Antique Art Deco Links w/ Teardrop London Blue Topaz and Swarovski Crystal Silver Earrings
Antique Art Deco Links w/ Teardrop London Blue Topaz and Swarovski Crystal Silver Earrings
Regular price
$40.00 USD
Regular price
Sale price
$40.00 USD
Unit price
per
The earring charms are antique (1920's) links with a faceted London Blue Topaz teardrop at the end. The antique links have some of their original stones, the ones that were missing have been restored with Swarovski crystals, the baguette stones in the middle are vintage Montana blue cabochon Swarovski crystals. I tried to keep the entire piece in the honor of the Art Deco era with the Sterling Silver white pearl earwire as an accent. The earrings measure 2"h x ¼"w.
Gift Wrapping options are now available. See details in the gift wrap listings.
* AAA grade freshwater pearls sit on 21 gauge wire.
* The colors and sizes of the pearls will sometimes vary from the picture because nature never makes anything symmetrical.
* These are one of a kind links - only one pair are available
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the difference between 14/20 Gold Filled, 14K Gold Plating and 14K Gold?
Gold Plating is a chemical process that bonds real gold particles onto a piece of metal to give it the desired color. The plated piece is measured in microns. The thicker the microns, the thicker the layer of gold is bonded onto the metal. A thinner, 1 micron of plating will wear away faster than 5 microns of plating but the plating will always wear off over time so be sure to take good care of your plated jewelry.
Gold Filled is a thick, solid layer of 5% or 1/20 of 14k real gold mechanically bonded onto another piece of metal, usually brass or sterling silver. That is what the 14/20 (5% of 14k gold) unit of measure on gold filled pieces means. The bonding process insures that the metal won't tarnish and with care, will last you a lifetime as mixing metals will make the metal more durable and it won't wear off like gold plating. It is a good compromise as gold plating is cheaper but wears off and real 14k gold has become expensive. Please note, you will not find a $10 - $20 gold filled chain. Ask questions if the piece is cheaper than it should be.
Real gold is just that. It is mined and then alloyed with other metals to make it durable. 24K gold is the purest, most expensive gold but extremely soft. You can scratch it with your fingernail. When you see 24K jewelry in museums, it is a rare sight because most of the ancient gold treasures disintegrated over time (if they weren't stolen and/or melted down).
The desired color of the gold depends on what metals you alloy it with: yellow gold is 24k yellow gold alloyed with copper or copper and zinc; rose gold is 24k yellow gold alloyed with copper or copper and silver; white gold is 24k gold alloyed with nickel and zinc; green gold is alloyed with pure silver. The percentage of the metals used determines whether you have 18k gold, 14k gold, 12k gold or 10k gold. The higher karats of gold, the more saturated the color will be, for example, 18k gold is more yellow than 14k gold (which is the most popular type of gold). At over $1800 a troy oz, gold has become expensive to purchase.
* I use real 14/20 yellow or rose gold filled components and findings unless otherwise noted. All the settings for the glass or crystal stones are 14k Gold plating over brass. The plating is done by me.
Gift Wrapping options are now available. See details in the gift wrap listings.
* AAA grade freshwater pearls sit on 21 gauge wire.
* The colors and sizes of the pearls will sometimes vary from the picture because nature never makes anything symmetrical.
* These are one of a kind links - only one pair are available
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the difference between 14/20 Gold Filled, 14K Gold Plating and 14K Gold?
Gold Plating is a chemical process that bonds real gold particles onto a piece of metal to give it the desired color. The plated piece is measured in microns. The thicker the microns, the thicker the layer of gold is bonded onto the metal. A thinner, 1 micron of plating will wear away faster than 5 microns of plating but the plating will always wear off over time so be sure to take good care of your plated jewelry.
Gold Filled is a thick, solid layer of 5% or 1/20 of 14k real gold mechanically bonded onto another piece of metal, usually brass or sterling silver. That is what the 14/20 (5% of 14k gold) unit of measure on gold filled pieces means. The bonding process insures that the metal won't tarnish and with care, will last you a lifetime as mixing metals will make the metal more durable and it won't wear off like gold plating. It is a good compromise as gold plating is cheaper but wears off and real 14k gold has become expensive. Please note, you will not find a $10 - $20 gold filled chain. Ask questions if the piece is cheaper than it should be.
Real gold is just that. It is mined and then alloyed with other metals to make it durable. 24K gold is the purest, most expensive gold but extremely soft. You can scratch it with your fingernail. When you see 24K jewelry in museums, it is a rare sight because most of the ancient gold treasures disintegrated over time (if they weren't stolen and/or melted down).
The desired color of the gold depends on what metals you alloy it with: yellow gold is 24k yellow gold alloyed with copper or copper and zinc; rose gold is 24k yellow gold alloyed with copper or copper and silver; white gold is 24k gold alloyed with nickel and zinc; green gold is alloyed with pure silver. The percentage of the metals used determines whether you have 18k gold, 14k gold, 12k gold or 10k gold. The higher karats of gold, the more saturated the color will be, for example, 18k gold is more yellow than 14k gold (which is the most popular type of gold). At over $1800 a troy oz, gold has become expensive to purchase.
* I use real 14/20 yellow or rose gold filled components and findings unless otherwise noted. All the settings for the glass or crystal stones are 14k Gold plating over brass. The plating is done by me.