.

Gemstones
I use semi-precious and precious gemstones to create my jewelry. When practical I use all natural gemstones. Occasionally I choose to use lab created stones or simulants in order to offer a large gemstone at a reasonable price. Lab created stones are the same chemical composition as their natural counterparts, but are grown in a lab rather than in the ground. Simulants are man-made stones that are created to simulate a natural stone, usually the more expensive precious stones. I will let you know in the description of my jewelry if a piece uses lab created stones or simulants, so that you can be informed in all your jewelry choices.

Crystals
I use crystals extensively in my jewelry creations. The most popular crystals I use are clear quartz crystals, but I also use crystals of all kinds, such as aqua aura, citrine, tourmaline, and others. A large majority of the crystals I use are natural crystals, that have only been cleaned since they were mined from countries around the world. Some of the crystals I use are cut or polished, and in these cases I make that clear in the description of the stones in the jewelry.

Dichroic Glass
Dichoric glass was originally created for the space and laser industries, and was developed extensively by NASA. The word dichroic means "two colors" because of the two or more colors that the glass reflects and transmits. Each piece of dichroic glass is a unique individual. When combined with individual handcrafted sculptured settings, this makes for a truly one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry.

Beads
I use many different kinds of beads in my jewelry. I have in the past used gemstone nuggets, gemstone beads, glass beads, vintage beads, wooden beads, shell beads, and more. Each different type of bead lends its unique look to the jewelry it is part of.

14 Karat Gold Filled
14 karat gold filled is an quality jeweler's metal that was used extensively in the 1800's and can with reasonable care can last for generations. 14 karat gold filled, is made by using heat and pressure to permanently bond a layer of 14 karat gold to a core of brass or other base metal. It is not the same as gold plated, which is a cheap, thin coating of gold only about a molecule thick. 14 karat rolled gold has around 100 times more gold in it than gold plated. The surface of 14 karat gold filled is totally covered with a thick layer of 14 karat gold, and that is what comes in contact with your skin, all gold. It doesn't discolor or flake off like gold plated does. As a high quality jeweler's metal, 14 karat gold filled is a way to have affordable, heirloom quality jewelry, at one twentieth of the cost of solid gold. Learn more about 14 karat gold filled here.

Niobium and Titanium
Niobium and titanium wire are space age metals that are non-reactive, contain no nickel, and are considered truly hypoallergenic. Both metals are a steely type grey, but can be anodized to many different colors. The anodized colors will not fade, but can be scratched off, as they are surface colorations.

Found Items
One type of jewlery I make is "collage" jewelry, which is handcrafted jewelry from bits of jewelry or beads that I've "found". I may have picked up some of the pieces at an estate sale or a shop, and I'm not always able to definitely identify the components, although I do my best. I found the bits and they were so interesting to me that I used them to make a collage piece that is unique in itself. Because of it's nature, collage jewelry is always one of a kind.

Again, whatever materials I use for a particular piece of jewelry, I describe them as fully as possible in the description of each piece, so that you know exactly what you're getting.

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