Gold: All gold wire, components, ear wires, hoops, chain, etc. is made of 14k gold-filled.
What is 14k gold-filled? Unlike gold plating or vermeil (gold plated silver), gold-filled is a thick layer of 14k gold pressure-bonded over a small core of base metal (usually brass), is permanent, and will NOT wear off or tarnish...we guarantee it for the life of the jewelry!
You can have all the beauty and wearability of 14k gold without the huge cost.
Gold filled is a much higher quality product than gold plated or vermeil jewelry.
Most people with metal allergies who feel they must wear 14k gold usually do not have any problems with the gold-filled.
"Because of the unique properties created by this manufacturing process, gold filled jewelry has many advantages. It is stronger than karat gold jewelry because the inner core of base metal adds structural strength. It is extremely durable because the gold plating is so thick. Unlike gold electroplate, it is rare to see gold filled jewelry which has lost its gold layer. The luster of gold filled jewelry is generally excellent because the perfectly even thick karat gold plating produces the rich appearance of fine jewelry. More finely worked designs are possible with gold filled jewelry than with thinner plating or base metal because the thicker plating creates a malleable surface. Best of all, however, is the price difference between gold filled jewelry and fine karat gold. The development of this process brought the look of fine gold into the range of affordability for the masses at a time when the middle class was rapidly growing".
Silver: All silver wire, components, ear wires, hoops, chain, etc. is made of .925 sterling silver and aregentium silver (silver with germanium added to resist tarnishing). Unlike gold-filled, sterling silver will eventually tarnish. Cleaning sterling is easy, but must be done frequently to keep it looking bright and fresh (see Cleaning and Care below).
What is handcrafted? "Handcrafted" can be a loosely based term, but at Calico Juno Designs, every piece is truly handcrafted by the artist (and team). There are no mass-produced or machine-made parts or components. Everything is made by hand (even the earwires, hoops, and clasps) with the utmost attention to detail and craftsmanship used.
While we strive to make all the jewelry the same each time, and to look the same as what you see on our site, sometimes due to the nature of the stones and what we have in stock (shading of color, size, shape, faceting, inclusions, etc.), this isn't always possible. Please understand that sometimes we may have to substitute a stone or use something slightly different. If you're not happy with the substitution you may return it for a full refund.
So when you wear Calico Juno Designs jewelry, you'll know you're wearing something special that was lovingly created by the artist, and will have that unique look that is distinctive to something truly made by hand.
Gemstones, Pearls, Stones, and Crystals:
All gemstones, pearls, and crystals used by Calico Juno Designs are carefully selected to assure that high-quality stones are used.
Gemstones and pearls are all natural, meaning that there are no fake imitations or cheap stones used. Crystals and cubic zirconia are always manmade, but they have the longevity and color-fastness and brilliance of real gemstones, while at a fraction of the cost.
Some stones are dyed or heated or treated (stablized) to enhance color, shine,
or stablity.
Precious and semi-precious gemstones, pearls, stones, and crystals:
translucent = light shines through easily and is clear or semi-clear
opaque = some or no light shines through and is a more solid color
Agate --- various colors and patterns (opaque)
Amazonite --- pale blueish mint green (opaque)
Amber --- orange-yellow (semi-translucent)
Amethyst --- dark to light purple (translucent)
Andalusite --- orangish, greyish brown (translucent)
Apatite --- bright blue-green (translucent)
Aquamarine --- pale icy blue (translucent)
Carnelian --- deep orange (semi-opaque)
Chalcedony --- various shades (semi-opaque)
sea blue
lemon
rose
parrot green
Cherry Quartz --- light peachy-red (translucent)
Chrysocolla --- blue-green (opaque)
Chrysoprase --- apple green (opaque)
Clear (crystal) Quartz --- clear (translucent)
Citrine --- pale yellowish-orange (translucent)
Coral --- white, pink, bright red (opaque)
Emerald --- leaf green (translucent)
Fluorite --- medium leaf green (translucent)
Garnet --- various names and colors (translucent)
Rhodolite --- wine or pinkish red
Grossular Garnet --- yellowish-leaf green
Hessonite or spessortite garnet (mandarin) --- rust orange
Green amethyst (prasiolite) --- pale sage green (translucent)
Hematite --- silvery iron (opaque)
Howlite --- white, off-white, with veining, is sometimes dyed (opaque)
Idocrase --- olive green (translucent)
Iolite --- denim blue (translucent)
Jade --- pale to olive green (opaque)
Labradorite --- grey with blue flashes (opaque)
Lemon quartz --- pale yellow (translucent)
Onyx --- black (opaque)
Magnesite --- usually white with veining, is usually dyed (opaque)
Moonstone --- whitish with blue flashes (semi-opaque)
Moss aquamarine --- pale sage blue (translucent)
Peridot --- lime green (translucent)
Peruvian Opal --- very pale to bright sea blue (semi-opaque)
Pyrite --- silvery-gold iron (opaque)
Rhodocrosite --- peachy-pink (opaque)
Rhodonite --- darker rosy pink with black veining (opaque)
Rose Quartz --- pale rosr-pink (opaque)
Ruby --- pink to dark red (opaque)
Russian amazonite --- blueish-green (opaque)
Sapphire --- pink to orange-yellow to royal blue (translucent)
Snowflake obsidian --- black with white "snowflakes" (opaque)
Spinel --- bright raspberry pink to black (translucent/opaque)
Tiger eye --- banded brown with irredescent stripes (opaque)
Topaz --- various shades (translucent)
London blue (dark teal blue)
Swiss blue (light blue)
pink
imperial (pinkish gold-orange)
Tourmaline --- range of colors from pink, yellow, green, teal, black (translucent)
Tsavorite --- bright leaf green (translucent)
Turquoise --- green-blue to robin's egg blue (opaque), some with matrix (veining), some without (especially Sleeping Beauty turquoise)
Vessonite --- olive green (translucent)
Whiskey quartz --- whiskey-brown (translucent)
Zircon ---
range of colors from pink, yellow, green, teal, and colorless (translucent)
Pearls --- all pearls are freshwater, some round, some irregular shapes, and can range in color from opalescent ivory to ivory-pink, ivory-peach, pale green-gold, copper, bronze, gold, and ebony. Keshi or Biwa pearls are from Japan and are always irregularly shaped - from long skinny sticks to wide oblong pieces to irregular round pieces.
Crystals and Cubic Zirconia --- all are created in a similar fashion to making glass, and while that sounds "artificial", these stones are meticulously created in labs and come in a range of gorgeously beautiful colors, and have the lasting longevity of color, brilliance, and sparkle of natural gemstones.
What is CZ?
Cubic Zirconia is a created gemstone, zirconium oxide (ZrO2), a mineral that is extremely rare in nature but is widely synthesized for use as a diamond simulant. The synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and usually colorless, but may be made in a variety of different colors by using certain metal oxides during the manufacturing process. Cubic zirconia is relatively hard, at about 8.5 on the Mohs scale - close to diamond, and much harder than most natural gems.
Turquoise
Turquoise can come in many forms, and is often imitated with other stones that are dyed (like howlite or magnesite), and can be difficult to determine what is real.
Lesser grade turquoise can be ground up, put back together, glued and dyed (yikes!) and is called "chalk turquoise", something you don't want to buy (and why it's so cheap).
Alot of good quality turquoise, coming from many different parts of the world, is "stabilized", which is a good thing...it simply means that it's been treated with a resin to protect it from fading and chipping, because all turquoise is somewhat delicate, which, if allowed to absorb water, will weaken and possibly crack (a good reason to not allow your turquoise jewelry to hang out in water!).
Some other turquoises don't have the beautiful blue or green color you normally associate with turquoise, so thus is color -enhanced (as opposed to outright dyed, like howlite, which in natural form is pure white, but when dyed will look just like turquoise to the untrained eye). This is fine, but again, being dyed, you don't want to expose it to water, so just assume that any turquoise jewelry you get will either be dyed or color-enhanced.
The one rare exception to all this is "Sleeping Beauty" turquoise. It comes from Arizona and is a natural robin's egg blue, not dyed, and with very little matrix (veining). Again, it can be stablized, but this is just to protect it.
It can be very expensive, as there's only one specific mine it comes from, and from the higly prized color, so if you see a high price tag on it, this is why.
CARE AND CLEANING OF YOUR JEWELRY
Gold - while gold-filled jewelry does not tarnish as does sterling silver, occasionally it can be cleaned (the same way as regular 14k gold) using warm soapy water and an old toothbrush. A little ammonia added will help too. Or, you can use a commercial liquid gold cleaner.
Sterling silver needs to be cleaned often to keep it bright and shiny, as it will tarnish and become dull and dingy looking, eventually oxidizing and turning almost black.
Tarnishing is the natural process of a metal oxidizing, reacting with oxygen in the air and changing color (like iron rusting). This does not happen with gold as gold is an inert metal and does not react with oxygen, which is why it is valuable and highly prized.
Keeping your sterling silver jewelry protected in a jewelry box will help slow down the tarnishing.
But every so often, when you notice your silver jewelry is no longer looking bright silvery white but dull and perhaps even grey, clean it with a commercial silver cleaner. Tarnex, a liquid silver cleaner, or a jewelry polishing cloth, is recommended. You can just dunk your jewelry in the liquid, swish it around for about 5-7 seconds and pull it out...any longer may damage stones!!! (Turquoise is not recommended to be placed in solution). Rinse with warm running water and dry with a paper towel (not terry cloth, as it may snag), and your jewelry will look bright and shiny again.
All Calico Juno Designs jewelry should be handled with care, as it is delicate. If it does snag on something, do not pull at the jewelry as it may stretch it out of shape (if this has already happened, please contact us!). Gently hold the jewelry and try loosening the snagged item instead.
While not being worn, the jewelry should be carefully stored in separate quarters away from other jewelry, to keep it from getting tangled. Optimally it should be hung up on special displays designed for hanging jewerly on.
Any questions, please contact us! CalicoJunoDesigns@msn.com
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