Hey Royal Fam,
Here at Q.A.C I'm right in the thick of the holiday season. With Thanksgiving complete and Christmas only days away, a really interesting question came across the webstore's Instagram page. In promoting one of the latest global additions to the accessories collection, I decided to post an image to the Q.A.C feed, a beautiful silver bangle from the Tuareg tribe of Niger.
After bunch of likes and comments later (thank guys!), someone asked, "Are they 925 sterling silver?" ... Now, while I answered the question, it gave me insight into the types of questions other culture lovers out there might have when considering the purchase of silver pieces, especially from an online space. I mean, lets be honest, there are tons of fly-by-night shops posting all sorts of items that don't live up to the hype when you finally receive the products in the mail. I totally get it. And while that may totally be the case for other other companies? I pride myself on representing Q.A.C with authenticity and full transparency.
We love informed customers over here so with that said, let's get into this quick silver informational! First up? It's important to know that silver in its purest form can be very soft and pliable. To strengthen it and make it user friendly for jewelry and a host of other uses, another metal is typically added to silver to serve as a strengthener. Almost always, the additional metal used is copper. Case in point, the Tuareg tribe bangles above from the Q.A.C webstore. Made of silver, they also have coper added. As mentioned, this not only strengthen the bangles (preventing them from being super malleable and breaking apart), but it gives them a pretty, ever so light golden undertone.
Purity Scale
In the U.S, while sterling silver is often considered the gold standard for jewelry. it's also important to realize that like most things, the purity of silver is on a spectrum, especially when talking about samples from around the globe. 100% of course would be completely pure silver while everything else falls somewhere on the ladder depending on the amount of copper (or other metal) that has been added to increase durability. As a quick purity guide, I have the following percents to help inform you when considering purchases.
Fine Silver / Ultra Fine Silver (99%) - Used in highly expensive heirloom pieces and government minting. When electroplating jewelry (the process of adding a thin layer of silver) this version of silver is often used as well.
Britannia Silver (95.8%) - Used only 25 years in Europe to replace sterling silver. Less common today.
Mexican Silver (95%) - A bit more malleable than American silver due to the higher concentration of silver used. Still in circulation today.
Russian Zolotnik Silver (94%) - Once commonly used in Russia, now found mostly in rare collectables.
Sterling Silver (92.5%) - Most common in jewlery making. Popular in the U.S. Strong enough for daily wear but able to still showcase the beauty and shine of the silver.
Egyptian / German Silver (80%) - Used historically throughout Europe and Africa. This silver pre-dates the use of sterling silver. Today it is often found in collector or antique heirloom pieces
Hopefully this guide breakdown was helpful as navigating the world of global jewlery and precious metals can definitely be a bit daunting.
New Collection
On a final note before I leave you all today, I wanted to announce the launch of a new collection for Q.A.C! As a designer I've taken a bit of time away from my clothing designs to conduct a full review and enhancement all of the current webstore collections. My thinking? Let's make sure Q.A.C is offering the best quality possible before creating something new ... Yet in the process, I discovered a new love ... Jewelry design! LOL! ... So much for no new things! Below is one of the 1st necklace piece I created.
Truth be told, I haven't always been a fan of wearing silver. But lately I've found myself so enamored by it! In my Ghanaian culture, my tribe name "Adwoa" means born on a Monday, daughter of Moon God(dess) Adwo ... With silver as Adwo's patron color, it looks like I'm finally coming into my full self and it just might explain my recent obsession with all things silver!
The launch of my new "Moon Goddess Collection," is a series of specially curated silver accessories from around the globe combined with my own unique jewelry creations using these culturally significant silver materials. Each piece has a power and energy all its own and I couldn't be prouder of this collection.
I'm beyond excited to continue my (and Q.A.C's) growth in this creative space and I'm so happy to have you here to join me. Feel free to check back often as new, rare pieces will be added as they are discovered. Interested? Tap the button below to see which Moon Goddess accessories are live in the webstore right now! ... And as always, the journey continues!
