What is my Jewellery made of?
and how should you go about taking proper care of your pieces to ensure that they serve you for many years to come?
At Wants & Needs we focus on curating high quality, high end jewelry pieces that will become staples in your daily wardrobe. Not only are our pieces hand-picked for their easy-to-wear and effortless designs, they are also well made without breaking the bank. By creating our pieces out of durable base metals and high quality gold plating there is no reason why your Wants & Needs accessories should not serve you for many years to come.
With some extra TLC and a bit more education around what your pieces are made of, we hope to educate you on how to best look after your gold plated accessories.
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is a mix of 92.5% silver and 7.5% Copper. Silver itself is a soft metal and the addition of Copper provides this, otherwise too malleable metal, with enough durability so beautifully intricated accessories can be made thereof. All of our Sterling silver pieces are engraved with a 925 signature.
- Sterling silver accessories will tarnish when exposed to harsh chemicals and water, so be sure to remove them when hitting the gym or shower.
- Store them in a dry place away from direct exposure to sunlight.
Titanium
One of our absolute favorite metals to work with is Titanium. Why you might ask?
Titanium is extremely durable, yet lightweight enough for statement earrings and rings. It is also corrosion-resistant, making our Titanium jewellery pieces water-resistant. We love that you get the look and feel of a real gold item, but at a fraction of the cost. Our Titanium pieces are gold plated in a thick layer of 18K gold.
- You can clean your Titanium accessories with water, however, we do advise you to go gently with gold plated pieces as the plating is delicate. We suggest gently rinsing pieces and laying them on a dry towel to dry.
- As hardy as Titanium is, we suggest steering clear of harsh chemicals that can corrode the plating on these pieces. A swim and a shower here and there should not be a problem, however!
- Titanium is naturally hypoallergenic so no need to worry about itchy ears or stained fingers!
Brass Jewellery
Some accessories just want to have fun and for those more statement ‘out there’ pieces we use brass as a base metal.
Brass has long been used as a durable, yet more affordable base metal, taking well to plating. Some of our more statement accessories are created from brass, giving us free reign in with the design these come in while being able to offer these pieces at an affordable price. Brass is also lightweight so however heavy a pair of earrings might look, you’ll still be able to wear them with comfort and ease.
- Take your brass based jewellery off before gyming, swimming or applying creams and perfumes.
- Store in a dry place, away from chemicals
- Brass jewellery is not hypoallergenic so we do not recommend these for sensitive ears.
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia stones are created in laboratories and often used as a diamond alternative. We love them as a crystal replacement in our jewellery – they are affordable and come with none of the bad rep that diamonds often do (unless sourced responsibly).
- CZ is durable and the perfect alternative to diamond or clear crystal quartz
- They can be gently cleaned with lukewarm water. Just take care not to disturb whatever base metal and plating they are set in.
