Jewelry

Solid Gold, Gold Filled and Gold Plated Are Not the Same

All three can be described as gold and all three photograph the same way. Solid 14k gold is gold throughout, alloyed for hardness. Gold filled carries a bonded layer of gold that is measured as a percentage of total weight. Plated carries a microscopic surface layer applied electrically. The practical difference is what happens at the edges after a year: solid and filled wear evenly, while plating thins first where the piece rubs. That is why the same design can appear at three very different prices without either listing being wrong.

Choosing a Gauge and a Diameter for Body Jewellery

Body jewellery is described by two numbers and they do different jobs. Gauge is the thickness of the post and has to match the piercing itself; diameter is the size of the ring and decides how it sits. Gauge is not a style choice, because a post thicker than the existing piercing cannot be worn and a thinner one will move. A seamless hoop opens by twisting rather than unclipping, which is gentler on a healed piercing but takes a little practice.

Making a Finish Last Longer than the Season

Most jewellery is damaged by routine rather than accident. Perfume, hairspray and sunscreen attack plating and dull stones, and all three are usually applied after the jewellery goes on. Putting jewellery on last and taking it off first removes most of what shortens its life. Storing pieces separately rather than together prevents harder stones scratching softer settings, and a soft dry cloth does more for a plated finish than any liquid cleaner.

For nose hoops, clicker rings and navel pieces specifically, including the gauge options, start with Body Jewellery. If you are layering pieces for a look rather than buying one, the ankle and wrist styles that stack well sit in Anklets.