Becoming popular in the 19th century as an alternative name for silver-gilt, the term Vermeil is French. Quite simply, it is a layer of gold over sterling silver. To be considered vermeil, the gold must be at least 10 carat and at least 1.5 microns thick. We're proud to announce all our jewelry pieces are made using 18K gold, rose gold or gunmetal (ruthenium) and is  2.5 to 3 microns thick for even longer wear.  Any other metal plated onto sterling silver cannot be called vermeil and similarly gold plate on any other base metal also cannot be called vermeil.

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver and other metals, usually copper. To accurately be labelled as sterling silver, the material must be 925 parts per thousand silver, with the remaining 75 parts being other metals. As pure silver is generally too soft for manufacturing into larger objects and for everyday wear, copper is generally used to give it strength while at the same time preserving the ductility of the metal and its beauty. We are proudly certified nickel and lead free by the

GroupeCCT

Yellow gold has an illustrious history intertwined with its inherent beauty as much as its perceived value. The Incas referred to it as 'tears of the sun' and it has been associated with Gods and immortals ever since.   Gold Carats Gold is graded by carats. The carat system for gold, unlike diamonds, is a method of expressing the proportion of gold to other metals in a particular alloy. Pure gold is 24kt. 14kt gold contains 14 parts gold to 8 parts other metals. Pure gold is a metallic yellow, and it is the presence of alloys such as copper and silver that are the principal metals used for gold alloy.  

 

Every gemstone jewelry piece at So Pretty is completely unique, because we only use genuine, ethically sourced gemstones. Each one has its own distinct character, and each must meet our standards of colour, pattern and cut. Our gemstones are hand selected, hand cut from the rough, and hand checked to our exacting specification - ensuring that each piece of jewellery has vibrant, natural beauty  

 

  

At So Pretty we are committed to sourcing our diamonds in the most ethical and environmentally responsible manner and we adhere to the Kimberley Process to do so. The Kimberley Process is a system put in place to regulate the trade in rough diamonds. It aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds; ensuring that the journey from mine, to supplier, to designer is conflict free. We require that our suppliers and designers work within the strict rules of the Kimberley Process, and believe wholly in offering our customers conflict-free diamonds only.

 

Currently our diamonds are sourced from the Argyle Diamond mine in Kimberley, Australia. 

 

Please contact us for further information at info@soprettycaracotter.com