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MATERIALS WE USE
Metal Basics:
Base Metal: any non-precious metal such as nickel, tin, copper, zinc, etc.
Sterling Silver .925% pure silver and .75% copper
Fine Silver .999% pure silver and .01% copper
14K yellow gold 58.33% gold, 8.3% silver, 29.2% copper, 4.17% zinc
14K white gold 58.33% gold, 22.1% copper, 10.8% nickel, 8.77% zinc
18K yellow gold 75.00% gold, 15.0% silver, 10.0% copper
18K white gold 75.15% gold, 17.3% nickel, 5.47% zinc, 2.08% copper
We use only AMERICAN Sterling Silver....there is “0” nickel content in American silver and nickel is the mineral element most people are allergic to when they think they cannot wear silver jewelry.
Along with sterling silver we also use fine silver for some bezels and wires and all of our findings, ear wires, posts, head pins etc. are sterling silver.
For our gold or mixed metal creations we use only solid 14k or 18k gold, NOT gold filled.
The gold filled is only used in our wire wrapped creations.
If you see or hear the expressions “german silver” or “nickel silver” it is a base metal made up of the following: 65% copper, 18% nickel and 17% zinc.
We do not use these 'silvers' in our jewelry.
WIRE WRAPPED JEWELRY
Along with sterling silver wire we also use 14 karat gold filled wire.
The Industry Standard for 'gold filled' is a minimum of 1/20th of the total weight of a product (wire, sheet, bezel) must be gold, which is mechanically bonded, under heat and/or pressure, to a base metal (usually red brass #230).
Gold filled products are considerably more durable than gold plated products, as the plating can easily rub or scrape off with wear. The bonding process of gold filled results in a product that is considered “life-time” with the proper care.
The terms 'gold filled' and 'rolled gold' are NOT interchangeable as meaning the same product, although many wire wrap artists will make that statement. Rolled gold is a product made by a similar process to the gold filled, however the gold used is usually 9 or 10 karat gold and this is more of a European process than an American one.
Occasionally we will use red brass, also known as Merlin's gold or jewelers brass and because the color is close to that of gold-filled, we will point that out in the body of the listing of the item.
Please remember to email us if you have any questions at all about the various components used in a piece of jewelry.
PROCESSES WE USE
RETICULATION:
The process of reticulation starts with heating a piece of metal until it is glowing red. The metal is then cooled and cleaned, either with pickle (an acid that cleans metals) or scrubbed vigorously to remove any firescale or sediments that have risen to the surface of the silver.
This heat/cool/clean process is repeated several times (usually about 5) until the entire copper content is burned away and the resulting metal has turned from sterling silver to .999 fine silver.
Because the reticulation process actually turns the metal into a liquid for a short period of time, before the torch is removed, it is not possible to control the shape of the metal being reticulated.
The odd shapes and lack of control may result in a more creative piece of jewelry as the designer studies each piece of metal to see how it could best be used.
Reticulated silver will not polish as brightly as sterling or fine silver does and will always retain a bit of a 'grayish' metallic look about it.
FUSING:
The process of fusing happens when different pieces of metal are heated to an almost liquid state and 'join' each other without the aid of solder.
RAINDROPS:
“Raindrops” or little balls of metal are made by taking small snippets of metal and heating them to a liquid state....silver will naturally 'ball up' when heated to a liquid, but gold will sometimes need the help of a small template to retain the round shape.
HALLMARKS
Hallmarks are the letters or numbers stamped on the back of a piece of jewelry that tells who made it, materials used etc. Beaded items will not be able to be hallmarked unless they also have an area of clear metal on which the stamps can be used.
On the back of a jewelry item made by David you will find the following stamps:
The initials DW for David Williams.
An arrow which represents 'man'.
A bear which represents the 'animal kingdom'.
A lightning bolt which represents 'the forces of nature'.
There will also be a stamp for the metal used such as 'sterling silver' or '14k' or both if it is a mixed-metal piece.
He will also have a copyright stamp, which is a small 'c' with a circle around it to designate that this is an original design by him. There will also be a USA stamp to show that this piece of jewelry was made in the United States and is not an imported piece.
Using the 'stamps' is not as easy as it sounds....if the metal is not hit firmly enough with the small hammer, only part of the stamp will appear and it is almost impossible to line it up correctly to stamp it again.
While David has mastered the "stamping process" after 25yrs. of making jewelry, I (Bev) have not.
So, any of the pieces made by me will have a hand-written Beverly Anne and also a BHD (Balanced Heart Designs)....I use a Dremel tool with a diamond bit so some of the letters will look a bit shaky.....and the writing will not be as distinct as a stamp.
GEMSTONE CLARITY CHART
VVS 1 & 2: Extra fine quality. These gems have microscopic inclusions which are difficult or slightly difficult to see under a loupe with 10x magnification.
VS 1: Very fine quality. Small pin pricks are just visible to the scrutiny of the close, naked eye. However, the beauty of the gem is not diminished in any way whatsoever.
VS: Fine quality. Small pin pricks and feathers are just visible to the scrutiny of the close, naked eye. However, the overall beauty of the gem is still not diminished.
SI 1: Slightly included, good quality. These gems have inclusions which are fairly easy to see with the close, naked eye. However, the overall beauty of the gem is still quite high.
SI 2: Slightly included, good to medium quality. These gems have inclusions which are fairly easy to see under the close, naked eye. These inclusions are usually not too visible at an arms length.
Included 1,2 & 3: Medium to lower quality. These are included gems with internal fractures that range from eye visible to very easily seen to the naked eye.
NOTE: We do not purchase any faceted gemstones lower on the above scale than the VS 1 and the majority of our faceted gems will be VVS 1 & 2. The clarity of each gem will be pointed out in the individual jewelry listing.
Native American Jewelry & Crafts
All of the items made by us in the Native American category will be made with all natural products.
The jewelry or craft items will contain some or all of the following:
Deerskin, leather, rawhide, feathers, fur from various animals (mostly rabbit from South America where the fur is a by-product of food), bone beads, glass, coral, gemstone and sterling silver beads and sometimes brass beads. We will string the choker or jewelry items using tiger tail instead of artificial sinew which has a tendency to stretch out after a short while.
We will not use any plastic items and since Bev's heritage is Arapaho, each item will be researched so the finished product will, as closely as possible, resemble something that might have been made in the late 1800's.
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