What Materials Are We Using?

  Hello world! Today’s blog is of the educational variety. We always mention the materials that our jewelry at Jaimie Nicole is made of, and we realized that some of you may not be familiar with the terminology we are using. The purpose of this blog is not only to educate you about Jaimie Nicole jewelry, but to also keep you informed for any future jewelry purchases. Buying high-end fashion jewelry can be a big investment, so the more you know, the better! We will be reviewing the terms vermeil, gold-filled, sterling silver and rose gold. What is the difference between gold-filled and vermeil? All the pieces made here at Jaimie Nicole are either gold-filled or vermeil. Let’s see what the differences between these two terms are.  Vermeil is comprised of a layer of gold that is over a base of sterling silver. Standards dictate that the gold portion must be 10 karats or above for a piece to be considered vermeil in the United States, but most high-quality pieces are 14, 18 or 24 karats depending on the thickness of the jewelry. Our pieces are coated with 14 karat gold. There is also a minimum amount of thickness required for a piece to be considered vermeil. It must be a minimum of 2.5 microns or .0025 millimeters. On the other hand, Gold filled jewelry is made from a completely different process. Making gold-filled materials requires heat and solid sheets of gold. The manufacturer starts with a sheet of base metal, most often jeweler’s brass. Then they add a layer of solid gold sheet over the brass, heat and press together to both layers to fuse them. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission requires items sold as “gold-filled” to contain a minimum of 5% gold. Here at Jaimie Nicole our gold beads are 14/20 gold-filled. What this means is that 1/20 of the gold used to make the bead Is 14 karat gold a.k.a 5%. Both options are just below solid gold in quality and are a great option to those who want the look of real gold without the hefty price tag! Our "Golden Girl" bracelet stack is just right if you are craving more gold in your life! Another fun fact about gold filled is it is only manufactured in the United States and Israel. The majority of countries do not produce this.

  What makes an item “sterling silver”? Often, sterling silver and silver are described as the same thing, but, sterling silver is only an alloy (combination of metals) of silver. Silver, which is usually called fine silver, consists of 99.9% pure silver. On the other hand, sterling silver consists of approximately 92.5% silver, and the remaining 7.5% (or even more) is of other metals. Because of the high percentage of silver in ‘pure silver,’ it is better to use sterling silver when making jewelry. Pure silver is just too soft if it is to be made or shaped into such items. Sterling silver made in the United States is marked 925, .925 or 92.5. Jewelry with lower purity is not considered sterling silver by United States standards. Since the United States is the only country that requires the mark of 925, many other countries may use the alloy but is more difficult to identify.  Check out our "Polished Silver" stack for some beautiful sterling silver inspiration.

What is rose gold? Rose gold is a type of colored gold that has a distinctive pinkish hue. This pink color is achieved by mixing regular yellow colored gold with copper. The deeper the pink or red your jewelry is, the more copper has been mixed in with it. There is no such thing as “pure” rose gold, since this is a metal that is created by mixing different metals together.  The rose gold beads that we use here at Jaimie Nicole are rose-gold filled and go through the same process described above in the gold-filled portion of the blog. The "Rosy Cheeks" stack is a great way to show your love for rose gold pieces in a bold way!

We hope this blog has been informative and helpful. We know that purchasing jewelry is a big decision and we want you to feel as comfortable with your purchase as possible. We are available at our showroom, located at 4649 Ponce de Leon Blvd suite 305, Coral Gables, Fl 33146, every weekday from 10-5 pm. Please come in and see us and we will be happy to help with any of your jewelry needs!   Xo, Jaimie Nicole