FAQs

Despite what most have heard, the skin that turns green underneath a piece of jewelry doesn’t occur due to the poor quality of the ring, nor is it harmful. It is simply a response to certain materials within the jewelry, and can appear even when wearing fine expensive jewelry. This patch of skin that may turn green occurs when the materials oxidizes. This means they react to the pH levels of your skin, which an leave a stain.

People who happen to have a higher acidic pH within their skin tend to experience this. Another common factor is the chemicals in your hand creams or perfumes which can cause the metal to oxidize even if your skin is not sensitive to metals. The most common ingredient in any piece of jewelry that causes this scenario is copper. Pure gold and silver are naturally too soft to work with, and therefore must be alloyed (stabilized) with other materials in order to create a secure, good-quality piece of jewelry.

Copper is an alloy that is often combined with silver or gold-plated jewelry in order to create the shape and consistency of the piece. For example, the 925 sterling silver jewelry that we offer is composed of 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper (hence, the number 925). This formula results in the highest quality silver jewelry, and is used by high-end brands as well as more affordable fashion jewelry brands, and therefore it must never be assumed that a trace of copper equals poor quality. 

If you have unfortunately experienced this green staining, you can remove this by scrubbing your skin with soap and warm water. Use a nailbrush to provide a little more friction.

If this doesn’t work, you can also use make-up remover or rubbing alcohol for more stubborn stains. Wipe over the affected area with some cotton, and then rinse off with warm water and soap. 

What is the difference between 'Regular' Gold Plating, 'PVD' Gold Plating and Gold Filled Jewelry? 

'Regular' Gold Plating occurs when a thin layer of real gold is plated onto another metal. Gold plating is often done to give the look of real gold at a fraction of the cost of having a piece of jewelry that is solid gold. Gold plating doesn’t offer the durability of gold PVD coating and when scratched can reveal the base material. We use the highest quality PVD process so that you get the aesthetic and durability.

There are a number of gold plating processes, including Physical Vapor Deposition ('PVD'). This is a process than can be used for numerous materials but is often used as a way to apply one metal (in our case, between 1-2 microns of 18k gold) with another metal (in our case, stainless steel, brass or 925 sterling silver, unless stated) to bond them together. 

PVD is a vacuum coating process that utilizes a titanium nitride that produces a brilliant decorative and functional finish. PVD is an extremely durable coating which is more resistant to corrosion from sweat and regular wear than gold plating.

Gold Filled jewelry has almost 100x more gold than regular Gold Plated jewelry with at least 5% of the jewelry’s total weight. Since the gold is mechanically bonded to the base rather than plated, it can’t rub off. It has the same qualities as solid gold jewelry at a fraction of the cost - it's tarnish resistant and waterproof, making it great for everyday wear. Gold filled jewelry is also great for people who are allergic to metals, as the material will not cause an allergic reaction.

What do you mean by water-resistant?

Our jewelry is plated using Gold PVD Plating or Gold Filled (see above). This means that our jewelry can withstand more exposure to moisture. With proper jewelry care, your jewels will last much longer than standard coated jewelry. However, we still advise to not wear your jewelry in water to maintain its shine.

It’s important to remember that all metal is susceptible to natural wear and will eventually oxidize, fade or require expert maintenance in its lifetime. Maintaining your gold plated pieces is a simple task and if you follow our jewelry care advice (which is included in all orders).

Is our jewelry hypo-allergenic?

Hypoallergenic jewelry is made from materials less likely to cause a reaction. 

If you have an allergy to some jewelry, most of the time it's due to either traces of Nickel and Copper. Brass is a Copper and Zinc alloy but our Stainless Steel pieces do not contain Nickel, Chromium or Lead which are common irritants for people who are sensitive to some jewelry.