MATERIALS & CARE
WHAT IS GOLD FILLED?
Gold filled jewelry is made by bonding a sheet of 12 karat gold or 14 karat gold to a base metal like brass. Gold filled jewelry can be referred to as 12/20 gold fill or 14/20 gold fill. In order to be gold filled, the gold has to make up 5% (1/20th) of the total weight. Our gold filled jewelry is either 12K gold filled or 14K gold filled.
Unlike gold plated jewelry you find at inexpensive jewelry stores, gold filled jewelry has about 100 times more gold which means it is very tarnish resistant. Gold filled is a lot more tarnish resistant than gold plated jewelry but that does not mean gold filled will never tarnish.
That means you shouldn’t have to worry about it rusting or changing color. The best part is that you can wear your gold filled jewelry in the water, although we recommend take it off in the pool/hot tub and the ocean. I have worn gold-filled jewelry in the shower and they have maintained their color very well even after a year or two. With that being said, every body chemistry is slightly different which means each person can react differently with the metal. Due to people’s body chemistry, certain individuals can experience their fingers turning green from gold filled but that is rare.
The best part of our gold filled jewelry is that they are hypoallergenic so they are great for individuals with sensitive skin.
CAN GOLD FILLED JEWELRY TARNISH & CAN YOU WEAR GOLD FILLED JEWELRY IN WATER?
Gold filled jewelry is tarnish resistant but that does not mean it will never tarnish. Gold filled can tarnish but it takes a rare set of circumstances to make that happen. For example. Sulfide exposure can blacken your jewels. Hot tubs are a big no-no for gold filled jewelry since they have a lot chemicals.
You can shower and wash your hands in your gold filled pieces. I recommended removing your gold filled pieces before you take a dip in the pool or in the salt water. I am personally not the best with taking care of my jewelry so I have done all those things a few times and my rings have maintained the same gold color. It never hurts any jewelry to be extra cautious.
CAN YOU BE ALLERGIC TO GOLD FILLED?
Dependent upon your body chemistry, certain individuals can unfortunately be allergic to gold alloys which means their skin may turn green. Sometimes customers will assume that if their fingers turn green, the gold filled piece isn’t really gold filled and that is not true. Another factor to consider is the construction of the design. If the design of the jewelry leaves cut edges or wire exposed, this can cause the brass to be exposed but this does not mean it is not true gold filled. Some people have no problems with the cut edges and some will.
WHAT IS STAINLESS STEEL?
Stainless steel is highly corrosion resistant and tarnish resistant metal. It is very durable and long lasting.
Gold plated stainless steel is plated through a process called ion plating in a vacuum furnace which can also be called PVD plating. Our gold-plated stainless-steel jewelry is usually 18K gold plated. This type of plating is a lot more long lasting than plating with metal solutions. The metal stability of stainless steel helps the plated layer adhere to the base metal for a lot longer than regular gold plated jewelry.
CAN YOU WEAR STAINLESS STEEL IN WATER?
Stainless steel doesn’t require much maintenance but I recommend keeping gold plated stainless steel jewelry away from water. Quick answer is yes you can wear the silver tone stainless steel in water but no you should not wear your gold tone stainless steel in water. I occasionally have worn my gold tone stainless steel jewelry in the water and they still look great but overtime they can turn dull and lose their brightness with repeated contact in water.
WHAT IS STERLING SILVER?
Sterling silver is a metal alloy comprised of 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloy. This 7.5% is usually made of copper or zinc. Sterling silver can tarnish over time but the tarnish can easily be removed with a polishing cloth. Sterling silver is also hypoallergenic. Be sure to store your sterling silver away in airtight storage where no air and moisture can seep in, for ex. a resealable ziploc bag.
CAN YOU WEAR STERLING SILVER IN WATER?
Yes you can but be sure to dry your jewelry off after.
However, do NOT wear gold plated over sterling silver jewelry in water, ever. Contact with water can cause the plated gold layer to fade quicker.
JEWELRY CARE
In order to prolong the life span of your jewelry:
1. Be sure to pat dry your jewelry after being in the water. Most of our jewelry is safe to wash your hands and shower in.
2. Keep jewelry away from harsh chemicals, oceans, pools and hot tubs. Chlorine, salt water and sulfur can tarnish your jewelry overtime.
3. Always remove your jewelry before exercising to avoid damage to jewelry.
4. Moisture in the air can react with certain metal and cause tarnish so always store your jewelry away in airtight storage.
5. Store your jewelry separately to avoid scratches.
6. Being tarnish resistant doesn’t necessarily mean it will never tarnish. With improper care, any piece of jewelry will tarnish. The truth is all jewelry tarnishes overtime with wear and tear but the key is to prevent and delay the tarnishing effects.
7. PLEASE NOTE WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROPER CARE AND MISUSE OF YOUR JEWELRY.