Gold in its simplest form has a unique position in history. From its formation spanning millennia, to its lifespan going forward, gold is eternal. Incorruptible, indestructible, it is the ultimate recyclable material.
Gold vermeil, by contrast, is the name given to jewellery made from a base metal such as brass, copper, nickel or sterling silver that has been electronically plated with a layer of gold. The plating process itself requires a great deal of energy and often involves toxic chemicals like cyanide, but beyond the toxicity, by using gold in this way, jewellers are removing its intrinsic capacity to be re-purposed. The solution is not to provide the consumer with a lifetime re-plating guarantee, but to encourage designers, where possible, to use real gold that can be passed down to future generations.
Real gold is made up of twenty-four parts and is weighed in troy ounces. One troy ounce is equivalent to 31.103478 grams. Gold is mostly made as 24ct, 18ct, 14ct or 9ct. At Annoushka we use the perfect choice for an or heirloom piece, because of its durability. All our 18ct pieces are hallmarked with the numbers 750, a mark provided by the Assay Office, the UK authority on precious metals.
