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Our line of findings are either custom-designed or sourced directly from factories in raw materials and then plated to the highest standard by our contracted plating plant in China. By doing so, we are able to provide the best quality, latest designs, and trendiest finishes that are normally only available to the largest high-end jewelry manufacturers.
All our findings are nickel-free, lead-free, and tarnish-resistant. The underlying materials are either brass, base metal, or lead-free alloy. Brass, of course, is better and more expensive because it is more pliable and provides a crisp design. Brass is ideal for crimping beads, eye pins, head pins, or other findings which have to be worked on. Brass is also better for those desings that require fine, sharp details. Base metal and Lead-free alloy provide economical alternatives with designs sometimes not achieavable in brass but they are not suitable for all findings since they are not as pliable as brass. Base metal castings also are not as clean or crisp as brass castings; we usually carry them in spacers and clasps only.
For quality control, we constantly test our findings to ensure that they do not peel, rust, or break easily. They are all suitable to use with gemstones, semi-precious stones, pearls, or other beads where high quality findings are necessary to make a lasting, unique, and upscale designer piece.
We currently carry 7 different plating or colors:
Rhodium Plated: These are plated with real rhodium (a type of platinum). This is the highest quality plating available. Due to the hardness of rhodium and our high standard of plating, these findings are the best available, and are exactly the same color as platinum. Currently, clasps are the only findings we carry in rhodium plated.
Real Silver Plated: These are plated with real bars of silver, not silver powder or silver solution. The result is a very thick coating of silver that looks and feels just like sterling silver and that takes on the same properties as silver and can be polished with silver cloth when oxidized. Since silver plated pieces are not as expensive as sterling silver, we are able to provide many more choices and designs that are just too expensive to be made in sterlings. Many designers mix our silver plated findings with sterlings to cut down cost and to provide a beautiful and sophisticated piece to the most demanding customers.
Real Gold Plated: These are bonded (plated) with real gold in the same method as gold-filled findings, just not as thick a coating to provide a more economical alternative. We have 14kt, 18kt, and 24kt gold plated findings. Due to a protective, anti-tarnish coating, these findings last a very long time. Please do not confuse our real gold plated findings with other "gold color" findings which are plated with a solution to simulate gold but not real gold. The gold color findings tarnish easily and we do not sell them online.
Rose Gold Plated: Plated with real 18 karat rose gold in the same process as the real gold plated findings above but provide a softer look. This is our newest plating and is extremely popular. The softer color makes it ideal to work with all colors of gemstones, pearls, or beads.
Antique Copper Plated: Available in either green or red antiqued copper, this color is done in true 2-step processes to achieve a stressed look, not just a copper plating with black stains. The stress process gives these findings an uneven antique look just like real antique pieces.
White Gold Color: These are plated with a solution that simulate the color of white gold or platinum to provide a more economical alternative findings but maintain our high standard of plating. White gold color findings are our most economically priced findings and are suitable for all beads and jewelry.
Gun Metal Color: A true bright black plating but slightly softer due to the color, these findings should be handled more gently when using pliers but are still tarnish-resistant.
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