A little bit about the materials we use
Adirondack Agate
Argentium Silver
Sterling Filled
Czech Fire Polished Glass
Adirondack Agate
Harvested from the majestic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, these beautiful "stones" are actually a byproduct of mining and refining iron ore that began in the Mineville, Moriah, and Port Henry area around 1824...over 185 years ago. When iron ore was melted to pull out the pure iron, what was left is called "slag". This slag was then further refined by reheating and adding sand. The sand melted and grabbed on to the remaining minerals. After the iron sank to the bottom, the melted sand and minerals were skimmed off the top and dumped on the ground. It cooled to form this beautiful glass that we at Wicked Rebirth call "Adirondack Agate".
We have polished the stones used in most of our jewelry to remove dirt and debris: smoothing the rough glass edges and bringing out their true splendor. Each stone is unique due to the way the glass is formed. Fissures and dimples are common and some specimens have trace amounts of iron and gold. Imperfections add to the uniqueness of the piece and are not considered to be defects.
Argentium Silver
Silver has gone Green... well, metaphorically anyway. Argentium Silver is a new form of silver that is derived from reclaimed sources such as your old jewelry that you sent in for cash and that computer you sent off for recycling. It is also brighter, shinier, whiter and more tarnish resistant than Sterling. Not to mention that it is more pure of a silver. Sterling is .925 silver (as in 92.5% silver, 7.5% other stuff). The Argentium Silver wire we are using is .935 or better. Argentium does cost a little more than Sterling, but we have decided that it is a small price to pay for the added benefits to our customers AND to our Earth.
Sterling Filled
With the price of Silver steadily on the rise, a new form has emerged... Sterling Filled. We have all heard of Gold Filled items, right?..A thick layer of gold around a base metal core. Sterling filled is the same thing... a thick layer of Sterling over a brass core. This allows for the durability and beauty of Sterling to be used but costs about half what Solid Sterling does. The layer of silver is hundreds of times thicker than that of a plated item. Our Sterling Filled Wire contains 10% .925 silver or better by weight.
Czech Fire Polished Glass
A beautiy and sparkle that rivals Swarovski® at a fraction of the price