Featured Brand of the Month: Green Girl Studios - Week Three

I hope you are enjoying learning all about Green Girl Studios with us, and this week I want to continue with a bit of a science lesson. We all know Green Girl Studios for their handcrafted products using lead-free pewter, but did you know that they also offer pieces in other metals? In addition to pewter they have bronze, Shibuichi alloy, 18k gold plated, and sterling silver. You can use these other metals to vary your designs while using the Green Girl signature style you love.

I want to share a little information about these metals in case you are unfamiliar with exactly what they are. In my research, I learned a lot about how the different metals are defined and what makes each of them up. So, are you ready for your science lesson? It won't be as bad as high school chemistry, I promise.

Bronze

Bronze is an alloy that usually consists primarily of copper with tin as the main additive. This metal is hard and tough. When it comes to Green Girl Studios, the color of their bronze components resembles a slightly dark antiqued gold or gold plated finish. These bronze elements can add a subtle warmth and strength to your designs.




Shibuichi Alloy

Now say it with me, SHEW-BOO-EEE-CHEE. Wow, that is a mouthful. The name means "one-fourth" in Japanese because it is one part silver to three parts copper. I personally love the earthen mahogany brown look of these pieces. The reddish undertones are beautiful. If you are looking for a very natural but polished element to include in your jewelry, try exploring these pieces.




18K Gold Plated

These pieces from Green Girl are 18K gold over lead-free pewter. Pure gold is 24K gold. So 18K means that it is 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals, which equals 75% pure gold. Did you know that gold is actually relatively soft but by adding other metals it becomes stronger? The Green Girl's 18K gold plated components also have a lightly antiqued finish to them, which helps the dimension of the design pop.




Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is a beautiful and bright metal. Do you know what .925 means, when looking at silver jewelry? It is the millesimal fineness, which denotes the purity of the metal. Sterling contains 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metal, most commonly, copper. So sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of .925. Green Girl Studios releases a limited number of these Sterling Silver components, and they are truly stunning.



Whew, that was a lot of science, but I hope it helped you have a better understanding of the different metal types. Each metal has it's own unique properties - not just in chemical make up, but in the way they look too. When it comes to Green Girl's hand crafted components you can't go wrong with any choice. They all feature mindful designs and great craftsmanship. Also, be sure to peruse our new pewter buttons and pendants from Green Girl Studios!