Metal Coloring Methods  Oxidizing (or antiquing) solutions are a quick way to change the color of findings. We carry Win-Ox™, ideal for antiquing sterling silver, and Liver of Sulfur, which creates a brown-black patina. For more information, see p. 332.  Color Magic™ stains, p. 332, come in a wide variety of opaque and translucent colors, and work on metal, glass and most other surfaces. They can be brushed on like fingernail polish or air brushed.

Metal Allergies  The most-popular alloy of surgical stainless steel includes about 8% nickel, which makes it impractical for people with nickel allergies. People with slight nickel allergies can usually wear surgical stainless steel for a few hours. But some people are so sensitive that they cannot wear watches, or have the buttons on their jeans touch them. For strongly nickel-allergic people, we suggest niobium, sterling silver, nickel-free or plastic ear findings (see "Earring Findings" in the index, or list on p. 3).

Base Metal  Any metal that is not precious (platinum, 14kt gold, sterling silver, etc.), is considered to be a lower or "base" metal.

White (-1)  Silver-colored plating that you see on most costume jewelry. A bit grayer but longer lasting than silver plate.

Silver Plate (-3)  Real silver over base metal. Matches the color of sterling silver.

Surgical Stainless Steel  A tiny bit grayer than "white" findings, but the difference is barely noticeable, especially on finished jewelry. Surgical steel does not match sterling or silver plate well.

Yellow (-2)  Gold-colored plating that you see on most costume jewelry. A bit brassier than real gold plate, but usually a longer-lasting finish, especially on clasps.

Gold Plate (-4)  Real gold over base metal. Closer to the color of 14kt gold, but may not stay that way for long. This is a very thin deposit of gold, electroplated or electrochemically applied to the piece. It is a very small fraction of an inch thick (0.001 to 0.000001" thick). Heavy gold electroplate might be 0.002 or 0.003" thick (this can also be written as 2 or 3 mils).

Brass  This easy-to-work-with metal is an alloy of copper, zinc and sometimes other metals. It is usually the same color as "yellow" plate, although it will vary in color. In general, raw brass looks best with yellow findings, but it can also work with gold plate.

Red Brass  About 90% copper, compared with the 70% copper in regular brass. Warmer yellow than normal brass, but not copper colored.

Copper  A reddish metal that looks good with silver, gold and gunmetal, even if you mix multiple colors together in one piece of jewelry. Most copper-plated items have a -8 as their color number.

Gunmetal (-9)  A black nickel plating that looks like antiquing, but is more durable (antiquing normally wears off on the high points, remaining only in the lines and indents).

Antique Pewter (-5 or -AP)  Base metal with a pewter-colored plating that closely matches "white" plate. The crevices of the bead and charms are darkened to give an antique appearance. Please note that some AP items are matte, while others are more shiny. Other antiqued finishes include antique copper (-7 or -AC), antique bronze (-6 or -AB), antique gold (-AG) and antique silver (-AS).

Nickel Free  All of our items marked nickel-free meet the stringent European standard, and do not contain more than 0.05% nickel (no more than 1 part in 2,000). The U.S.A. does not yet have an official nickel-free standard. For more information on the European nickel ban, contact MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America) at 1 (800) 444-6572 or www.mjsa.org. For a small fee, they might be able to send you back-issues or reprints of articles tracking the ban. For a list of nickel-free earrings supplies, see p. 4 or the catalog index.

Lead Free  Nearly all cast base-metal beads and findings on the market, including ours, contain small amounts of lead. If a cast item is not labeled lead-free, it most likely contains lead! Do not give children jewelry made with cast-metal beads or findings, if you believe they will put it in their mouths. Charm manufacturers in the U.S. are responding, and many have switched to lead-free alloys. Over the next two years, we expect the majority of our charms to switch to lead-free versions. To see the status of your favorite charms, check our online store for "lead warning" or "lead free" listed with each cast item.

Sterling Silver  Sometimes stamped ".925", sterling silver is a precious alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. It is a soft, easy-to-work-with metal that can be antiqued to a dark black or given a high polish.

Argentium® Sterling Silver  Argentium sterling silver has dramatically better tarnish resistance than standard sterling and is much more durable. While it still contains the 92.5% silver legally required for sterling, Argentium replaces about 1% of the normal copper content in sterling with germanium, significantly altering the alloy's properties. The advantages of this patented material over standard sterling include: tarnish resistance; resistance to dents, scratches and abrasions; doesn't develop fire scale; laser weldable. Argentium sterling can be thermal conditioned in a household oven for increased hardness and tarnish resistance.

Vermeil  This is a French term for gold plate over sterling silver (as opposed to gold plate over a base metal).

14-Karat Gold  Pure gold is 24kt, meaning 24 parts out of 24 are gold. 24kt is too soft to be functional, so it is alloyed with other metals for durability, cost and color. 14kt is 14 parts gold out of 24, and the remaining 10 parts are other metals. Depending on the color of gold (which can be yellow, rose, green or white), the other parts may be copper, silver, nickel, zinc, tin, palladium and/or manganese. (People with nickel allergies should be aware that many alloys of gold, not just white gold, contain nickel.) All of the 14kt gold we carry is yellow gold.

Gold-Filled  Also called "gold overlay," this metal is made by using heat and pressure to apply a layer of karat gold to a base of less-costly metal. This produces a surface with karat gold. The minimum layer of karat gold must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Use care when buffing gold-filled items to avoid removing the gold layer. The surface layer of karat gold is usually 10kt, 12kt or 14kt. To know the thickness of the layer, look for a fraction, such as 1/10 or 1/20. Legally, it is 1/20 unless otherwise stamped. Examples: 1/10 14kt GF (1/10 of the total weight must be 14kt gold), 1/20 12kt GF (1/20 of the total weight must be 12kt gold).

Gold Plate vs. Gold-Filled  Gold fill is 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and about 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate (sometimes stamped "HGE").