About the metals

14K or 18K Gold

The most common gold purity levels are 10K (karat), 14K, 18K and 24K. Each level of gold purity offers its own range of advantages and disadvantages, from hardness and durability to the risk of certain levels of gold purity contributing to skin irritation.

Of the four most common gold purity levels, 10K is the most durable, though it also has the lowest gold content. 14K is slightly purer while also highly durable, while 18K gold is the purest form of gold that’s typically used for engagement rings and other jewelry.

24K gold is pure gold. Since it’s very soft and malleable, this type of gold isn’t used for engagement rings.

14K Gold Fill & 14K Rose Gold Fill

Gold Fill jewellery is the best quality alternative to solid gold. An actual layer of gold is pressure-bonded to the base metal to ensure that it endures over time and does not tarnish or oxidize to become another colour. To top it all off, it is very safe for sensitive skin.

 

Sterling Silver

Pure silver is too soft to fashion into jewellery. Sterling Silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of other metal (usually copper) that adds strength, while still preserving the ductility and beautiful shine of silver.

Sterling Silver tends to become blackish upon contact with sulphur in the air or water. This can be easily cleaned off with a jewellery polishing cloth.

 

Vermeil

Vermeil is sterling silver that has been coated with gold of at least 10K. It is also safe for sensitive skin due to its precious metal components (Sterling Silver). Vermeil jewellery is more expensive than gold plated jewellery due to Sterling Silver being the base metal that is coated over.

 

Gold Plated

Gold plated jewelry is a very light layer of gold - 0.05% actual gold or less - on top of a base metal (usually brass or copper). The thin layer of gold is plated onto the base metal to create gold plated jewelry.