Our Materials & Jewelry Care – SOPHIE BLAKE NY Skip to content

Our Materials & Jewelry Care


 

Good things take time!

We care about craftsmanship and quality and that is why we take pride in making sure you're pieces last. 

You want to get the best quality for your investment, and we are here to do exactly that!

We primarily use Sterling Silver and 14k Gold in our collections, but for our more affordable Fashion collections we use brass that is micro-plate and e-coated so that your pieces last. 

What makes our Fashion line so different? The thickness of gold plating on jewelry can vary depending on several factors, including the quality of the plating process and the desired durability. In general, gold plating thickness is measured in microns (µm) or mils (thousandths of an inch).

 

For fashion jewelry or lower-quality gold-plated items, the gold plating thickness can range but starts as low as  0.1 microns (or approximately 0.0001millimeters). This type of plating is relatively thin and may wear off more easily over time. Terms to familiarize yourself with. 

Gold Wash/Flashed When you see term ‘gold plated jewelry’, this is the most cost affective plating used by many Fashion jewelry brands. Gold wash/ gold Flashed jewelry items are dipped in gold bath just enough to give an article a gold color and even finish, but they are less durable, hold an extremely thin coating and can tarnish much quicker, relatively in a few months. 

    Micron Plating When the gold coating thickness is above 0.5microns, it is referred to as "micron plating".

      We use 30+ microns or more to ensure you're pieces last above all.
      FTC Classification         (US inches)
      Microns
      Micro-Inches
       
      (Metric)
       
       
       
      Gold Flash (10 kt.)
      =
      7.0 micro-inches
      .175 microns
      Gold Electroplate
      =
      7.0 micro-inches
      .175 microns
      Gold Plate
      =
      20 micro-inches
      .50 microns
      Sophie Blake Gold Plated Jewelry
       
      30- 40 micro-inches
      .50+ microns

       

      With your purchase a specially made polishing cloth and travel pouch are included, so you can store and shine up your pieces as needed. For extra shine, sometimes we give your pieces a nice soak using our jewelry cleaner. Cleaning cloths are complimentary upon request and jewelry cleaner is free with a purchase of $250 or more.

      Re-plating & Repairs Policy

      At Sophie Blake we offer a 2 year warranty from date of delivery but we also care for your jewelry after your warranty has expired. Please see the repair and re-plating fees in the chart below:

      Item 

      Replating/Repair Fee 

      Estimated Processing Time 

      Necklace 

      $50.00

      4-6 weeks

      Bracelet 

      50.00

       4-6 weeks

      Earrings

      40.00

      4-6 weeks

      Rings 

      30.00

      4-6 weeks  

      About Our Materials:

      Gold Plated - a layer of 14K or 18K gold micro-plated over brass (unless stated otherwise)
      Silver Plated - a layer of either silver or rhodium micro-plated over brass
      Rose Gold - a layer of 14K or 18K rose gold micro-plated over brass (unless stated otherwise)
      Sterling Silver - .925 Sterling Silver
      We use Sterling Silver for our post
      Gold  - We use 14k or 18k gold solid gold (not hollowed)