“According to the guidelines of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, in order to be stamped or called "handmade" in the United States, the work must be made solely by hand power or hand guidance.
This means that jewelry may be made using drills, lathes or other machinery, but it must be guided by the human hand.
This precludes the use of punch presses, CNC machinery, and casting, to name a few processes the use of which would make the jewelry not qualify as "handmade". Beyond that, handmade jewelry can be made out of any material and with a wide variety of techniques.” (Wikipedia)
What is the difference between Gold-Filled and Gold-Plated jewelry?
Gold-filled jewelry is jewelry composed of a solid layer of gold (typically constituting at least 5% of the item's total weight) mechanically bonded to a base of either sterling silver or some other base metal. The related terms "rolled gold plate" and "gold overlay" may legally be used in some contexts if the layer of gold constitutes less than 5% of the item's weight.
Most high-quality gold-filled pieces have the same appearance as high carat gold, and gold-filled items, even with daily wear, can last 10 to 30 years, though the layer of gold will eventually wear off exposing the metal underneath. The layer of gold on gold-filled items is 5 to 10 times thicker than that produced by regular gold plating, and 15 to 25 times thicker than that produced by gold electroplate (sometimes stamped HGE for "heavy gold electroplate" or HGP for "heavy gold plate," neither of which has any legal meaning and indicates only that the item is gold plated).
In the United States, the quality of gold-filled jewelry is defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If the gold layer is 10kt fineness, the minimum weight of the plated layer on an item stamped "GF" must equal at least 1/20th of the total weight of the item. If the gold layer is 12 kt or higher, the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped "GF" must equal at least 1/20th the total weight of the item. The most common stamps found on gold-filled jewelry are 1/20 12kt GF and 1/20 14kt GF. These standards are for modern gold-filled items. The Federal Trade Commission allows the use of the terms "rolled gold plate," "R.G.P" or "gold overlay" on items with a gold layer that is thinner than that required for the designation "gold-filled." (Wikipedia)
Gold plating is a method of depositing a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal, most often copper or silver, by chemical or electrochemical plating.
Gold plating of silver is used in the manufacture of jewelry. Silver atoms diffuse into the gold layer, causing slow gradual fading of its color and eventually causing tarnishing of the surface. This process may take months and even years, depending on the thickness of the gold layer. A barrier metal layer is used to counter this effect. Copper, which also migrates into gold, does so more slowly than silver. The copper is usually further plated with nickel. A gold-plated silver article is usually a silver substrate with layers of copper, nickel, and gold deposited on top of it. (Wikipedia)
What is Vermeil?
Vermeil is an alternative for the usual term silver-gilt. It is a French word which came into use in the English language, mostly in America, in the 19th century, and is rare in British English. Vermeil can also refer to gilt bronze, an even less costly alternative construction material than silver.
The US Code of Federal Regulations 16, Part 23.5 defines vermeil thus: "An industry product may be described or marked as 'vermeil' if it consists of a base of sterling silver coated or plated on all significant surfaces with gold or gold alloy of not less than 10-karat fineness, that is of substantial thickness and a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to two and one half (2 1⁄2) microns (or approximately 1⁄10000 of an inch) of fine gold." (Wikipedia)
What is the difference between Pearls and Shell-Pearls?
The pearl is an organic gem grown within oysters and a few other mollusks. It is formed when a foreign object, such as a tiny stone, makes its way into the mollusk's shell. The irritation caused by the foreign particle makes the oyster form a secretion, called nacre, to cover it. A single mollusk can create dozens of pearls at a time, depending on how many particles enter the shell.
"Cultured" pearls are those in which people, rather than nature, implant the intruding material, and the mollusks are cared for in a pearl farm while coating process goes on. Nearly all pearls available today are cultured. Natural pearls are very rare (and valuable!), so the word "pearl" should be assumed as "cultured pearl" unless otherwise noted.
Saltwater pearls are commonly known as Oriental pearls and those produced by freshwater mollusks are called freshwater pearls. Pearl color varies with the mollusk and its environment. It ranges from black to white; India's rose pearl is among the most popular colors. Other colors are cream, gray, blue, yellow, lavender, green and mauve. Color type is often affected by the mollusk's diet, but enhancement is a common way to produce different colors.
Freshwater pearl shapes vary greatly and include corn, potato, teardrop, rice/oval, and round – the more perfect the pearl’s shape and the deeper its luster, the greater its value. Other factors that affect value are the regularity of the shape, size and color. The surface of a pearl is rough to the touch.
Cultured and natural pearls can be distinguished from imitation pearls by a simple test: Rub the pearl gently against the edge of your tooth. Cultured and natural pearls will feel slightly gritty, like fine sandpaper, while imitations will feel as smooth as glass (because the surface is molded or painted on a smooth bead). However, this is not always a reliable test, as some imitations have achieved "grittiness."
Shell Pearls
A cross between real and faux gemstone, the shell pearl has become popular for its perfect shape, feeling and cost. Shell pearls are a genuine shell bead (usually Mother-of-Pearl) with a pearlized coating. The core is made from the same type of shells that produce real pearls. The creation process begins with pulverizing shells into a mix. The resulting material is combined with a binder and then formed into a perfectly shaped bead. The final step is adding the pearl coating, in which the primary ingredient is often ground fish scales or pearl powder. Some labs dip the beads into a coating solution, and others use high-powered sprayers.
Shell pearls’ shape and color can be controlled, and they are available in the vast variety of colors. The beads closely imitate the precise roundness and shine of oriental pearls, at a fraction of the cost. Shell pearls are easier to care for than natural pearls; they are much less affected by sweat, perfume and detergents, and have a more durable shine and color.
