Materials & Care

Solid Gold (14 - 18k)

  • Solid gold is the best choice for a beautiful, long-lasting and worry-free piece of jewelry!

    The solid gold I use is often recycled, although not always. I am currently working on finding suppliers who offer only recycled gold. Unfortunately not all my pieces are offered in solid gold because of legislative restrictions, but I am also working on this!

  • Solid gold can be worn everyday.

    Don’t fear water:

    If your piece is made of solid gold, do not fear water. You can wear your piece in the shower, at the sea, or in a pool. It might even be a good idea to sometimes clean your piece with some warm water & soap. After clearning it, make sure to dry your piece well.

    Avoid harsh scraping materials:

    Merely to preserve the smooth surfaces and designs of the pieces, it would be good to avoid very abrasive materials to avoid scratches.

  • Solid gold is the most sustainable material to order your jewelry in as it will never degrade, meaning it will last many lifetimes! These are the types of pieces that are passed down through generations. The color will also never change and the piece can always be re-melted and repurposed.

(Sterling) Silver

  • The Sterling Silver I use is always recycled. Silver is a soft and malleable metal which not only looks beautiful but has a number of great qualities. It can be worn everyday and is also a great choice for people with allergies as they will not experience any reaction to pure silver jewelry.

  • Don’t fear water:

    If your piece is made of silver, do not fear water. You can wear your piece in the shower, at the sea, or in a pool. It might even be a good idea to sometimes clean your piece with some warm water & soap. After clearning it, make sure to dry your piece well. 

    Pack your pieces in a hermetical box: 

    Pack the silver jewelry in a hermetical box (or any container that will keep them away from ambient air) when you do not wear it. This will avoid the oxidation of the silver and prevent it from turning brown-blackish.

    Clean your piece:

    If your silver piece changes color, clean it with the little polishing cloth I placed in your package, or a polishing cloth you buy online or in-store. The change of color is a natural reaction for pieces; it is merely due to the metals' oxidation. This oxidation quickly goes away if you use the right products. You can always contact me if your piece does not seem to return to the initial color.

  • Silver is long-lasting, doesn’t tarnish easily and is resistant to water, sweat and soaps. It can be worn everyday and will last a lifetime!

Gold Filled

  • Gold-filled is made of an inside metal (often brass or copper) covered with a very thick layer of gold. To be certified « gold-filled», this layer of gold has to be as thick as 1/20 of the other metal layer. This ratio tends to make the layer 100 times thicker than gold plated, which makes it resistant to water, sweat and daily activities and much more resistant over time.

    I use gold filled for almost all of my creations. Gold-filled is a type of gold that is surprisingly rarely used in the jewelry industry. It is because it is nearly impossible to use on casted pieces. On the other hand, for pieces that are soldered, as I mostly create, it does work.

  • Don’t fear water:

    If your piece is made of gold filled, do not fear water. You can wear your piece in the shower, at the sea, or in a pool. It might even be a good idea to sometimes clean your piece with some warm water & soap. After clearning it, make sure to dry your piece well.

    Avoid creams and chemicals: 

    If your piece is made of filled gold, perfumes, cosmetics, essential oils, and chemicals will attack the layer of plating. Therefore, it is always best to remove your jewelry if you are in contact with such products. 

    Pack your pieces in a hermetical box: 

    Especially for gold filled, it is important to pack the jewelry in a hermetical box (or any container that will keep them away from ambient air) when you do not wear it. This will avoid the oxidation of the materials.

    Clean your piece:

    If your gold filled piece changes color to a darker color (brown, reddish, or black), clean it with the little polishing cloth I placed in your package, or a polishing cloth you buy online or in-store. The change of color is a natural reaction for pieces; it is merely due to the metals' oxidation. This oxidation quickly goes away if you use the right products. You can always contact me if your piece does not seem to return to the initial color.

  • Gold filled is resistant to water, sweat and daily activities, making it long-lasting with good care.

Gold Plated

  • Gold plating is one of the most commonly used techniques in the jewelry industry and is the alloy you can buy in most jewelry stores. It refers to a base made of metal (commonly brass, copper, or silver) covered with a layer of gold. I use plated gold for all of my casted pieces.

    Depending on the thickness of the layer, the gold will wear off quickly or not. I have been looking for the thickest plating I could find around me in Brussels. This resulted in pieces with a base of silver, plated with 5 microns of gold. This is quite a thick plating layer.

  • To care for gold plated jewelry, there are things you should be aware of, listed below.

    Avoid water: 

    If your piece is made of plated gold I recommend you always remove it when you are in contact with water or sweat. When you wash your hands, do the dishes, take a shower, go to the pool, swim in the sea, do sports, and sleep, you should remove them. It isn't very pleasant to have to remember to do so. However, it is the very best way to preserve the plating of your piece.

    Avoid creams and chemicals: 

    If your piece is made of plated gold, perfumes, cosmetics, essential oils, and chemicals will attack the layer of plating. Therefore, it is always best to remove your jewelry if you are in contact with such products. 

    Pack your pieces in a hermetical box: 

    For plated gold, it is good to pack the jewelry in a hermetical box (or any container that will keep them away from ambient air).

    Do not clean your piece:

    Plated gold will not handle being cleaned very well. If you desire making it shine again, you can use a very soft piece of cloth and gently rub the jewelry. There is nothing more to do by yourself. However, what you can do is contact me and ask me to re-plate your piece. This will give it its initial shine.

  • It is essential to understand that when you order a piece that is not made of solid gold or gold-filled, the plating layer will always wear off at some point. However, the thicker the layer is and the better you take care of it, the longer the plating will last.

    I am personally experiencing the plating resistance by wearing my pieces myself, and so far I am very happy with them. The earrings hold even if I never remove them. The necklaces hold well, and I remove them. The rings finish by wearing off, but I replated them.

    At the moment, I am still too small of a business to offer a free replacing service, but I do offer re-plating for a small cost.

The Gemstones

  • I use gemstones on all the pieces that contain beads, stones, etc. On each piece, I am precise about which gem I use to be able to recognize them and choose accordingly. The gemstones I use are natural and are of high quality (most often between AA+ and AAA).

    The variety of gemstone choices I have is quite large. Therefore, I can almost always change the stone that is on a piece to another that you might prefer. Contact me before ordering if you would like to discuss the possibility of another stone for design, and I will let you know if that is feasible.

    Finally, some say that gemstones have healing energies. If this is something you are interested in and would like me to place a healing gem on your piece, let me know as well, I will be happy to search for one which would be best for what you desire!

  • Most gemstones are resilient to everyday activities. They can be cleaned with water, a mild detergent and a soft cloth or brush. Avoid harsh materials and very hard scrubbing as these could scratch the stone. Dry well after washing.

    Lastly, avoid vinegar and very acidic substances.

  • Gemstones are resistant to water and time. Some of them are sensitive to vinegar or very acidic products, but except for those, you don’t have to fear wearing them!