What materials do you use?
- I use yellow brass, yellow bronze, gold filled, and sterling silver (.925). All metals are nickel free.
- The brass that I use is 85% copper and 15% zinc.
- My metal supplier is Rio Grande and the stones I get are mainly from NW Rockhounds in Seattle and New Stone Age Cabochons.
- I do not use Amazon for any of my materials including tools and shipping supplies.
Will my jewelry tarnish?
- There are lots of things that can happen with jewelry, but the long story is that if you wear your jewelry outside, it will probably tarnish. Certain metals like brass and copper are more susceptible to tarnish, while others like silver and gold/gold-filled jewelry take longer to tarnish or are more tarnish resistant. Just like wearing shoes, jewelry can and will get dirty. The good news is that you can clean it!
- Essentially, what you are seeing with tarnish is a chemical reaction that can come from your actual skin (which also means that your skin will turn green/is indicative that you are allergic to the metal that you are wearing), sweat, the products that you use, the climate that you are in, and where you wear your jewelry.
- It is always best practice to take your jewelry off when going swimming in chlorine, saltwater, and water that has a sulphuric content (think hotsprings).
- Keep your jewelry out of direct sunlight in an airtight bag or container. My personal favorite is ziplock bags
- If you see tarnish, use the polishing cloth that is included in your purchase. Use slow, medium strength circles to gently remove tarnish from your piece.
Will jewelry turn my skin green?
- You as the wearer know what will or will not turn your skin green. As stated above, certain metals such as copper and brass are more likely to cause an allergic reaction which will turn your skin green. Just like fingerprints, every person’s skin is unique- I can only make general statements about what I know to be true regarding my own experience wearing the jewelry that I make and the materials that I use. This does not mean that what works for me will work for you, because you, just like the jewelry that you are wearing, are unique!
Are there any refunds?
- There are no refunds given unless there is an obvious maker error (an earring post breaks, a band comes off a ring, etc).
- Jewelry that is worn frequently will eventually wear down over time. Make sure that you are taking care of it and you hopefully will not have to replace it!
- Refunds will not be given if there is evidence of intentional damage to a piece (ex: opening and bending a cuff continuously until it breaks, etc).
A message from Olivia:
I hope this cheat sheet was helpful and I really appreciate you being here. As a single bitch owned business I am so grateful that I get to work with my hands and make shiny things for incredible people like you :)