Brette’s Blog

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPES OF METALS?

14K GOLD

Pure (100%) gold is too soft, and is usually mixed with other metal alloys (silver, copper, nickel and zinc) to make it stronger and more durable for jewelry.14k gold consists of 58.3% pure gold.18K GOLDPure (100%) gold is too soft, and is usually mixed with other metal alloys (silver, copper, nickel and zinc) to make it stronger and more durable for jewelry. 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of another metal(s), making it 75% gold.18k gold casts a warm, rich yellow glow.

STERLING SILVER

Sterling silver is the standard of quality for jewelry containing 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.

14K GOLD FILLED

Is made by fusing a layer of solid 14k karat gold to a supporting metal alloy (usually sterling silver). The bond produced is a permanent one and will not rub off with wear. The karat gold content must be 1/20th of the total metal weight. We use mainly 14k gold filled chains and findings to create beautiful, yet durable and affordable jewelry.

24K GOLD VERMEIL

Produced by electroplating 24k (pure) gold on sterling silver. By nature, 24k gold is very soft so please treat your 24k gold vermeil pieces with the utmost care.

WHAT IS A KARAT?

The karat indicates the amount of pure gold in the metal. The higher the karat, the higher the percentage of pure gold in the metal.