I make these using a mould I created from a button my nan kept. This button belonged to her Aunt Ethel (A woman I can just remember who was unually long lived fro out family! and also worked in a jewellers between the wars)
They have sterling posts and backs, and I've used Liver of Sulphur to create the patination. There's a very light layer of Renaissance Wax over the top of the studs to protect that patination.
They are about 8-9mm in diameter, and I tend to place the posts off centre to allow you more flexiblilty when wearing them (ideal if your piercing are uneven, I'm told!)
All my silver is now bought as certified recycled eco-silver, made from 100% scrap / recycled silver which has been fully refined to ensure it is of the same quality as traditional sterling, but of course without the environmental impact of mining it.
Fine and Sterling Silver Button Stud Earrings - Ethel
Sterling Silver will eventually oxidise or tarnish. It's a natural process that can be slowed down by regular wear and by keeping unworn items away from the atmosphere. If you leave your jewellery out on display, this oxidisation will be faster. You can polish up your items, with a soft cloth, some silver polish, or a buffing cloth such as Town Talk, which is readily available from any high street jewellers in the UK
Fine silver is 99.9% silver, and because of this the tarnish rate is much, much slower. Again, a buff should do the job for polishing it back up. If I have patinated your silver already, be gentle when buffing!
Each piece should stand up to regular wear, but , as with all jewellery, please remove it before washing, using chemicals or applying perfume etc
Apply body lotion and perfume a few minutes before putting on your jewellery to help slow down tarnish
The sterling silver used in these items was sold to me by my bullion dealer ass certified recycled.
he gemstones I use have been sold to me by reputable dealers as untreated (unless stated specifically in the listing). They are a natural, organic creation from the earth and each one will be slightly different. You can see examples of this on my Facebook page.
I select the stones that I think go together best for each project, hence my comments that each item is individual.Returns - standard UK distance selling rules apply, which is for a return and refund (excluding delivery) of items that are unsuitable within 14 days, or of course if they arrive damaged. Exclusions from this standard legislation are for bespoke pieces and for items of a 'personal nature' which generally means items for a piercing.
So, in summary - Can I return my piece if I don't like it, or it doesn't fit?
I'm happy to have you return your item, if you do so promptly, with it's original packaging, and it's unworn in the original condition. However unless it was faulty, I can't absorb the postage - if you are returning an item that had postage included within it, for a reason other than it being faulty, there will be a restocking fee of up to £10 representative of an element of the postage and packing costs. If you are returning any of my other items, I will refund you for the jewellery only, not the postage paid. Please contact me before returning a piece so I can advise you which level of postage you need to use so you are insured against it being lost by Royal Mail
If you place an order, I aim to have it in the post within 2 business days, unless it's made to order, in which case the current lead in times are listed within the item description - usually within a week.
Delivery - I use Royal Mail, and charge the cost of the post for an item; Currently I have 3 bands of postage pricing; for items below £20 in value; for items between £20 and £50 and for items between £50 and £250. If you buy multiple items, the total value will dictate the postage cost. This is so that they are insured against loss or damage in transit.
Everything fits in a large letter box, so it will fit securely through your letter box.
It's law in the UK, that precious metals for sale, heavier than 7.78grams (silver) / 1gram (gold) must be formally assayed (ie tested, verified & hallmarked)
Here's the link:
https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/media/1431/dealers_notice_2015.pdf
How to Measure for Bangle Size
Cut a long strip of card (cereal packs are perfect for this) about a centimetre wide and stick some sellotape to one end so it overhangs a little
Hold your hand as if you were putting on a bangle. Bring all of your fingers together with your thumb and little finger touching.
Take the strip of card and wrap it round your hand at the widest point and stick it together
This will give you a dummy bangle.
Trim most of the excess card, and check that the resulting hoop of card can be moved onto your wrist and off, without it tearing. If it’s too loose, re-stick it a little more snugly. If it’s too tight, loosen it a little.
Once you are happy with the fit, remove it and cut it in two
Measure the length between the two cuts in millimetres and note it down. Be precise
This is the size of bangle you need.
Everything is made using sterling silver. Many pieces are unique and one of a kind items, some are ranges.
Bullion (ie raw precious metal) is expensive and increases in price regularly.
I've decided that rather than increase the price of all my old stock to reflect this, I will just update the new pieces to reflect the cost of the metal when I bought it. This is why you will find some spinner rings, for example at different price points.
The sterling I use is supplied by a UK manufacturer as fully recycled with a minimum fineness of 92.5% silver; the remaining element of the alloy being copper.
Copper items are 100% copper
Within my making process I use food grade citric acid, vegan polishes, Liver of Sulphur, food grade Sodium Bicarbonate, Renaissance Wax finally cleaning each item with tap water and ‘Simple’ branded face soap.
Each piece I make will stand up to regular wear, but, as with all jewellery, please keep it away from children, don’t eat it, remove it before washing, using chemicals, applying perfume etc.
Apply body lotion and perfume a few minutes before putting on your jewellery to help slow down tarnish.
The gemstones I use have been sold to me by reputable UK dealers as untreated (unless stated specifically in the listing). They are a natural, organic creation from the earth and each one will be slightly different.
It's law in the UK, that precious metals for sale, heavier than 7.78grams (silver) / 1gram (gold) must be formally assayed (ie tested, verified & hallmarked)
https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/media/1431/dealers_notice_2015.pdf
When something I've made is described as being from Silver Clay, I've made it in a similar way to traditional ceramics, except that when the piece is fired (either on my gas hob, my tiny UltraLite Kiln aka Mr Tumnus or since 2023 my big kiln Idris ) it turns from clay into fine silver, hallmarkable as 99.9 silver. It's magical alchemy, and I love the process.
This is a product from Japan, and is made as a by product of the silver refining process and includes waste from x-rays and medical procedures. It's more expensive, gram for gram than traditional sterling silver, but it gives the option of moulding and sculpting pieces
It's a little softer than sterling silver, because of it's purity but it also doesn't tarnish as quickly - it's the copper in sterling that gives it it's extra strength and it's also the copper that tarnishes.
The brand of silver clay I prefer is Art Clay Silver