Brass is a pure, non-plated metal. Our solid brass pieces will retain their integrity, just like silver or gold would. One of the benefits of brass jewellery is this resilience and also, its similarity in appearance to gold. Tarnished brass can also be cleaned to regain shine. Sometimes brass can turn the skin a bit green, especially if you are hot and sweating. This has nothing to do with it being a “cheap” metal, it is an oxidization process which is natural for brass. Some people experience no greenness - it is different from person to person. Brass can be coated by a jeweller or at home with clear nail polish to prevent “greening."

Sterling silver is a precious, non-plated metal. It is worn happily by most people and will not degrade over time. If it darkens, that is tarnish or dirt, and can be cleaned to its original shine.

Solid gold is also precious and non-plated. It comes in various karats, which indicate the purity of the gold. We tend to deal in 10k which is the most affordable. You should not have to do much, if any, cleaning of solid gold. It is the metal most people can wear without reaction. It can be yellow, white, or pink in colour.

Rhodium plated brass is a great combination. Rhodium does not really tarnish like sterling silver so stays shiny and needs little cleaning. It is a very high-quality metal, and great for sensitivity, so rhodium plated brass is kind of a best-of-both-worlds scenario. It tends to look a bit whiter than sterling which has a slight warm undertone to the silver.

Gold or silver plating on a brass or silver base are very common for jewellery that is not precious (or high quality costume jewellery). The nature of ALL PLATING is that it wears off over time. This is part and parcel with its more affordable price point. Plating will wear differently depending on where it is worn, for example, rings will lose plating the fastest because they have the most rubbing and friction. Necklaces and chains will lose it fastest around the back of the neck. Cuff bracelets are pretty good for retaining plating, but chain bracelets will receive more all-over friction and wear faster. Plated earrings are best for lasting as they are not subject to a lot of friction. To prevent rapid wear, try not to sleep or shower in it, or bring it into a lot of contact with creams and other products. Also the less you wear it in general, obviously, the longer it will last. Some pieces, if their base is good quality, can be re-plated by a jeweller.

Gold or silver plated brass is a very common makeup for jewellery that is not precious (or high quality costume jewellery). The nature of ALL PLATING is that it wears off over time. This is part and parcel with its more affordable price point. Plating will wear differently depending on where it is worn, for example, rings will lose plating the fastest because they have the most rubbing and friction. Necklaces and chains will lose it fastest around the back of the neck. Cuff bracelets are pretty good for retaining plating, but chain bracelets will receive more all-over friction and wear faster. Plated earrings are best for lasting as they are not subject to a lot of friction. To prevent rapid wear, try not to sleep or shower in it, or bring it into a lot of contact with creams and other products. Also the less you wear it in general, obviously, the longer it will last. Some pieces, if their base is good quality, can be re-plated by a jeweller.

Gold fill or gold filled is our favourite metal. In this process a base metal is plated with 100 times more layers of gold and bonded to the base metal. It is virtually impossible to wear through, giving it a real solid gold type quality - but at a fraction of the price! It is tried and true; you can find a lot of Victorian jewellery that is gold fill, and still looks like solid gold.