FAQ
- Brass pieces are solid brass, not plated, and are lacquered with MOHAWK- a clear coating formulated specifically for brass to prevent tarnishing. Eventually it will wear off depending on the lifestyle of your piece, but the metal will always look brass. That being said, I would suggest taking your brass pieces off before showering to extend the life of the clear lacquer. **Brass rings -- if your sensitive to brass, meaning your skin turns green sometimes (washes off), you may want to consider going all silver for rings. If your a die hard, tried and true brass lover, you can periodically coat the inside with clear nail polish and it works like a charm!
- Sterling Silver pieces do not require a lacquer coating. Silver polishing cloths are a worthwhile investment if you own lots of silver. I'd suggest 'Sunshine Polishing Cloths' available via the internet. Most Salt & Steel pieces are oxidized to accentuate details so please avoid dipping your pieces in silver polishing solutions. They will come out very bright and lose the aged look that is quintessentially Salt & Steel. Showering with your silver shouldn't be a problem at all. If you wear them often, your natural oils will actually prevent tarnish--thats why we love silver!!
- Gold-filled do not tarnish as easily as silver or brass! Over time it will begin to lose it's luster. Just clean them with some mild soap and water and they should shine right up. *Please don't confuse gold-filled for gold plate--Gold-filled is of much better quality and won't rub off like gold plate. Lastly- yes, you can wear them in the shower!
-If the piece you want is "out of stock" or "unavailable" and your having trouble adding it to your cart please email me! We may be able to custom make your piece!
**Custom orders may take up to 3 weeks to make, plus a week in shipping time.
Through the efforts of organizations like Ethical Metalsmiths, MJSA, & the Responsible Jewelry Council, small jewelers, like myself, have access to shared information influencing us make "ethically conscious" decisions, ask questions, and actively become more aware & responsible in our practices. Below is a list of sourced materials currently being used in my process.
Raw materials- wire, sheet metal, stones & findings are purchased from one of the top jewelry supply companies in the U.S. They are based out of Albuquerque, NM & pride themselves in being socially and environmentally conscious in their business practices. Wire and sheet metal is produced in their home facility, which is 100% solar powered! For stone supply & findings, they partner only with U.S. and trusted over seas facilities who follow a code of ethics certified by the Responsible Jewelry Council. This means they periodically visits the cutting factories that shape rough stones into their faceted gems & cabochons.
Caste pieces- I work with a casting house in NYC who complete the first part of the casting process. From there, the pieces are shipped to my home studio where I carry out finishing and stone setting processes. The team uses certified recycled silver, and brass that is either recycled or mined from conflict-free zones. Always lead-free and nickel-free. They are members of MJSA & have partnered w/Fairmined. For select pieces, I have also worked with a team of artisan jewelers out of Taxco, Mexico. They use lead-free and nickel-free metals purchased from a reputable metal manufacturing company based in the U.S., who is also a member of the MJSA.
Packaging- I am currently looking to utilize EcoEnclose shipping materials to provide environmentally friendly packaging. I'm still working out the logistics before fully switching over, but the change is coming soon! I'll update this accordingly.
Yes...and no! This is decided on a case by case basis. Some pieces are repairable while others are not. *Send us an email along with two photos of the item- one front view, and one of the part that needs repair.
If repairable, the cost is anywhere between $10-40 (dependent on labor involved in the repair process) + shipping.
If the piece is not repairable we can most likely replace it at a discounted rate in exchange for the damaged item.