Metals & Semi-Precious Stones

Cassiano Designs Jewelry is handcrafted with love in Carlsbad, California with quality, sourced components and chains from manufactures in the USA, Indonesia and Italy.  

I only use the finest .925 Sterling Silver to create my designs.  You will find that the pieces are classic and timeless.  I also use other metals which are 14k, 18k, 24k, 18k Rose Gold vermeil and Gold-Fill

How does Sterling Silver compare to Silver Plated? 

Sterling silver (also known as standard silver) is what jewelry and silverware are traditionally made from, which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.  That is why you sometimes see .925 stamped on your jewelry.  In the U.S., only a minimum of 92.5% fine silver can be marketed as “silver.”  Sterling silver can be melted and the pure silver recovered rather inexpensively.

Silver plate is the process of bonding an extremely thin layer (measured in microns) of silver to a base metal; most commonly used are copper, brass, white metal, or nickel. Silver plated is less expensive but the lifetime of silver plated jewelry is short due to tarnishing and color change that can not be reversed or fixed. 

 

What is gold filled?

Gold-filled jewelry is made from solid gold and filled with other alloys such as rhodium (a member of the platinum family), brass, and sterling silver.  Gold filled wears, looks and lasts like solid gold because its outer surface is solid gold.  Everything you can see and touch is pure gold.  It does not flake off, rub off or turn colors.  As a matter of fact, anyone who can wear gold can wear gold filled without worries of any allergic reaction to the jewelry.  Gold-filled jewelry is an economical alternative to solid gold.  Gold-filled items are regulated by the government.  These items are therefore so much better then gold plated which has no regulations at all.   In the jewelry industry the quantity of gold must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total product.  Gold-filled items are generally considered lifetime products, and the gold layer will not wear off, as it will in electroplated products.  Gold-filled jewelry is often called the wave of the future because it offers all the same characteristics as solid gold such as strength, durability and beauty….but at a fraction of the cost!

 

Are all Semi-Precious Stones the same color/shape/size?

Stones are natural and consequently there may be variations in color, shape, etc., and may contain natural inclusions.  Due to rarity and/or uniqueness of certain stones, some items may be one-of-a-kind.  I choose all stones for specific pieces of jewelry with the intention of using stones that either look similar or different to make that jewelry item unique.