Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver must contain a minimum of 92.5% pure sterling silver alloy. The other 7.5% is made with other metals, usually copper. Silver is soft and easy to work and a very desirable material to use in jewelry designing.  Silver develops a patina with time, that is, its color will take on an "antique" look,  and that it's normal. Under certain conditions (skin type, water type, humidity, etc) the process is faster.   Silver is best stored away from air in plastic zip lock bags, as it tarnishes more quickly with long exposures to air.

There are different types of sterling silver beads. Bali beads are sterling silver beads handmade by individual craftsmen on the island of Bali, in Indonesia. They are usually antiqued, with a black patina in the nooks and crannies.  There is a difference between Bali beads and Bali style beads. True Bali Beads are actually crafted in Indonesia where other Bali style beads are created to imitate the style of Bali silver beads. The Bali beads are very amazing with such a variety of intricate patterns in the silver.

Thai Hill Tribe Silver, or Hill Tribe Silver, is silver made by the Karen Hill Tribe in northern Thailand using traditional tribal methods passed down from generation to generation.  Intricately carved and often whimsical, the silver content in Hill Tribes silver is typically 95-99%, even higher than sterling (92.5%). On close inspection you will notice that no two pieces are exactly alike, attesting to the handmade nature of these beautiful pieces.

Gold Vermeil

Vermeil (pronounced ver-may) is a process that combines precious metals to produce semi-fine quality jewelry. The inside core is sterling silver, the outside is a thin coating of 14-24 karat gold. This combination produces jewelry that looks and feels like pure gold.

Gold-filled

Gold-fill is a process in which gold is bonded to a base metal alloy such as nickel or brass, using a combination of heat and pressure. The gold covers the brass surface, making it tarnish resistant.  The amount of gold used must make up at least 1/20th of the total weight of the piece, and all exterior portions are solid gold, ranging from 24K down to 10. The layer of gold in gold-filled wire is approximately 100 times thicker than that of gold plate. T

The value of gold-filled is greater than gold-plated because gold-filled has an actual layer of gold, not just a microscopic film.

Also known as electroplated

Base Metal - Non-precious metals used as a core for plating and gold-filled items. Brass and nickel are common base metals in jewelry.

Modern pewter, better known as fine pewter, is a lead-free alloy of tin mixed with a small proportion of another metal, (generally copper, antimony, bismuth or silver). It is ranked as the fourth most precious metal in the world after platinum, gold, and silver. It is a comparatively soft metal, silver gray in color and does not tarnish, rust, or deteriorate.

Pewter has some fascinating characteristics that make it rather appealing in the world of jewelry making. If properly finished, it has a luster reminiscent of silver, but without as much possibility of tarnishing when exposed to the air.  The making of pewter still has a lot of hand craftsmanship involved.

Fine pewter is the prince of jewelry alloys.  No nickel, no lead, no cadmium, no zinc.
 

Often you may find some slight imperfections in semi-precious gemstones. These are to be expected and they enhance the beauty of the stone.  Bead Caps, a metal ornament, sometimes filigree, can be placed on a glass or stone bead to cover any roughness or damage around the drilled hole.

Many gemstones have been reputed to have holistic healing and spiritual qualities.

Synthetic Gemstone - A gemstone created by humans in a lab. Synthetic stones mimic the structure of natural stones. It's often difficult for even experienced gemologists to tell a synthetic from a natural stone.

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Borosilicate Beads

 (Swore-off-ski)

When these raw materials are produced, they are cut and polished using the superior techniques invented by Daniel Swarovski. Swarovski crystals are unmatched in quality and brilliance. No competitor has come close to the sharp facet angels, symmetry and exceptional sparkle of the Swarovski Crystal. When the beads are placed side by side the Swarovski crystal bead stands out beside it's competitor's bead every time.  They are considered the "Diamond of the Crystal Market

Aurora Borealis (AB) - named for the northern lights -is a term for crystal stones that have a highly iridescent surface. The effect is achieved by vapor blasting the facets of the lower part of the crystals with an invisible, micro thin metal sheet. This stone was created by Swarovski® in 1955 in collaboration with Christian Dior.

Czech & Fire-Polished Beads

Czech beads are renowned for their excellent craftsmanship dating back to the 11th century. Made of quality glass, the vivid colors will not fade and are consistent throughout. They are available in a wide variety of shapes and colors with stunning finishes, such as Aurora Borealis -- a striking play of color inspired by the Northern Lights.
The beads are optically polished for a scratch free surface, creating maximum brilliance.

Fire-Polished Beads - The children of glass and fire.

Fire-Polished Beads are the second most widespread type of bead produced after glass beads.  They have been made using the technique of cutting and heat-polishing glass pressed beads since the 17th century.  They are created through the symbiosis of one of the most beautiful natural materials, traditional Bohemian glass, and fire, an element that has accompanied humankind since time immemorial.

Dichroic Glass Beads

Dichoric is a glass which contains ultra-thin layers of aluminum, chromium, silicon, zirconium or the metal alloy titanium. The colors are almost holographic in appearance. Metallic oxides are bonded to the glass using an electron bombarder inside a vacuum chamber under strict laboratory conditions.

Once the coating has adhered to the glass, it is fired in a kiln to make it permanent. The angle of the glass within the vacuum chamber determines the color. In actuality, there is no color produced. What you are seeing is pure light manipulation at it's finest. The appearance will be different depending on whether the light is reflected or transmitted.  Increasingly, dichroic glass is being used to produce high-end art beads.