About the Silver

The jewellery is made from a special substance called Precious Metal Clay- pure silver particles held in a workable clay form by organic non toxic binders, once worked and dried the clay is then fired. During this process the organic binders burn off and all that remains is pure silver 99.9% pure which is of hallmarkable quality. Currently I do not hallmark the items as this adds  to the
cost and time frame. Silver items under 7.78grams are exempt from compulsory hallmarking. Most of my customers prefer the lower cost of an unhallmarked item- it doesn’t make it any less pure silver!

The item I make is 99.9% pure silver (often referred to as 999 silver) all the jumpring’s, necklaces etc (often referred to as chains and findings) are Sterling Silver this is 92.5% pure silver alloyed with other metals to increase its strength- this is often known as 925 silver.

How the prints are taken

Hand, Foot and Pawprints:

These prints are taken using an ‘inkless wipe system’ originally developed in the USA where they are used to take the hand and foot prints of new born babies in hospital- a very simple and non toxic method to capture the prints. This process is safe for babies and pets too! My baby boy has had his prints taken and all of my dogs have had their prints taken too.

You can then either scan the finished prints in and save them as a high quality JPEG image and email them to me or post them in the provided envelope- return postage is supplied for UK customers, International customers will need to either pay the return postage (usually very inexpensive or email then prints as a JPEG) Full instructions are included with the kit.

Fingerprints:

These are captured using a special non toxic 2 part moulding compound. This hardens to form a solid of impression of the print- I then make the jewellery directly from this impression- so the fingerprint will be life-size. I have taken my own baby boys’ fingerprint with this method as well as my own. Detailed instructions on usage will be sent out with your kit.

Things to consider

Please keep in mind that young babies may not have as much fingerprint detail as adults and older children, you may prefer to have a hand or footprint or many people are happy to have the fingerprint impression even if it has little or no detail enjoying that fleeting moment captured in silver. There are no age restrictions on either of the processes!

Every single piece is handmade and hand finished by me, so it’s a one off- even if you order two items from the same fingerprint there will be difference due to the handmade element. Each piece will have natural variations and differences again this is due to the handmade nature of your item.

If you are unsure what item might be best for you I can offer some ideas and suggestions, if you have any questions or if there’s a piece you have in mind which isn’t listed for sale you can contact me to discuss a bespoke piece. Sometimes I can fit more letters on a piece than stated- it all depends on the finished layout and piece. A will always do my best to accomodate specific requests!

Delivery and Order Times
From the time I received your prints or art work it will take between 3 and 4 weeks on average for your item to made and sent to you via Royal Mail Special Delivery (UK customers) overseas items will be shipped via Royal Mail International Signed for service.

If you need your item for a specific date or sooner please do contact me to see if I can fit your order in sooner.

If you have missed a deadline to get your item in time for a special occasion you can order a gift pack instead and give this as the gift for the recipient to take the prints.

Shipping costs are added in at checkout- this is for your jewellery to be shipped out to you, the postage for the print kits and their return to me are included in the purchase price of your item. UK P&P is £7.00. International Orders will vary according to destination.

Care

Any silver product will gradually tarnish over time and I would suggest you clean your item with a special silver cleaning cloth- A small cloth will be included with your item. As with lots of other jewellery everyday things such as hairspray, swimming chemicals, perfume etc can accelerate the rate at which your item will tarnish. It’s easy to bring that shine back with a cloth though!

Pure silver is a soft metal and it is natural that it will wear gradually over time; this is to be expected and will add to the uniqueness of your piece. This is particularly important if you are considering a keyring- if the recipient has lots of keys the keyring will pick up marks probably at a higher rate than a keyring with only light use- if this is a worry for you then it may be best to consider a different item.

Supporting a Charity

I donate £1 from each piece I sell to The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain Welfare/Rescue. Donations are going to be made collectively once I have a good amount via PayPal. You can contact me at any time to see how much has been raised so far.