because you're worth it

Seriously. Because you’re worth it. I’m sure you’d have noticed the shift in usage of materials over here at Sparkle Thots. In our early days we explored a large range of materials. From the cheap plastics all the way to the precious stones (my precious!), from the gold / silver coloured findings to the gold filled and 925 silver ones that can be seen on some of our items.

It has been a long journey. And because time is fast becoming a precious commodity, I have selected to use gold filled and 925 silver on some designs. The reason is simple. I want these items to last. These pieces either take a LOT of time and effort or utilise the ‘good stuff’. Or both. And they should be made to last. Oftentimes, these pieces are classic in design and will be able to last the test of time. Sometimes, however, I choose to use gold / silver plated because of cost considerations. Its a fine line to thread really.

So… what exactly do the terms mean?

Goldfilled :-

A solid layer of gold is bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal (usually brass). Gold-filled items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker in gold (plating) content than regular gold plating. We use 14K gold filled parts. The gold can still wear off through daily use over time. But will take much longer to wear through as compared to normal plating.

925 Silver :-

The industry standard for silver used is 925 silver. Pure silver is far too soft to be manipulated and hence the alloy compound is used instead. It can tarnish on prolonged contact with air, water and oxygen but can be cleaned with solutions / cloths.

Bali Silver :-

Bali silver is unique in the sense that it is almost always made by hand. It is also likely to be 99% silver, even purer than 925.

Gold / Silver Plating :-

A fine gold / silver film is deposited on a base metal by electrolysis. The film can be as thin as seven millionths of an inch. These items cannot be called gold filled / 925 silver.

Hope this helps explain the difference in cost and solve the mystery behind the terminology.

I don’t like to mix materials because I personally feel it takes away from the effect of using the ‘good stuff’. A plated finding paired with gold filled / 925 silver hooks may help lower the cost substantially but it will look mighty ugly when the plating on the findings wears thin. What then? I’d rather make sure the design is worth it and use only the finest for it. You do get what you pay for.