Q. CARE OF HANDMADE JEWELLERY
A. The jewelry you are purchasing is handmade and therefore, may be delicate. To keep your jewellery looking great, care is
necessary.
Please keep these tips in mind:
- Always remove your jewellery before sleeping, swimming, or bathing.
- Remove your jewellery before any types of heavy activity, i.e. gardening, exercising. These types of activities can bend or break prongs or scratch/crack natural stones.
- Keep jewellery clean and free of perfumes/chemicals (this includes oils, lotions, harsh soaps, etc.).
- You can clean your jewellery in a bowl of warm water and a bit of mild liquid detergent.
- Never use chemicals or other types of cleaners (this will destroy natural stones and remove any patina on the piece).
- Brush the jewellery with a soft brush until you have created a lather around it.
- With the jewellery on a plastic or metal strainer, rinse off with warm water (be sure not to clean your jewellery over the drain!)
- Pat your jewellery dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
- Please note that water and oils can actually change the coloration and look of some natural/untreated stones over time. To avoid this, keep your jewellery dry whenever possible (remove when washing your hands, etc.).
- Store in a jewellery box with compartments (or plastic bag) that keep pieces from rubbing against each other.
Q. WHAT IS MY BIRTHSTONE?
A. Here is a chart showing each month and its corresponding birthstone:
January Garnet
February Amethyst
March Aquamarine
April Diamond
May Emerald
June Cultured Pearl or Moonstone
July Ruby
August Peridot
September Sapphire
October Pink Tourmaline
November Citrine or Topaz
December Blue Topaz
Q. WHY DO SIMILAR PIECES OF JEWELLERY HAVE SUCH DIFFERENT PRICES?
A. There could be many factors that can affect the value.
For example:
- Cost of materials used in the piece; i.e. Sterling silver vs Copper; and
- if the piece is one-of-a-kind.
Q. WHAT IS NuGold or Merlin’s Gold?
A. The price of real gold can be prohibitive to jewellers and customers alike. This type of metal allows the beautiful warm gold
color but not the price of gold!
NuGold or Merlin’s Gold is a copper-based, nickel-free alloy made up of 85% copper, 15% zinc and is most often referred to as Merlin's Gold. It can also be referred to as Jeweller’s Bronze or Red Brass. This metal will tarnish more slowly than pure
copper.
Q. WHAT DOES THE WORD "JEWELLERY" REALLY MEAN?
A. According to the Latin and French derivation of the word, it means joy or gladness. Historians say that even back in prehistoric times jewellery was known and regarded as a symbol of happiness!