ArtFire

ESCAPE BRONZE EARRINGS, 14KGF WIRES

These unique "escape" earrings are made with solid bronze charms that I individually handcraft using bronze metal clay (and a rubber stamp!). My kiln gives them a patina which can vary a little, and I spray them with an acrylic spray to keep the patina from changing.

The charms are attached to 14K gold filled ear wires that are accented with a little coil.



Since these charms are individually hand-crafted there will be slight variations in the details and the coloring. Each one is unique.



Metal clay is made of particles of metal, usually silver, that is mixed with an organic binder. After I make a piece it is thoroghly dried and sanded. Then fired in my kiln at anywhere from 1100-1600 degrees farenheit. This burns out all the organic material and leaves only the metal.







In order for jewelry components to be labeled as "Gold filled" they must have at least 1/20, or 5% of their weight in actual gold. Gold plated, however, is not regulated, and normally is only a very thin (like 7 millionths of an inch) layer of gold. What this means is that when you buy gold plated items, the gold will wear off. Gold filled items are always a better value than gold-plated. They are an affordable alternative to solid gold. If you care for them properly (by not using harsh cleaners, etc.) gold-filled items should last a lifetime.



Gold vermeil is sterling silver with a layer of gold that is somewhere in between gold plated and gold filled as follows:



Gold plated: 2 to 7 millionths of an inch



Heavy plated sterling: 40 millionths of an inch or up to 20 times more gold than gold plated



Gold vermeil: 100 millionths of an inch, or 2 1/2 times more gold than the heavy plated sterling and up to 50 times more gold than gold plated.



Gold filled: 5% by total weight, or your best affordable alternative to solid gold.

bronze metal clay, 14k gold filled ear wires