FAQs
What materials do you use to make your Jewellery?
I have made a conscious decision to only use solid yellow Gold and Silver metals for environmental reasons. This is because solid metals can always be reused and recycled. I have more gold options on the website as this my preferred metal to work with- I’m a sucker for gold!
Where possible, I use recycled materials in my work. Currently, my studio space only allows me to melt small pieces of metal, I mostly use recycled materials and wire from a UK supplier that recycles the metal for me.
Can you make a ring out of my own old Jewellery?
Unfortunately, I am unable to do this kind of work because I don’t have some of the equipment necessary for melting and reworking bigger pieces of metal.
Can you cast from my own metal?
Not many casting companies do this, typically professional casting companies cast multiple items at the same time. When using a customers own metal you have to cast the design individually. When I cast my designs with my caster it is done with many other jewelers’ items.
When casting multiple items, we are able to use smaller sprues, which are the little pipes of gold that lead into the design I’m casting. You need up to three times as much gold as your ring will need to do the casting. That extra gold goes into the sprue. When casting multiple pieces, the sprues can be much shorter compared to a single casting - this is where you can waste gold.
When you cast a single design you have to use a single casting can, This costs the customer an extra £50- £100
I would recommend remelting the gold and using it this way, this is a different process, where by you are not wasting the gold. Many jewellers do this in house, but my studio is not set up to do it. I use metal that has already been recycled for me. This cuts my labor time.
Personally, I am not comfortable using sentimental material when relying on third party companies. I do trust these companies as they are highly skilled at what they do, however, It does leave me vulnerable if something were to go wrong, which can happen during the casting process.
Can a piece be made with White gold?
When using white gold most of the time customers expect the bright “white” finish, this finish is created by using Rhodium plating. To my knowledge, this Plating process involves the use of toxic chemicals. Several chemicals are used, including acid cleaners, alkaline cleaners, abrasives, solvents and cyanaurate (cyanide) disposal of these chemicals threatens ecosystems. Although these can be neutralized, in practice there is still a considerable negative environmental impact.
As it has no long-lasting value to the appearance of jewellery, plating is essentially superfluous. To produce and use chemicals for such a purpose seems futile considering the negative impact it has on the environment. This is the same process for any gold plating.
I also think plating doesn’t age well. A white gold piece of jewellery will soon develop a ‘discoloured’, ‘yellowy’ patch where it wears most. This is where the natural gold colour comes through.
Plating can wear in patches where it receives the most knocks so you end up with a patchy piece of jewellery.
If you want to keep the original white colour it means having to re-plate your jewellery regularly, this is recommended every 1-2 years and for jewellery pieces that are worn often every 3 months to a year.
White gold is beautiful and I can understand it’s appeal and benefits, it’s just not a material I choose to work with.
Do you work with platinum?
I do not work with platinum at the moment. This is because it is different to working with Silver and Gold. You need a completely different set of tools to avoid cross contamination. It also requires high heat which my studio is not set up for.
let's talk diamonds!
I love working with Ocean Diamonds ltd, specialists in marine diamonds. They are a UK company based in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Ocean Diamonds are responsibly sourced marine diamonds. These diamonds are obtained from the seabed with minimal environmental impact. There is a short and fully traceable supply chain from diver to delivery.
Diamond diving is a low-impact method of retrieval with minimal disturbance and minimal legacy left by the divers.
There is also no digging, explosives or trawling of the seabed used in the process. In my opinion these are a great choice if you are wanting a natural and ethical diamond.
Ocean Diamonds are exceptionally high-quality stones due to the nature of their journey, only the purest diamonds survive the power of the ocean. The rare and unique qualities of an Ocean Diamond are reflected in the price. They retail at a much higher price than a lab grown diamond. They are also not mass produced like a lab grown diamond.
They are completely natural and free from artificial treatment.
By opting for an Ocean Diamond, you can have confidence that you are supporting fair labour practices and social development in the communities where the diamonds are sourced.
Ocean Diamonds work with local diamond divers, diamond sorters, cutters and polishers in South Africa who work in the industry by choice and are fairly paid.
I use conflict free gemstones that are apart of the Kimberly process. The Kimberley Process (KP) is a commitment to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain. Today, participants actively prevent 99.8% of the worldwide trade.
lab-grown diamonds Vs Natural?
Although lab-created diamonds are conflict-free, it takes a lot of energy to use them. Many lab grown diamonds are largely produced in countries where renewable energy is largely lacking.
The environmental impact of lab-grown diamonds varies, depending on the local regulations in place and the policies of the producers. For example, some will use solar power. This reduces the emissions and environmental impact of their stones.
The energy source used to create lab grown diamonds needs to be considered and the manufacturers may take steps to reduce the energy, thus making it more sustainable.
The fact of the matter is, it’s hard to define what “eco-friendly” jewellery looks like and it’s a really complex subject.
I believe there needs to be more transparency, before lab grown diamonds can be called eco friendly or labelled carbon neutral.
What about carbon neutral lab diamonds?
A company can offset its carbon emissions. This can be done through investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency or other clean, low-carbon technologies.
Off setting the carbon footprint is very easy for companies to do and it’s really a great way to give back to the planet- but companies need to be clear. The creation of the diamond is not carbon neutral - the carbon neutrality has simply been offset by a payment and the lab grown diamonds are not as “eco friendly” as you might think.
The natural diamond Industry
The natural diamond industry is now one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world and have made significant moves on improving workers rights, health and safety and community reinvestment.They support the communities in which they are discovered and mined, and the natural diamond mining companies are also making headway in reducing the carbon footprint of the diamond mining.
However, I am aware of the loop holes and challenges that it still faces.
My personal hope is that people will consume less. Buy once, buy well as the saying goes. You don't need a lot of jewellery, but a carefully curated and considered collection will last a lifetime. I don’t necessarily think lab grown diamonds are a bad alternative, if they are produced by a renewable energy source.
I think both natural and synthetic diamonds each have a part to play in the jewellery industry.
In my opinion, laboratories might be able to replicate the physical properties of a diamond, but they can not replicate the provenance and magic that only a natural diamond retains. They have taken thousands of years to form naturally in the earth and I think that’s extremely unique and wonderful.
My preference would be to work with Ocean Diamonds but I understand it’s not suited to everyone’s budgets.
For further info, I found this article by the Guardian to be insightful
What about Gemstones?
Currently, I use natural Sapphires. Unlike the diamond industry, which uses large-scale, heavily-mechanized operations, about 70% of the world's colored gemstones are mined by small-scale, artisanal mining operations. As a result, the gemstone industry is generally less disruptive to the environment and more likely to benefit the communities where they're found.
Having said this I recognize the impact this still has on the environment, lab grown gemstones will always be better for the environment provided the energy source to make them is renewable.
There is a bigger picture though, when it comes to the lab vs Naturals debate, it can be argued that natural gemstones have the biggest opportunity to lift people out of poverty all over the world - there's less barriers to entry than in the diamond industry and it's not expensive to start digging for gemstones. Lab grown gemstones do not provide as many jobs as the mined industry does and they do not provide them in places where they are needed most.
What my gemstone supplier states:
“We are in business with reputable dealers and manufacturers who are sourcing in a sustainable and ethical way. As each member of the supply chain depends on the other for their cash flow. profits are shared throughout the supply chain - from the person who finds the rough (the rarer it is the more lucrative the reward), the land owner, the license owner, the person who owns the water pump, to the cutter and to the ultimate buyer.
Prospering each member and their families of this vast industry.
Sapphires and rubies originate from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, Madagascar, Vietnam - these regions are/have become conflict-free. most our gemstones are from these regions.
We value all of our stakeholders highly, from employees to suppliers and look to build an enduring and trust-worthy business with customers. With all the treatments going on in the trade, we believe full disclosure is a must. Dealing in an ethical way is a way to create good karma and a fruitful business”
I love the different shades and colours a natural sapphire provides, scientists create Lab sapphire, whereas the earth makes natural sapphire. In addition, natural sapphires come in more colours and clarities than a lab sapphire. For example, lab blue sapphire will always be a pure blue, without tint. On the other hand, natural sapphire can also be greenish blue or violet blue.
While lab sapphires can attain some of the lesser seen color varieties available in natural stones-even Padparadscha sapphires-they're always going to be limited ranges of the chosen colour when compared to the variety of natural sapphires.
This applies to purple, pink, green, yellow, and champagne varieties as well. Whilst natural and lab sapphires are both stunning, when it comes to their colorful displays, you’ll just get many more shade options with natural stones.
Hallmarking
It is a legal requirement to have items consisting of silver, palladium, gold or platinum independently tested and then hallmarked. Items must bear a hallmark at point of sale, subject to the following weight exemptions:
Silver: mandatory for items above 7.78 grams; gold: mandatory for items above 1 gram; palladium: mandatory for items above 1 gram; platinum: mandatory for items above 0.5 grams.
Mor Studios gold jewellery is very dainty and the majority of my designs fall below the threshold for mandatory hallmarking (1 gram).
Any stock that falls above the mandatory weights above is hallmarked by the London Assay Office, before it is dispatched to customers.
If your piece falls under the mandatory weight for hallmarking but you would still like a Hallmark, please get in touch as this is something I can offer for an extra fee. It will also increase lead time so please take this into consideration.
Do you do commissions?
As most of the Jewellery I make is made to order, this process takes all of my time in the studio so unfortunately I don’t have enough time to do specific commissions. However, I am able to tweak and customize certain designs, such as thicker ring bands, ect so please feel free to get in touch.
What is my ring size and how can I measure it?
In the UK ring sizes are measured alphabetically from A-Z.
I can send a free ring sizer once a ring order has been placed to help you find your correct ring size. If you no longer need the ring sizer you can post it back to me in a envelope to reuse.
A few tips on getting the size right...
• Fingers can react to temperatures. When it is warm, they tend to swell and when it is cold, they will shrink. Avoid measuring your ring size on a particularly cold or warm day to get a more accurate measurement. Taking a few measurements throughout they day can also help.
• The best time of day to measure is in the evening as they tend to also fluctuate throughout the day.
• When two sizes seem to fit always go with the larger one.
Some of us have bigger, more prominent knuckles than others, and men tend to have bigger knuckles than women. It helps to measure the base of your finger (at the palm end) and the knuckle separately, then pick a suitable size somewhere in between the two.
•Other factors can affect ring size include exercising, water retention, pregnancy and aging.
I like a ring on your site but it’s not my size, can it be altered?
I can resize most of the rings that I make, however, some are more difficult than others so please get in touch if you have any questions.
For orders over £200 I can send a free ring sizer out to you.
Will my jewellery tarnish?
While tarnishing is a natural process that cannot be prevented, it can be slowed down, but you will still need to clean the tarnished layer at some point. This is why I provide a complimentary cleaning cloth with some of my pieces. Please see my jewellery care page for more info on how to prevent and clean tarnish.
Tarnishing can be accelerated by contact with tap water (because it contains chlorine), hand sanitizer, a number of foods (e.g., salad dressings), your perfume and hair spray, and even wool.
Check out the Jewellery care page for more info on how to prevent tarnish and look after your Jewellery.