About the Jewelry

One of the things I love so much about making jewelry is knowing that someone is going to cherish it!  My personal standards for quality are very high, and I spend a lot of time making sure each piece is just perfect for you.   My business will never be about quantity, but instead intentional, quality, healing jewelry!

Before you go sifting through the info on this page, be sure to look at all the options under the About menu above. You may quickly find your answer on another page first!

Below are some other random FAQ that should help you learn a little more about Peridot Daisy Wire & Gemstone Jewelry and provide some answers should you be curious.  Please contact me if you have any other questions :)

My piece of jewelry doesn’t look quite exactly like the photo on your website.  What’s up with that?

• All the jewelry you get from Peridot Daisy is nearly completely hand-made from scratch!  All earwires, hoops, loops, swirls, coils, some chains, rings…I make it all mainly with a few simple pairs of pliers.  No other fancy tools except a ring mandrel, a couple hammers, some dowel rods and a vice.  So definitely expect some hand-made variations in your piece—consider it part of you getting a completely unique piece of jewelry!
• Also, gemstones may not look exactly like the photos, either.  Since I use genuine gemstones, rarely are they all exactly the same—in size, shape, and color.  I try to use what looks as close to the photo as possible, but still, there will almost always be some variation.  Again, part of the jewelry’s originality!

What's the little black tab in my jewelry's zipper bag?

• Why, that's a friendly little anti-tarnish tab :)  It lasts up to one year!  Put it wherever you store your jewelry (preferably a dry, cool place in a zipper bag) and it will slow down the oxidation/tarnish process to help keep your jewelry shiny and require less polishing. 

How do I clean my wire-wrapped jewelry?

• See the wire jewelry care page for specific info.

I need a size not shown on the product page.

• No problem!  Just contact me.  Many times if the sizes are limited it’s because the design might not work well with that size.  We can definitely try to work something out.

What kind of beads do you use?

• All of my gemstone beads are genuine semi-precious and precious gemstones.  I spend a lot of time shopping for the best quality gemstones, from trusted sellers and sourced ethically when possible from all over the world.  Most of the gemstones are in their natural state (besides being cut, polished and drilled), and a few are dyed to enhance their natural color.  I do not use any man-made glass crystals or beads.  This ensures that all beads are lead-free.  All of my metal beads are certified lead and cadmium free.

What are all the references at the bottom of the jewelry product pages?  The parts about gemstone and metal properties…

• There’s good reason why people are always so attracted to gemstones and metals—other than their beauty, they’ve been used for healing throughout history.  It’s said that many times a person is attracted to gemstones that behold the healing properties they need.  That’s why I include little blurbs about each type of stone and also the metal in each listing!   I gathered the information from a few books that resonate with me and my own intuition about each stone.  Most of the information I list refers to the emotional healing and balancing the stones provide; however, most stones’ healing properties are extensive in the areas of the physical body and also the spiritual/higher self.  If you’re curious, do some Googling!  It’s fascinating and it’s one of the main reasons why I love working with the gemstones.  I feel very privileged to create and pass on something beautiful AND healing!

My ears are sensitive to certain metals.  What do you use for your earwires?

• I use solid Sterling Silver, Argentium Silver or Gold-filled for earwires.  They are all handmade by me.  Even when the rest of the earring is Copper, I still use Silver earwires and oxidize them so they closely match the color of the Copper.  The reasons I choose not to use Copper for earwires are 1) Copper is very soft and is difficult to make it hard enough for a quality earwire, and 2) Some people are sensitive to bare Copper through their ears.  

i'm worried i will damage the gemstones in my jewelry.

• Gemstones vary in their hardness, which is measured in what’s called the Moh’s hardness scale.  For example, most people know that diamonds are the hardest mineral out there; it measures a 10 on the Moh’s scale, which is the highest.  Talc (yep, like talc in powder) measures a 1.  It just crumbles in your hand.  All of my gemstones measure 4 and up, typically being around 7-8.
• If a gemstone in a design is particularly soft, I will note this on the product page.
• Take care not to wear your jewelry when you’re doing manual labor, dishes, etc…  That should help keep you from bumping the stone around too much!  If it does happen to accidentally break, just contact me!

how does your jewelry come packaged?  I am giving the jewelry I ordered from you as a gift. Can you gift wrap it for me?

• All jewelry will be secured in its own little zipper bag including an anti-tarnish tab and the coordinating display card or tag.  That will be placed in an unbleached muslin drawstring bag that is hand-stamped with the Peridot Daisy logo AND the recipient's name :)  (Your name if it's for you!)  If you prefer a gift box, I use the appropriate size Kraft (brown paper) jewelry box that is minimally yet tastefully hand-decorated with a large, flat piece of ribbon.

What other metals do you use in your jewelry?

• I use only genuine metals--Sterling Silver, Bronze, Brass, Gold-filled and bare Copper wire.  For metal beads and bead caps, some are solid Sterling Silver, Silver-plated, Copper, Bronze, Gold-filled, Pewter (lead-free!) or Brass.  All wire is uncoated and all beads are certified lead-free.

what kind of finish do you put on your jewelry?

• I typically do not apply any sort of protective finish or anti-tarnish finish on my jewelry.  All wire and sheet metal is bare.  I do have Renaissance Wax if I feel a particular piece needs some sort of protectant.
• I do, however, use non-toxic Liver of Sulfur on almost all of my Sterling Pieces and all of my Copper pieces.  Liver of Sulfur quickly and artificially tarnishes (antiques) the surface of the wire.  Depending on the final look you're going for, I will polish off a little, some or nearly all of the tarnish, leaving the crevices and details of the wrapping dark so they stand out.  This gives the piece of jewelry depth, luster and character.

Copper looks cool, but everyone knows it turns skin green!  Why would I want to wear it?

• Okay, so here’s my schpiel on both Copper and Sterling silver.  Sorry, I just can’t contain myself when addressing this issue ;)  But first…Copper is IN.  Copper is beautiful!  Those two reasons there are enough to want to wear them!

All Copper and Sterling Silver wire used at Peridot Daisy is not tarnish-resistant.  I prefer to use untreated metals to display the natural beauty of the finished piece and give you the benefit of any  healing properties of the metal.  Over time, the surface of the metal will form a “patina,” which is the naturally-occurring process when these metals come in contact with oxygen, water and moisture from your skin.

For Copper, it starts as a light brown matte finish.  With excessive wear and exposure to moisture, copper may turn almost black, and sometimes will leave a green haze on your skin.  This is not a sign of poor quality—it’s simply a natural chemical reaction.  Sometimes our personal body chemistry and/or environment (e.g. humid surroundings) will hasten this process.  At this point (and probably earlier) it’s definitely time to give your jewelry a light polishing with a soft cloth to remove any built-up tarnish.  If you would happen to get any green on the jewelry 1) you've waited too long to clean it! and 2) simply use a very soft toothbrush and a mild dish soap to gently scrub it away.

Sterling Silver is 92.5% Silver and 7.5% copper.  The Copper is added to the Silver to make it more durable, and this addition makes Sterling Silver tarnish slowly over time, although much slower than copper.

Both Copper and Sterling Silver can be easily polished by hand to keep the patina at bay if you prefer a shiny look to your jewelry.   Keeping it dry when wearing and stored in a plastic zipper bag away from oxygen will help as well.  Some people like the matte and aged look of the patina and enjoy the process of watching their jewelry transform into antiquated heirlooms!

Okay, that’s all good and stuff, but your Copper jewelry doesn’t look like bare, shiny copper…

• That’s because I go ahead and speed up the oxidation process for you ahead of time :)  By doing this, then polishing it, you’re less likely to get the green haze effect!  I can customize the brightness of it, so you can always let me know if you want your Copper shinier or darker than the photo for sale.  Same with Sterling silver.

So can I get a piece of Copper jewelry that has not been oxidized at all?

• Sure!  But I personally think it's kinda boring that way ;)  It will naturally start to oxidize on its own right away, however.  If you polish it after each time you wear it and store it in a zipper bag, you will keep most of the oxidation at bay.  And please note it will probably give you the green haze if you get it wet at all while wearing it!  It’s actually somewhat interesting (at least to me!) to see the phases of color it goes through over time as it oxidizes.  It stays at a sort of red-orange for quite a while, which is very pretty, before it will start to turn a mocha-brown and lose its luster.