It is not soldered, glued or welded, but hand-sculpted, much as an artist sculpts with clay, from one or more continuous strands of the finest quality jeweler's wire. Most of the jewelry is made with 14 karat Gold-filled or Sterling Silver wire. Because of the very nature of the craft, no two pieces are ever exactly alike; therefore, when you purchase one of these designs, you will be wearing your own unique piece of Wearable Art.
Wire sculpted jewelry can be embellished with crystals, gems and beads. Making one-of-a-kind designs with this method is fast and easy.
Wire For Sculpting Can Be The Following:
GOLD-FILLED WIRE:
Many people are not aware of the differences between "gold-filled" and "gold-plated" jewelry. Basically, gold-filled jewelry is of a higher quality and is made with 100 times more gold than gold-plated. It is also sometimes referred to as "Rolled Gold". Like solid gold, gold-filled products are regulated by the government and must be at least 5% gold by weight. Gold-filled wire is a professional jeweler's quality wire.
HOW GOLD-FILLED WIRE IS MADE:
14 kt gold-filled wire is made by forming a tube of solid 14kt gold that is "filled" with a base metal. The gold is bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. The base metal is also gold in color and is made up of almost the same mixture of metals (usually a brass alloy) used to bring 24kt gold down to 14kt, 10kt, etc. The exterior of the product is solid 14 kt gold and everything you can see or touch is a solid layer of 14 kt gold. This is why it will never tarnish, chip or wear off. The gold layer on gold-filled wire is approximately 100 times thicker than gold-plate as and is bonded with heat and pressure.
YOUR GOLD-FILLED JEWELRY WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS:
14Kt Gold-filled jewelry was worn extensively in the Victorian Era. Many of these Heirloom pieces are still handed down through generations and are considered highly collectible. Gold-filled jewelry is economical & durable -- you enjoy the look and feel of gold at a fraction of the cost.
STERLING SILVER:
Nothing compares to the unique clean, bright sparkle of silver. Sterling is made from 92.5% silver. It also contains nickel, which can cause an allergic reaction for some people. It tarnishes with age, but can be restored with a silver polish. Another choice for silver is Argentium® silver, it is a fantastic type of sterling silver that contains a small amount of additional alloys, giving it dramatically better tarnish resistance than standard sterling silver. An occasional rinse or wipe with a soft cotton cloth with keep the metal in pristine condition.
NIOBIUM / ANODIZED NIOBIUM:
Niobium is an intriguing metal. It is not an alloy, it's actually atomic element #41. It is used in superconductors as well as in jewelry. Niobium has a natural grey color shimmer, but anodizing the metal brings out a wide spectrum of beautiful colors. Anodizing niobium creates an oxide layer; the thickness of this layer creates the colors. It is perfect for jewelry because it contains no nickel (which can cause reactions to gold and silver) and is 22% lighter than silver. It is also highly resistant to corrosion and will not tarnish like other precious metals. The oxide layer is highly unlikely to wear off with normal use.
ENAMELED COPPER:
A center of soft copper coated with a layer of jewel-tone plastic. Softer than the other materials I use for jewelry designs, enameled copper is great for earrings or to get that bright color you just can't get elsewhere. Many colors are available- fun choices for bright designs.
COPPER:
The color of a new penny! It will tarnish to the color of an old penny over time. It is a very pretty reddish color in the beginning, and the original color can be restored/protected by copper polish or a quick dip in simple vinegar. Copper is beautiful for jewelry or belts.
BRASS:
Brass is a lovely yellow-gold color. It is an alloy of copper and zinc. It will darken over time, but can be restored/protected with brass polish or a quick dip in simple vinegar. Brass is wonderful for jewelry, belts and key chains.
BRONZE:
The color of a new park statue! This dark copper colored metal is an alloy of copper and tin. It will tarnish, but can be restored/protected with bronze polish or a quick dip in simple vinegar. Bronze is also amazing for jewelry, belts and key chains.
