Silver and gold have been used for adornment and as currency throughout history. They are often found naturally together in their native form and have similar chemical and physical properties. They are both rare earth metals, and silver supplies are quickly dwindling.  78% of gold supply is used in the jewelry industry, whereas about 25% of silver supply is used for jewelry and utensils, while 60% is used in other industries like tech, photography, solar, and medical, and the remaining is used for investment purposes. Sadly much of silver's industrial supply is lost to landfills due to the low paper price of silver deeming it uneconomical to reclaim. 

In the jewelry industry gold and silver are reclaimed and recycled endlessly, making them an eco friendly investment. Our gold and silver comes from United Precious Metals Refinery  Recycling these rare precious and metals has a 99.8% smaller carbon footprint than mining for new gold and an 86% smaller carbon footprint than mining for new silver. 

Why choose silver and gold jewelry?

Silver -  Once considered more valuable than gold. This precious metal has the nickname "metal of the moon" because of its brilliant white luster. Historically and cross culturally Silver has been associated with the moon and Gold with the sun. 

Silver is one of the 7 metals of antiquity along with copper, gold, tin, lead, iron and mercury and was discovered and used by prehistoric humans presumably as currency. 

I love the crisp cool hue of Sterling Silver. It's a beautiful material for large chunky chains, bracelets and bold jewelry, and it adds that element of sophistication and beauty at a much lower price point (relative to gold and platinum.) 

We cast in Recycled Sterling Silver - marked .925, a metal alloy consisting of 92.5% Pure Silver and 7.5% copper and other alloys. Pure silver, or fine silver, is extremely soft and not recommended for jewelry wear because it will lose its shape. The copper alloy helps to strengthen the silver and also gives it it's ability to oxidize and turn black. This is known as oxidation, (but is actually due to sulfides not oxides- which I'll get to in another post.) This blackening effect is coveted and cherished by some sterling silver jewelry collectors, and great efforts are made to preserve the dark and light patinas that form in the crevices and reliefs during the evolution of wearing a piece.

Gold- made of star stuff. Gold is an abundant element in the universe and is believed to have been produced from the collision of neutron stars. The dust of one of these collisions settling, and forming our solar system. Gold likely sank to the core of the earth during earth’s molten state. And later came to the surface after asteroid impacts nearly 4 billion years ago. 

It has been treasured across cultures and a valued currency throughout human history. Gold appears to be the oldest recorded metal used by humans and has been found in Spanish caves occupied over 40,000 years ago during the Paleolithic period. The oldest golden artifacts were discovered  at the Varna necropolis of Bulgaria and date back to 4600 BC.  Treasured across the world by the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Romans, as well as the Native Americans of Mesoamerica, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia.

Pure gold is the most malleable of all metals, meaning it can be worked and stretched extensively without breaking. Pure gold (24K)  is also very soft, and is often alloyed with other metals to provide strength and rigidity. 22K gold is 22 parts pure gold alloyed with 2 parts other metal. 18K gold is 18 parts pure gold alloyed with 4 parts other metal. 14K gold is 14 parts pure gold alloyed with 8 parts other metal and so forth. The higher the karat the more bright yellow orange the color.

We cast in Recycled 14K Yellow Gold which is 14 parts pure gold and 10 parts alloyed copper and silver. We love the muted champagne hue and added durability of 14K gold. 

and Sterling Silver from United Precious Metals Refinery  Recycling these rare precious and metals has a 99.8% smaller carbon footprint than mining for new gold and an 86% smaller carbon footprint than mining for new Silver. UPMR is a "conflict free" smelter in gold and takes great measures to assure all gold comes from recycled jewelry scrap. More on our commitment to sustainability here.

Consider how these metals are becoming more rare and understand that when you purchase jewelry made with silver and gold, you are purchasing a wearable investment that can passed down through generations. We celebrate these rare earth metals and honor their beloved and treasured history by casting them into wearable works of art.