Jewelry that won’t irritate your skin. Jewelry that will last for a while.
Gold Vermeil
Vermeil (pronounced vehr-may; it's French!) is a term that refers to a certain kind of quality jewelry. It is any piece of jewelry that consists of a Sterling Silver base layer with at least 10k solid gold electroplated on top. When ranking demi-fine jewelry gold vermeil certainly ranks as the highest quality affordable option. Typically, gold vermeil will not tarnish, fade or wear off like cheap gold plated jewelry because it has such a thick layer of gold over it unlike gold plated jewelry. It is the best option for those who don’t want to spend big money on solid gold. Gold vermeil is not 100% waterproof, there is no metal that is truly “waterproof” as the minerals and deposits in regular tap water can dull or damage your jewelry over time. While showering with vermeil is typically okay to do it can hasten the degradation of your jewelry. It’s best to refrain from showering with your gold vermeil jewelry daily because the soaps, shampoos, and conditioners you use can react with the metals. However, occasionally showering with your piece won’t ruin it forever. Just don’t wear your jewelry in the pool, hot tub, or ocean because the chemicals and the harsh salts can permanently alter and damage your precious pieces. One of the great features of vermeil jewelry is that it's hypoallergenic. Most people will have no reaction or issues with this type of jewelry. It is an excellent affordable option for gold jewelry as vermeil pieces are made with precious materials with heavy plating to ensure long-lasting wear.
Gold Plated
Contrary to popular belief, when you buy a piece of gold jewelry, it usually isn’t made out of pure gold. Instead, almost all gold jewelry is made from an alloy created by combining pure gold with a variety of other metals.
The reason for this is that pure gold is very soft. If engagement rings, earrings and other jewelry were made using pure gold, they’d scratch, scuff, dent and warp extremely easy, often just from brushing against another surface.
There’s also the color issue — instead of the warm gold color that most of us associate with gold jewelry, pure gold is actually closer to orange in color.
Gold karat is a measure of how much of the precious metal is contained in a piece made with it. If a jewelry item is 18 karats, this simply means that out of a total of 24 parts, 18 parts of the piece are gold, and 6 parts are made up of other metals. Expressed in percentage terms, 18 karats is equal to 75% gold content (18 divided by 24). The other 25% usually consists of metals such as zinc, copper, nickel, etc. The additional metals in 18K gold serve to make the alloy harder and more durable than pure gold (24K), which is too soft for jewelry.
Most, if not all Anani Faye jewelry is 18K Gold plated because of its distinct advantages. For example:
- Since it is purer, it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction in people sensitive to nickel, if this metal is present in the alloy. (A 10K gold piece that contains nickel, on the other hand, is more likely to give you a rash if you are allergic to the metal)
- 18K gold color is closer to that of pure gold, while the yellow in 10K or 14K jewelry may not be as intense. (By the way, buying 10-karat jewelry, which contains 41.7% gold, means that you will be getting a piece that is made up mostly of metals other than gold)
DISCLAIMER
18K gold is softer and less durable than less pure alloys. Gold with a karat number higher than 18K is even purer and has a more intense color, but this also comes at a price. 22K gold, for example, is much softer and scratches even more easily than 18K pieces; it is also more expensive. So, think twice before going for higher karats, especially if you will be wearing the jewelry often.
18K gold, is a good compromise between durability and purity. The higher purity level of 18K gold also makes it less likely to trigger skin allergies than 14K or 10K gold. Although 18K gold still contains nickel and other alloy metals, they’re only present in small quantities, making the risk of contact dermatitis or other allergic reactions very small.
Stainless Steel
Our gold plated pieces have a base layer of 316L PVD Stainless Steel. Stainless Steel based jewelry is safer than brass, copper or other material. 316L stainless steel jewelry is lead free, nickel free, allergy free, and hypoallergenic. This type of jewelry is getting popular and popular globally, as it requires less maintenance. Although not as precious as sterling silver, when it comes to tarnishing and turning your skin green, sterling silver is the clear loser compared to stainless steel. However, this does not mean the gold plating won’t fade, natural wear will eventually oxidize and fade, also, our body oils, fragrances and lotions can react and cause color change. This is why it is important to follow our jewelry care suggestions so the luster and colour of the jewelry can last longer.
Moissanite
The most important characteristics of a moissanite jewel is its beauty, durability and affordability. It is a lab created gemstone that delivers unsurpassed fire and brilliance- it bends and refracts light better than any other gemstone. And for daily wear, it is second only to diamonds in hardness and scratch resistance. The most obvious difference between moissanite and diamonds is the brilliance. Moissanite has more brilliance than a diamond for a tenth of the price of a diamond. It has more fire and brilliance than any other gemstone, meaning it has more sparkle, this is because it is cut differently than diamonds to enhance the sparkle. To the naked eye moissanite will often be misidentified as diamond, also it will pass basic diamond testers as they only test heat conductivity and moissanite is very similar to diamonds in that area. Moissanite is made of silicon and carbon, in this regard, moissanite is similar to diamond, which is composed of pure carbon. Moissanites are generally harder at 9.5 on a 10 point scale,
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic zirconia (also known as CZ) is similar to a diamond with its brilliance and crystal clarity, but it is a synthesized (man-made) crystalline material that is colorless, hard, and flawless. It looks so much like a diamond, it is an affordable alternative to diamonds and moissanites. It can made in different colors to simulate the different colors of a diamond. Cubic zirconia is not real and is not a diamond, though it is difficult for the naked eye to tell the difference between a cubic zirconia and a diamond. It is a stone that is as brilliant as a diamond but much more affordable. It is almost as hard as diamond on the Mohs scale of hardness. It is an 8.5 and a diamond is a 10. It is cut in the same shapes and designs as a diamond to replicate a diamond almost exactly.
The quality of CZ's manufacturers do vary—some types are less desirable than others, and clarity is one characteristic that may differ. A five-tiered system of A (lowest grade) to AAAAA (5A - highest grade) is used to designate cubic zirconia qualities. A CZ is not as durable as a diamond, sapphire, or ruby, and that means it is more likely to become scratched over time. Cubic zirconia contains a mix of zirconium and oxygen in its composition.
>While both Moissanite and CZ are quality stones, Moissanite has a slight edge in almost every category we mentioned above. That means it’s the higher-quality item any way you slice it. But when you’re picking out a gemstone, particularly one that is a substitute for a more expensive one, price is surely an issue. The Cubic Zirconia gains a lot of ground by being so much less expensive. The huge difference in price is incredible considering that the differences in these stones’ traits aren’t very big.
Both Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia can pass for diamonds and deliver that diamond feeling. If one is looking for an item that is a bit more durable, that may have some resale value, you may go for the Moissanite. But if you feel that a close match in overall quality is made up for by great savings, it’ll be hard to pass up Cubic Zirconia.
Luxury and Elegance do not mean expensive.
