Our Materials & Care Guide
Find out more about the materials we use at A&M, and how to care for your all day, everyday jewels.
Our Materials & Care Guide
Find out more about the materials we use at A&M, and how to care for your all day, everyday jewels.
Our Materials
14k Gold
14k solid gold is a precious metal made of 58.3% pure gold. This makes these pieces durable and hard wearing, as well as a warm golden tone, so you can wear it all day, every day. Our 14k gold is 100% recycled, and 98% comes from Responsible Jewellery Council accredited suppliers, making it a low impact and circular choice for your jewellery box.
Our Materials
9k Gold
We use 9 karat yellow, white or rose gold for our welded jewellery. 9k gold is made from 37.5% pure gold, and it’s known for being strong and hard wearing. We chose this for our welding collection because of its soft colour tone and its durability (so you never have to take it off).
70% of our jewellery is made from recycled metals, and 90% of our product comes from Responsible Jewellery Council accredited suppliers. We’re always working to better this number, choosing resources to make low impact & circular additions to your jewellery box.
Our Materials
Recycled Sterling Silver
Our silver-based pieces are created using recycled sterling silver. They’re made from 92.5% pure silver, and then plated in 18k yellow gold, 18k rose gold or rhodium to help with durability and to minimise scratching. All of our recycled jewellery goes through a refining process where we remove any impurities, making the quality equal to mined metal.
Our Materials
Plated Brass
Our bolder jewellery is made using plated brass, which is used as a more affordable and durable option for statement jewellery. Our brass pieces are plated in 18k yellow gold, 18k rose gold or rhodium to help with durability.
Freshwater Pearls
We use cultured freshwater pearls, which are hand selected for each design. Every pearl is unique as we are - all different sizes, shapes and colours.
Our Materials
Semi-Precious Stones
We use a range of semi-precious stones and beads in our jewellery, from our birthstone necklaces to beaded jewels. When choosing our semi-precious stones we look at their colour and depth, as well as the meaningful healing properties that the stones carry. We always use genuine semi-precious stones, but sometimes we enhance the stones to bring out the colour. This means that each stone is slightly different, but equally beautiful.
Our Materials
Cubic Zirconias
We use cubic zirconias in our sterling silver pieces to add the sparkle of a diamond, without the price tag. It makes shimmering jewellery more accessible, without compromising on finish.
Semi-Precious Birthstones
The ultimate sentimental souvenir, made from 14k gold and semi-precious stones.
Jewellery Care
How to store your jewellery
The more you care for your jewellery, the longer it will last. To keep your pieces shining, we recommend keeping them in the original jewellery boxes, or in airtight jewellery cases - like our leather jewellery cases.
Jewellery Care By Material
Our solid gold pieces are designed to be worn all day, every day - but even the strongest of materials need a little love and care. If you find that your pieces are losing their shine, use the polishing cloth enclosed, or soap and warm water, to bring them back to life.
To keep your plated jewellery's shine, we recommend to avoid exposure to water, sweat or perfumes, as this can cause your jewellery to tarnish and oxidise. As a general rule, your jewels should be the last thing you put on in the morning, and the first thing you take off at night.
The best way to care for your sterling silver jewellery is to wear them often - the natural oils in your skin can help with any oxidation.
To care for your gemstones, we recommend avoiding water and perfumes. As the colour on some semi-precious stones can be affected by exposure to direct sunlight, we recommend that you store these items in the jewellery box or pouch they come in. If you need to clean jewellery with gemstones, wipe them gently with a microfibre cloth.
You'll need to care for your freshwater jewels to keep their unique shine. Remember to keep them away from water where you can. Plus, direct contact with cosmetics can cause marks or fading. Keep freshwater pearl pieces in your sealed A&M pouch and, if you need to clean them, wipe with a microfibre cloth.