Care
OUR PROCESSES, MATERIALS & CARE
Precision machining.
Our brass, copper and stainless steel pieces are precision turned by a team that specialises in aerospace and engineering part manufacturing. Each design is turned or milled to a high tolerance level giving each piece a graphic silhouette and a feeling of precision. These pieces are then hand worked by our experts to form and finish our materials into the product you receive.
Base metals.
These metals are Alice’s favourites. Our base metals include brass, copper and aerospace grade stainless steel. We love materials and like to see them left as their authentic finish. We also like to be environmentally conscious when we make them. We do not lacquer any of our pieces, so you will have to clean your brass and copper pieces from time to time, as they will tarnish. This is because the combination of air and moisture causes them to oxidise.
Care .
To polish your brass and copper jewellery, use a household metal cleaner, for example Brasso. Use sparingly and this will make them look as good as new.
Precious metal finish. (Vermeil)
Due to the precision of our pieces, we make them using brass. It is harder than silver so we can precision turn them to create our sharp and graphic signature language. Silver is too soft to be machined in this way. Our brass pieces are hand polished and plated in gold, rose gold or rhodium. Our gold and rose gold plating is Vermeil quality. Pronounced ‘Ver – May’, Vermeil is a much thicker layer of gold than gold plating, giving jewellery a long lasting colour. For a piece to be considered Vermeil, the Gold must be a minimum of 10k and 1.5 microns. We use 22k Gold at 3 microns.
Care
Vermeil is not a fan of sweat and water. Before exercising or showering, remove your jewellery. Clean your pieces by buffing gently with a dry cloth and store it in your pouch.
Silversmithing.
All of our precious metals are cast and hand worked in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. This area is famous for its jewellery making and has great history dating back to the industrial revolution, when it was the jewellery powerhouse for Europe. Our silversmiths are world class and are passionate about the quality and detail of each and every piece. We work with solid silver, 9 carat and 18 carat yellow gold, rose gold and white gold, and platinum. All of our precious metals are ethically sourced, and we hallmark each and every piece in the UK assay office to certify our metals.
Solid gold.
We totally love gold! Solid Gold (yellow, rose and white) is one of the precious metals that will not oxidise or discolour, since it is the least reactive metal. We use 9 carat and 18 carat gold for our pieces. 18 carat is more saturated in its colour as it has more pure gold in it. We hallmark all of our gold jewellery in the UK Assay Office to ensure that the material quality is certified.
Care
Everything deserves some care and attention, even something as strong as Gold. To maintain its beauty, scrub lightly with a toothbrush and warm water.
Platinum
Did you know that King Louis XVI, of France heralded platinum as being ‘the only metal fit for kings’. Platinum is an outstandingly durable precious metal and the perfect metal for a lifetime investment piece of jewellery. That is why we use it as one of the metals for our wedding rings.
Care
Platinum will not fade or tarnish but, after time, the bright shine of platinum jewellery takes on a soft, aged patina. We love this material quality, but if you wish to keep it looking as good as new you can scrub lightly with a toothbrush and warm water.
Sterling silver
Solid silver is a beautiful metal with a bright tone. All of our silver pieces are cast in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and are hand filed and buffed. Once perfect, they are polished, matte barrelled in ceramic stones or blasted with iron filings to give them one of our signature finishes. Our pieces are 925 Sterling Silver, which is an alloy made of 92.5% pure Silver and 7.5% Copper.
Care
Silver is sensitive to H2O. Avoid water when wearing your piece because, over time, the sterling silver will oxidise. Did you know that the oils in your skin help keep silver from oxidising faster? So, wear often. When you do not wear your silver pieces, store them in your AMT pouch and box.
Patination
Patina
The nature of our Patina process means that every piece is different. The Patina process is used mainly in art and architecture for sculptures and buildings. Created by our amazing patina artist, we combine chemicals with our metal to oxidise using heat. We layer these chemical recipes expertly on to each product to create complex colours and textures.
We absolutely love this process. It is a true combination of art and science. Our chemical recipes include Titanium Oxide, Silver Nitrate, Iron Nitrate, Copper Nitrate and Potassium Sulphide. After creating the patina, we protect and preserve the surface with multiple layers of micro-crystalline and carnauba wax. If you like the sound of this you can read more about this process in our journal.
Care.
Our Patina pieces are formed by creating a chemical reaction on the surface of the brass. We seal this with the wax, so avoid rubbing this area unnecessarily. You may wish to re-apply some wax after a few years. Rub a sparing amount of carnauba wax on to the patina, leave to dry and polish off with a soft cloth. (In case you were wondering… Carnauba wax is an extremely useful natural renewable. It is harvested from the leaves of the Carnauba palm, which is only grown in certain regions of Brazil. It should not be confused with palm oil palms).
