Our bracelets
are designed and constructed with an open jump ring at the clasp for
adults and split ring or lighter gauge open jump ring for babies at their
clasp. This is to allow at times of severe stress on the bracelet, to
stretch and break away from the wrist. The wire used will never break
apart and thus making a secure design and a safe design.
STERLING SILVER
Sterling silver is soft in it's pure form making it impractical for use
in jewellery. By taking 92.5% silver and adding 7.5% of a heavier metal,
the result is a firm silver capable of holding shape. We design using
both antiqued and high polished beads and findings (clasps). There
are many sources for silver today on the international market, but
we use only the best quality to create the most beautiful jewellery.
To keep silver from tarnishing, keep the jewellery away from chemicals,
hair spray, harsh cleaners and perfumes. By storing your silver in
oxygen-free Ziploc bags or jewellery chests, the tarnishing effect
will be lessened. Use a polishing cloth to restore the brilliance of
your handmade jewellery item.
14K GOLD FILLED BEADS
Gold filled, aka. GF, is a process of an extruded hollow tube of 14K
Gold filled with a jewellers' grade metal for durability. This creates
a minimum layer of gold at least 1/20th of the total weight of the item.
The results are a gold bead that will not tarnish but like solid 14k
gold, it will require gentle buffing to enhance the brilliance over time.
We only use gold plate or Heavy Gold Electroplate in our accessory designs
where specified, ie. Purse dangles, key rings. Lightly buffing the Gold
Filled beads and findings will restore their but never chemically clean
your jewellery items as the layer of gold could eventually be removed.
Note: Gold fill is 50 to 100,000 times thicker that regular Gold Plating
and about 17 to 25,000 times thicker than Heavy Gold Electroplate.
SWAROVSKI AUSTRIAN CRYSTALS
The crystals used for all our products are genuine 32% lead "Strass" crystal
from D. Swarovski of Austria. The light refraction of these crystals
compares to no other crystal in the world for it's brilliance and rainbow
effects. These crystals are Swarovski's first quality crystal, not seconds.
If you look very closely, you may notice occasional tiny "nicks" on
the crystals. This is normal and does not affect the quality or refraction
of light creating rainbows.
BIRTHSTONE CRYSTALS
All Birthstone Crystals are Swarovski Crystals. The bi-cone cut and round
are the primary styles used in all of our designs. At Forget-Me-Not...Gifts
from the Heart, we have selected the closest
colours to the traditional birthstone colours. Special orders are welcomed for colours not advertised
on the Crystal Colour Chart. Contact customercare@forgetmenotgifts.ca for help in designing with other colours.
BEADING WIRE
For all our designs the strongest beading wire available is used. All
custom bracelets are made with 49 strands of steel coated in Nylon.
BEAD SIZES
All beads on our bracelets range from 4 - 6mm in size. The alphabet beads
are 5.5mm. In Wedding Beautiful and Causes for Hope, beads of all shapes
and sizes are used. Images of our finished products are larger than
life size to show detail.
GEMSTONES
We have selected all natural Gemstone beads with the exception of Hematite.
See our Gemstone Chart.
NICKEL, GOLD AND SILVER PLATE
Nickel plate is used only on key chains, purse dangles and decorative
items not in contact with skin due to the allergic reaction to most
people. Gold Plate is a very thin deposit of gold, electroplated or
electrochemically applied to the piece. It is a very small fraction
of an inch thick (1/1,000 - 1/1,000,000 or so of an inch thick). Heavy
gold electroplate might be 2 or 3 1,000's of an inch thick (this can
also be written as 2 or 3 mils).
Silver Plate is a plating that matches the colour of Sterling Silver
and in a short period of time usually tarnishes and fails to become brilliant
with cleaning.
NOTE: We only use Nickel, Gold and Silver Plated materials on some of
our accessory designs such as Purse dangles, Key Chains, Eyeglass Chains
and Neck Rings. This information is clearly specified in the description
of every design. All materials in our remaining products are Sterling
Silver and Gold Filled.
MAINTENANCE
During the lifetime of your piece of jewellery normal wear and tear on
your bracelet occurs and is recommended to have your bracelet restrung
to prevent breakage or loss. If the rings holding the clasp to the
bracelet seem open or begin to catch on threads or if the beads begin
to develop spaces between each other not originally there, it is an
indication that the bracelet may need to be re-strung. See the page
titled Repair and Re-Design.
GENERAL JEWELLERY CARE
Remove your Beaded jewellery while Cleaning, Swimming or Bathing. Harsh
chemicals coming in contact with all jewellery WILL damage and destroy
components. This is not covered under our warranty. See our Warranty page
for details. |
