FAQs

How Collection Releases Work

All items offered for sale through this website are made by hand, making every piece unique. I create a collection over the course of a few weeks to months, then release it at a set day and time that is communicated through this website and the Wjld By Design Instagram account.

Most items offered for sale are ready-made, however sometimes there will be designs listed that I will create to order. If an item is made-to-order, this will be clearly stated in the listing description.

I'm a one-person business and do my best to ship items as soon as I possibly can after you place your order.

Metals Explained

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is an alloy comprised of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of another material (usually copper). It is harder and more durable than pure/fine silver and hence more suitable for jewellery making. Most components of Wjld By Design silver jewellery are made from sterling silver, with the exception of bezels which are generally made from fine silver.

Fine Silver

Fine silver refers to 99.9% silver. It is softer but less prone to tarnishing than sterling silver. Most bezels on Wjld By Design silver jewellery are made from fine silver.

Gold-Filled

Gold-filled metal consists of a thin layer of karat gold bonded to a brass or other metal core. The gold layer of gold-filled metal is much thicker (around 100 times) than gold-plated metal and lasts much longer - up to a lifetime with proper care. It is a more affordable alternative to solid gold karat.

Turquoise Explained

About

Turquoise is a mineral that varies in colour generally between shades of blue and green, depending on the presence of iron. It is mined in many different parts of the world, with most turquoise currently available on the market originating from mines in south-west United States, China, Kazakstan, Mexico and Egypt. The turquoise from each mine generally contains unique characteristics, from colour to the matrix formed by inclusions such as pyrite and surrounding mine rock bed.

Turquoise is a porous material that change colour when exposed to other influences in the environment, such as chemicals in lotions, grease/oil and even the minerals in some tap water! Some turquoise is treated to protect it (referred to as "stabilized"), which reduces the likelihood of it changing colour over time, however natural turquoise is more prone to absorbing other substances and turquoise jewellery should be removed when showering etc. to preserve it.

Turquoise: the colour vs the mineral

Much of the mass produced, commercially available jewellery labelled turquoise that you'll find in stores - especially at lower price points - uses the term "turquoise" to refer to the colour, not the type of stone used. If you dig a little deeper, you'll often find that this jewellery is made from a mineral called howlite, which is dyed to give it the signature turquoise-like hues. Howlite is a harder, less expensive mineral than turquoise, and can look deceptively similar to the untrained eye. Next time you're looking to purchase turquoise jewellery, be sure to check that it truly is turquoise that you're buying and not a cheaper substitute.