THE FINE METALS
It is our desire that your adornments are items you are comfortable to wear every day, and with that in mind we are conscious in using the highest quality metals we can find. However to ensure your jewellery endures the test of time we would like to inform you a little about the metals we choose, and why, and also give some guidelines on correct care for your ADORN jewellery.
- 18KARAT ETHICAL GOLD VERMEIL
RECYCLED BRASS
Our brass material is 60% recycled and carefully produced in a privately owned factory that concentrates on the production of high quality specialty brasses. Formulated and fabricated exclusively for jewellery purposes. This helps us to avoid many of the quality and tarnishing issues many people experience from brass. We must remember though that even the very best brasses will tarnish faster than precious metals, mainly because of the high copper content, any surface tarnishing though can be easily removed by buffing regularly, which shines your jewellery at the same time!
If contact with perfumes or cosmetics may occur we do recommend a trial test before wearing, and also be aware that any tarnish is non toxic, and in fact the oxidation of copper on your skin may in fact have detoxification benefits for your health!
The brass pieces are made of an alloy consisting of 30% bronze which is a combination of copper and tin. Together with 60% recycled sterling silver and around 5% recycled 14 karat yellow gold, it's durable and easy to care for.
With proper attention, these pieces will last for years to come. However, due to the copper content in these pieces, there is a greater chance of oxidation when in contact with the natural oils within our skin, leaving a light greenish color of copper carbonate on the skin (it’s not harmful, don’t worry!).
Expect this in warm weather, particularly when wearing a tight ring that doesn’t allow for air circulation between the skin and metal. Due to the higher reactivity of metals such as copper, brass jewellery is more likely to tarnish over time. Keep your brass pieces looking shiny and clean by regularly polishing with a non-abrasive cloth.
Read more here in our Care Guide.
ETHICAL GOLD VERMEIL
Gold Vermeil is a standard which specifies a minimum thickness of 2.5 microns of gold, plated over sterling silver, by law, no other metal base is permitted, and legally the gold plate thickness must be 2.5 microns or greater. We test to ensure all Adorn vermeil jewellery adhere to this standard. This is important to ensure the longevity and golden colour of your Adorn Vermeil items. You get the classic look of real gold, the value of full fabrication using precious metals, but a price that is well below solid gold. Care must be taken during regular use not to deeply scratch your items or the silver colour will show through. Clean your vermeil jewellery as you would any precious metal jewellery, but taking care not to rub too hard as the micron level of gold will wear down with surface contact. If you notice your vermeil items losing their gold hue, we do offer a re-plating service.
RECYCLED STERLING SILVER
Sterling silver is the official term which refers to silver with a minimum purity in 92.5% silver (look for the 925 stamp on your silver jewellery to show this), and a maximum of 7.5% other metals. The other metals are added as pure silver - like gold is too soft for jewellery usage it scratches and deforms easily. The sterling silver we work with is composed of 930 certified recycled silver and 7% other metals which are chosen specifically for their anti tarnish and workability properties to ensure the highest standards are achieved.
Even more so than 14 karat gold silver will tarnish when exposed to strong chemicals and/or acid alkali compounds so please take care, and clean with your jewellery cloth regularly, and when not in use store in a safe place, remember tarnishing is actually oxidation, so storing in a place like a sealed bag to reduce oxygen exposure is a really good idea. Or use your Adorn leather pouch, which will help you minimize oxidation.
And again if your get does get dirty a wash in a mild liquid soap solution before buffing is recommended.
14 KARAT ETHICAL GOLD
We obtain our pure gold (24 karat) either from certified recycled sources or artisan mined sources.
We then alloy this gold to 14 karat (58% gold, 42% other metals) - using mainly silver and copper, which make the gold harder and more stable for daily wear, but still maintain its lustre.
Please be aware thought that with exposure to strong chemicals like solvents, cleaning products and even such things as artificial perfumes or cosmetics can induce tarnishing or oxidation on your jewellery, so please take and and sure you remove your jewellery before showering or cleaning house. Should you encounter tarnishing, a buff with a soft cloth - preferably a jewellery specific buffing cloth, and if dirty a rinse and buff with a soft cloth and mild liquid soap solution is recommended.