Understanding the Artisan: Part 2

This is the final part of Understanding the Artisan. Here I discuss the realities of costume jewelry and the uninformed shoppers who attend flea markets.

The Reality of Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry is going to tarnish unless you take care of them and that includes .925 sterling silver. While pure gold (24 karats) does not tarnish, it has been my experience cleaning jewelry that jewelry with a mixture of gold and some other metal does tarnish. That is, the ratio of gold to metal used in the piece lowers the purity of the gold and thus increases the tendency to tarnish. However, if you have gold costume jewelry that did not cost a lot, you can be sure that the gold content is very low, but still high enough to be legally called gold depending on where it was made. For instance, by US standards, a mix of a little over 41% gold and some other metal is legally called gold and that’s around 10 karats. This standard varies by country. In Denmark and Greece for instance, the minimum percentage of gold mixed with some metal that is still considered gold is 8 karats, which is closer to 30% gold. So when you see genuine gold jewelry at flea markets and craft fairs, ask how much gold is in there. If the vendor can’t answer that question then he or she did not make the item at which point your follow up questions should be where did it come from and who made it? I cannot stress enough, that unless it is 24K gold, it is mixed with some other metal and the oxidative properties of adulterated gold jewelry increases as the ratio of metal mixed with it increases.

The Uninformed Shopper

So I try to explain to shoppers that most metals tarnish, which is why I sell all my items in air tight containers with a piece of anti-tarnish cloth to retard the oxidation process. I have seen no other jeweler on my level offer such features. A sensible person would think that knowing what the cloth does and its ability to be used to preserve their other pieces of jewelry from tarnish as well would be a selling point…right? Well, it’s not, at least, not to the shoppers that attend the flea markets I have participated in. I think that it’s either they don’t care or they don’t believe me or it may just be that they don’t understand the concept and science behind anti-tarnish cloth. Who knows? However, I’ve got to say that the most annoying bunch are the ones that actually stop just to complain about price and then don’t even want to listen to the process that goes behind making the item and the benefits of the cloth. On the other hand, I was rather pleased at the last affair I attended where one person actually understood my pricing because she did the same thing in her country. I guess it takes an artisan to understand another and to truly appreciate the work that goes into making something beautiful.

Get in-the-know and be informed

So remember, as a shopper, when you see a vendor at a market or fair offering something that you find appealing, even if you feel it may be out of your price range; ask. Maybe once you hear about the work and materials that went into making it, you will change your mind. At the very least, you will learn something about the process that you most likely never knew before. Perhaps you could even recommend the item to someone else you know.  As a vendor, I appreciate word-of-mouth advertising.  Moreover, if you purchase something, you get the satisfaction of knowing that it was made right here in the US, which is very rare these days. It’s not hard to be an informed shopper.

Stay Fabulous!

 

Tarnish Happens! So Now What?

What is Tarnish Anyway?

Tarnish is a type of oxidization that happens to the surface of metals such as aluminum, brass, copper and silver for instance. It can be caused from chemicals or just interaction with the oxygen we breathe; hence the term oxidation. Unlike rust, it does not eat away the metal, but instead it forms a discoloration to the top layer of the metal. In one instance, it is unsightly turning silver plated or sterling silver metals a dull gray or black, rose gold becomes brassy in color and in the case of copper and bronze, they turn green. However, in the other instance, it actually works to preserve the other layers of the metal from further deterioration. Still, some people prefer the aged look of the tarnish or patina, in the case of copper, but others like me prefer the original shiny finish of the metal. So what can be done about this?

 

Prevention Is Key to Longevity

The first step is prevention. Oxygen is the biggest culprit aside from chemicals. The best way to keep this from happening is wipe off any salt and oil residue from the jewelry after wearing it and store it an air tight bag; preferably with a piece of tarnish prevention fabric. The fabric works to neutralize the oxidative properties of the air that may be in the bag. However, if you happen to have a straw handy, use it to suck the air out of the bag before sealing it up with or without the anti-tarnish cloth. You will find that tarnish will not occur at all when the item is treated this way. Better still, a high quality jewelry box, sack or pouch made from the anti-tarnish fabric is better alternative. Depending on the size, you can store multiple pieces of jewelry in the container. This alternative is especially recommended for those individuals who invest heavily in costume jewelry that are made from aluminum, iron, and alloys  such as bronze, which is a mix of copper and tin that tend to tarnish and/or rust faster than other metals. Still, don’t be fooled, sterling silver can tarnish just as fast as these other less expensive metals if it gets in contact with chemicals such as lotion and hair products. Still, there is also the option of coating the costume jewelry pieces with polish; however, there is the possibility of altering the finish, peeling, and possibly an allergic reaction, but if you are desperate and not allergic, it saves in a pinch.

 

Maintenance Also Helps

However, with repeated wear and time, your costume jewelry will eventually tarnish. This means it will need to be cleaned. In severe cases, chemical treatments might be required. It is important to know beforehand what material the piece is made of so that the right cleaners can be used. For non-costume jewelry of significant worth, ask a jeweler or the jeweler the item was purchased from. In the case of costume jewelry, chemicals are not recommended as the pieces most often than not react badly. For instance, silver plated items lose their luster and can become dark gray, rose gold becomes brassy and sometimes takes on a copper color, and gold plated items become dull and take on an antique gold color or become brown. Costume jewelry should be hand polished with a good polishing cloth but BEWARE! Some costume jewelry may look great at first but polish too much and the plating comes off revealing the underlying metal. This is why a soft cotton cloth is recommended. Paper towel and a stiff bristle toothbrush will serve just as well; again, it depends on what the item is made of. If you purchased anything under $5 that was not a markdown sale but actual retail, be prepared to be disappointed, that is, unless it was a yard sale and you got lucky and even here you need to be careful. Make sure you know how to thoroughly clean the items or have parts changed out. The latter is especially crucial for piercings.  Items from street vendors who literally get their stock for pennies on the dollar from foreign countries where cheap mass produced items come from are pretty much guaranteed to do that so beware. Instead, invest in some good quality pieces and take preventative measures to ensure their longevity and beauty.

 

Non-tarnish Materials

So what doesn’t tarnish? Well… some items that do not tarnish are: rhodium (said to be the most rarest and expensive metals used in jewelry), platinum (rarer than gold and chip resistant), pure gold, nickel, and stainless steel. However, with the exception of stainless steel and nickel, which is not so popular, the other metals are not used in costume jewelry due their rarity and expense related to mining them. Sometimes you will find a piece that is plated in rhodium for instance but that item is usually marked anti-tarnish. Regardless, rhodium plated jewelry is still a good buy even if the underlying metal happens to be iron. Gold when used in costume jewelry is always mixed with some other metal at which point it too will tarnish over time unless given an anti-tarnish finish such as rhodium. A little something for your edification.

Stay fabulous!