WaddoupsWonders HomeWaddoupsWonders is located in Bedford, Texas (in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth area). We are jewelry artists, not a jewelry store. Each piece is handmade, heirloom quality and is, therefore, one of a kind. Since we are handcrafting each piece, you may have input into your creation. If you see something on our web site, but would like a different color or size, email us and we can give you a quote on how long it will take to complete. Sometimes we are presented with a photograph of another artist's work and asked if we can "make something like this." That's similar to asking your cottage artist to duplicate a Picasso; it can be done, but it will never be a Picasso. We make every attempt not to encroach upon another artst's intellectual property (their designs), although we often incorporate similar techniques or even similar designs in our work (we try to give credit in our descriptions when we do this). If you love that particular design, or piece of art, you would be better off purchasing the item directly from the artist. Even if we could duplicate the materials and techniques, it would be a little different than what you have in mind. The original artist probably spent many, many hours designing the item, even making prototypes, and sometimes discovering the exact skill to make that item perfectly. Honor them by purchasing their artwork directly. Do not expect to find inexpensive costume jewelry on these pages. If you are looking for inexpensive costume jewelry, we suggest visiting stores like Chaming Charlies, Sam Moon, Claire's or any of a number of "mall stores." These stores are specifically for those who love changing their look all the time at little cost. The can keep the cost down by employing "third world sweat shops" to do their piece work and purchasing huge bulk quantities. Chances are, someone you know owns that same creation. The jewelry we create is made primarily with precious silver, sterling silver, or argentium (tarnish resistant silver) unless otherwise noted. We make a lot of our jewelry sculptures from Art Clay (TM) or PMC (TM). Silver items sculpted from these are 99.9% silver. Fine silver is better than 999/1000 (99.9%) silver and is very soft; this makes fine silver wire wonderful for wire weaving. Precious silver has no copper in it. Precious silver is more malleable than sterling silver, and will develop a patina over time. These can be kept in their bright phase with simple cleaning with a jewelry cloth available at most hobby shops. Some of our sculptures have been specially treated to create a patina using a liver of sulfur dip. This creates yellow to black highlights in the carved areas of the silver. You can polish that out. If this does happen and you would like your piece dipped again, please contact us. If you see something in silver, but can not wear anything but gold, contact us and we can give you a quote on how much the piece would cost to create in gold. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloy by law. The alloy is generally copper, but may be a combination of copper, nickel, zinc or other metals. The alloy is what most people react to when wearing sterling silver. Argentium is still considered sterling silver (not less than 93% silver), but the 7.5% alloy has been replaced with a germanium/copper mix. Germanium is an element similar to tin that makes the silver resistant to tarnish, and gives it several other properties favored by silversmiths. Some people who are sensitive to silver and base metals can wear gold filled jewelry. These pieces are marked "GF." By definition, the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped GF must equal at least 1/20 the weight of the total item. 1/20 12kt, 10kt and 14kt GF are common karatages. Unless otherwise noted, our GF items are 14kt. Gold filled items, even with daily wear, can last five to 30 years but will eventually wear through. For this reason, we recommend using rubber backs for pierced earrings rather than GF wingnuts; however, you have the option of ordering either. Under normal wear and with reasonable care, 14KGF jewelry will not peel, flake, or wear off. It is tarnish-resistant like solid 14 karat gold and is safe for most people with sensitive skin who can wear solid 14 karat gold jewelry. Gold-filled items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate. Gold filled is 20% gold, 14K gold is 65% gold, 24K is 100% gold. White gold is created by alloying yellow gold with palladium, nickel, zinc or silver. We are currently experimenting with niobium, a soft metallic material that can be permanently color treated. Niobium is extremely soft and malleable. We are receiving good reports that people with sensitive ears are able to wear the niobium earwires. Some of our colored wire is aluminum or copper and may be combined with the niobium earwire. Be sure to read the descriptions carefully. We do not use plastic. We use only glass beads. Our pieces with SwarovskiŽ crystal are the most sought after. We prefer using the more expensive SwarovskiŽ crystals for many reasons. SwarovskiŽ uses machinery that precisely cuts each crystal. SwarovskiŽ crystals are perfectly uniform. Since they are machine cut, each crystal is the same. This means that the height, width and slope are consistent. The precision cutting of SwarovskiŽ machinery allows each crystal to have its facet juncture "pointing up". This means the facet junctures all meet at precisely the same point, similar to diamond faceting. The SwarovskiŽ company creates its glass with a special compound that imitators cannot duplicate. This special compound with 32% lead creates the incredible brilliance of their product. The lack of bubbles inside the crystal, and the delicate color palette are other qualities that set SwarovskiŽ crystal components apart from others. The lampwork beads are made by other designers and noted in the design description if known. Gemstones are thoroughly described to the best of our knowledge. Gemstones are sold by the carat weight based on current market prices. Our gemstones are not museum quality. You will see naturally occurring inclusions in most of them. Inclusions are desired in gemstones - this is what proves they are real. Semiprecious stones are also described to the best of our knowledge. We obtain our gemstones and semiprecious stones through reputable gemologists and lapidary suppliers. We do not trade with companies who do not know the origins of their stones, nor do we purchase "conflict" stones of any kind. All coral items are obtained from the common corals and not the endangered corals. Most of our enamels are lead free; however, the leaded glass produces a more vibrant color and is used in some pieces, especially those with reds. Please read the description carefully, especially when purchasing for children. Many of the wonders on this site were created with very small pieces and should not be placed into the hands of children. Small components can be a serious choking hazard. California's Lead in Jewelry Law: Effective September 1, 2007, for children's jewelry and March 1, 2008, for all other jewelry, including but not limited to body piercing jewelry, a person must not manufacture, ship, sell, or offer for retail sale or offer for promotional purposes jewelry in California unless it is made entirely from one or more of the materials specified in the law.
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References:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_filled_jewelry
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