Metals

Roz uses a mix of sterling silver and eco-silver to make Inplico Jewellery. Eco-silver is worked in exactly the same way as sterling-silver; it is simply a more environmentally friendly alternative as it is made from 100% recycled silver products.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Roz uses it to create the Radial Collection which is a combination of brass and silver. The brass has a story of its own as much of Roz’s brass comes in the form of offcuts from a bespoke trumpet maker in mid-wales. Any other brass used is recycled where possible.

   

All the gold used by Roz to create Inplico jewellery is 100% recycled. The way that gold is used in the jewellery industry makes it easy to melt down scrap, old jewellery, or offcuts so recycled gold is easy to obtain.

   

Gold used for jewellery making is combined with other metals such as copper, silver, nickel, palladium and zinc. The combination of metals creates an alloy which is harder and more corrosion resistant, however the colours are slightly different. Here is a quick breakdown of the types of gold Roz uses when making Inplico Jewellery.

9ct is 37.5% pure gold mixed with other alloys. The lower gold content makes 9ct gold slightly paler than 18ct but stronger as a result.

18ct Gold is 75% pure gold mixed with other metals. The higher gold content makes 18ct more vivid than than 9ct, but it is softer as a result.

White gold is mixed with white alloys such as palladium and zinc. The same principles apply to white gold as to yellow gold in terms of strength and colour, but the pale scale is reversed. Simply put, 9ct white gold is more yellow than 18ct white gold.

A rhodium plate is sometimes applied to white gold to create a brilliant white finish. If you want a rhodium plated finish, bear in mind that the rhodium plate will rub off with time and the jewellery will need to be re-plated once every 2 years or so.

Rose gold is a copper rich alloy of gold. The same principles apply to rose gold in terms of strength, however it is 9ct gold that is a richer colour than its 18ct counterpart. This is simply because it is the copper that gives rose gold its colour, and there is more copper in 9ct rose gold.

Another thing to consider about rose gold is solder joins. Inplico jewellery is constructed from metal that is soldered together at angles. While rose gold is a lovely pink colour, rose gold solder rarely matches it. This means that constructed jewellery made from rose gold will have visible join lines. Roz recommends using rose gold to create cast pieces so that solder joins are not a problem.

If you would like to discuss any fair trade gold options, please contact Roz directly through the Contact Page.