Jewellery Information & Care
OUR PERFECT WORLD OF IMPERFECTIONS
We are proud to say that the majority of our jewellery is handmade, with some being hand-finished if not hand-made completely. As such there may be slight differences and variations between pieces. This makes your jewellery completely unique!
Most measurements on the site are approximate to the nearest millimetre or centimetre.
ORDERING
There is usually a small and limited stock of most pieces so we can respond to orders in a timely manner. Occasionally Alison Fern Jewellery can be handcrafted to order for you at the point you confirm your purchase. If this is the case you will be personally notified with 24 hours of placing your order of the lead time.
Please get in touch prior to placing your order if it is very urgent and I will do my upmost to work to your deadline!
MATERIALS
Our focus is on quality and originally all the silver used was sterling silver and all the gold was 14k gold-filled or 18k gold-plated sterling silver. We have also recently started using high-quality plated recycled metals to keep our accessible price points and offer an alternative.
About our materials:
GOLD PLATED
Usually gold-plated metals are at base brass, mixed and recycled metals or stainless steel. All are inherently sustainable materials as they can be recycled an infinite amount of times without losing their unique properties.
STERLING SILVER
Our sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. This gives the silver more strength and high precious metal content, ideal for jewellery. We also use gold-plated silver which will often have been dipped in a two micron thick layer of gold.
GOLD FILLED
Gold filled is an actual layer of gold, pressure bonded to another metal, usually jewellers brass. The Gold we use is usually 14 carat. Gold-filled jewellery is a popular alternative to fine jewellery because it is made from solid ‘Gold’ and then ‘filled’ with other alloys such a jewellers brass. It wears like solid gold because its outer surface is solid gold. It's created by using heat and pressure to fuse a layer of Karat Gold to a copper, brass or other base metal and the bond produced is a permanent one. It's more valuable than gold plated and tarnish resistant. It is a reasonably priced, quality alternative to solid gold.
JEWELLERY CARE
Caring for our jewellery items is the same as caring for any other semi-precious metal or costume jewellery. It is of course made to be worn and enjoyed and to help you to ensure that your jewellery continues to look as good as it does on the day that you purchased it, we thought we'd share some general tips:
DO Put your jewellery on last when dressing - hairspray, perfume and body sprays can cause your silver jewellery to tarnish.
DON’T Do the washing up in it - harsh chemicals can cause silver tarnish and dull the shine.
DO Try to keep your jewellery away from any harsh cosmetics and substances where possible as including perfumes, soaps, lotions, and creams.
DON’T Use silver dip or other jewellery cleaner - they are often too harsh.
DO Hang fine chains and longer necklaces or carefully coiled them not being worn to keep them from tangling.
DON’T Throw it in your jewellery box. Keep it in a separate box or pouch - it will prevent scratching and slow tarnishing.
DO Use a jewellers silver cloth to remove dirt and body oils from your jewellery every time you wear it.
DO Always protect your jewellery from water, avoid knocks and scratches and long periods in direct sunlight (this will also minimise chances of your jewellery's finish eroding or tarnishing).
DO wear your jewellery! The colour of sterling silver and gold-fill in particular, becomes richer and more beautiful the more it is worn.
PACKAGING
All orders (with the exception of pieces bought heavily discounted) are sent to you in a gift box with ribbon. Each and every order is unique and important and whether you are self gifting or buying a present - you deserve the special treatment! We provide this service for free.
We will make a small charge however if you buy multiple pieces and would like them individually wrapped - please get in touch.
Rest assured that we always package our items securely and safely. Please see our page on Delivery and Returns for full details.