The lowdown on metals, the great, the bad and the funky!
Our jewellery collections span pearl and gemstone designs set into high polished, hammer finished, patterned, and brushed 92.5 % Sterling Silver, and an even higher sterling silver content in our plain Euro Silver and 24 Carat Gold Plated Jewellers Brass jewellery. These original and timeless styles not only look fabulous but have incredible health benefits too! I’ll get to that a little later J
At melanie Woods Jewellery, we pride ourselves on selling fine sterling silver jewellery collections, and our 24 carat gold plated brass jewellery is a marriage of fine metals.
Our Euro collections of 24 carat yellow gold, Rose Gold and Solid Sterling Silver are named “Euro” because they are made for the European market which have very high standards for the quality of metal that can be worn and rightly so. Our jewellery is approved for the European market and therefore, safe for the most sensitive skin, we have not had a single complaint yet! To add to this our earrings are divinely light, as light as a feather in fact, and so, perfectly safe to wear as a statement earring without the drag on your lobe.
In case you didn’t know about what typically goes into your jewellery, I have decided to explain why it is important to know what you are wearing on your skin, and why you may be allergic to some jewellery and not others, even from one brand of silver jewellery to another. You can rest assured that Melanie Woods Jewellery has the best metal content, and none of the harmful base metal elements. Next time you go to wear some costume jewellery, you might want to know a little about its content and why.
Keep reading to be illuminated, being well informed will help big time when it comes to wearing metals directly on your skin. In case you didn’t know, your skin is the largest organ of the body and can absorb elements into your body.
Lets start with the benefits of wearing good, quality metals, like those used in all Melanie Woods Jewellery Collections.
Silver
Our sterling silver is pure sterling silver, not plated with rhodium to avoid tarnishing, we find this also gives a fake stainless steel look to beautiful silver pieces and also covers up that sumptuous lustre that you can only get from fine sterling silver.
Did you know that Silver is also known to have a powerful anti-microbial agent as well as electrical and thermic conductivity? This means that positively-charged silver ions create a conductive field that reflect electro-magnetic radiation away from the body, much like a mirror reflects light. Who knew wearing silver jewellery could be a secret little super power? The great news here is that this field has the ability to improve blood circulation, temperature balance and general healing.
Sterling Silver is made by adding 7.5% copper to 92.5% pure silver, which is why sterling silver is refered to as 92.5% sterling silver. We add copper to our sterling silver, but if you find that you are allergic to silver this could be due to some companies adding nickel, tin or led, not for your skin to absorb. Being wise to your elements has its privileges, stay safe. Our Euro Silver contains at least 94.5% pure silver.
24 Carat Yellow Gold
24 carat means 100% pure gold!
Gold has several qualities that have made it exceptionally valuable throughout history. It is attractive in colourand brightness, durable to the point of virtual indestructibility, highly malleable, and usually found in nature in a comparatively pure form. Gold is considered to be non-toxic which is why it is safe for dental work such as crowns.
Rose Gold
Rose gold is an alloy made from a combination of pure gold and copper. The blend of the two metals changes the color of the final product and its karat. For example, the most common alloy of rose gold is 75 percent pure gold to 25 percent copper, which makes 18k rose gold.
Brass
Brass jewellery is made from a combination of Copper and Zinc and these bare metals (or oxidized metals) are Nickel-free and perfect if you are looking for something a little different to add to your jewellery collection.
Even better, by choosing to wear Brass, your skin is able to absorb the minerals and in doing so, take advantage of its many health benefits. These include easing the pain of arthritis as well as improving the appearance of the skin. As Brass is an essential trace mineral it aids efficient absorption and transportation of iron throughout the body as well as the production of melanin in the skin.
Copper
The copper alloys used in jewellery that are commonly used include bronze and brass. Because of its durability, copper is an excellent metal used for jewelry making. 5 Health Benefits Of Wearing Copper Bracelets are releaving Joint stiffness and Joint pain, thousands of people have felt relief and relaxation from joint problems, especially those with joint stiffness. Mineral absorption, increasing cardiovascular health, promoting a healthier immune system and anti-aging.
Bronze
Bronze is beautiful, sustainable, durable, weather resistant, and antimicrobial.
Conversely, other metals are not so kind and it is important to know the possible reactions that your body might have, should you choose to wear them.
Conversely, other metals are not so kind and it is important to know the possible reactions that your body might have, should you choose to wear them.
Nickel
You may not be aware of it but you could have an allergy to Nickel – just like around 10-20% of the rest of the population. If you are in this category then continued or periodic contact will make your allergy even more severe. Nickel really is best avoided, as if you do develop a Nickel allergy it will be with you for the rest of your life, even after the rash has subsided.
Lead
I cannot emphasise enough how important it is not to wear jewellery that contains Lead. It has been proven that long term exposure can cause brain damage and birth defects. For this reason Lead is definitely at the top of the list of what not to wear.
Alloys
An alloy is a combination of metals which may or may not include Nickel. It is important to understand that even with a Nickel-free alloy; you could be subject to an itchy blotchy rash. This can occur when the metal is exposed to moisture (for example when you sweat) which can cause an electro-chemical reaction. It is also worth noting that whilst you may not be allergic to any of the individual metals, you can still have an allergic reaction to the alloy.
Plating
There are a number of reasons why a piece of jewellery may include plating:
Firstly, it could be that the plating has been applied to Silver or Brass in order to make it shinier and less prone to tarnishing. Melanie Woods Jewellery mainly uses the plating process of 24 carat pure gold over brass. This results in a stunning golden finish, reduces tarnishing, and if you scratch your piece, brass is the same colour underneath the plating and so makes the scratch invisible.
Beware of cheap “silver” - cheap base metal containing Nickel may be covered with good Silver plating. When first purchased, you are unlikely to experience any problems with this form of plating. However, as the plating wears off over time, the Nickel will be exposed and this is when an allergic reaction is likely to occur.
Finally, some companies are starting to opt for the safer option of Rhodium plating over good Silver. This in theory should be safe but the issue here is that Rhodium does not readily stick to Silver. Therefore, it is common for Nickel to be used to aid the ‘sticking’ process. In carrying out my research for this article, I did discover some electro-plating techniques that are deemed to be safe but it is difficult to know when they are and aren’t being utilised. Therefore, it is probably best to avoid Rodium plated metals altogether.
www.melaniewoods.com we make sure that our jewellery not only looks great, but is safe to wear, next time you invest in some jewellery, make sure its Melanie Woods Jewellery. Buy now, love for a lifetime. Xx