In all our products we use Grade AAA Cubic Zirconia which is a synthetic gemstone developed in 1977 to simulate a flawless diamond. The Cubic Zirconia is a fully faceted synthetic stone which replicates the characteristics of a flawless diamond more closely than other gem material. Even trained jewellers cannot tell the difference between a Cubic Zirconia and a diamond with the naked eye. Cubic Zirconia is the most successful simulated diamond using properties such as refraction, hardness and specific gravity which are remarkably similar to a diamond. The term Cubic Zirconia is also known as a simulated diamond or man made diamond.
Our material philosophy
Sterling Silver 925 material (Nickel free)
All of our new products are now made from Sterling Silver and are 925 stamped. (Available mid 2010)
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals. The sterling silver standards has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925.
Fine silver (99.9% pure) is generally too soft for producing large
functional objects; therefore, the silver is usually alloyed with
copper to give it strength, while at the same time preserving the ductility and beauty of the precious metals.
Other metals can replace the copper, usually with the intent to improve
various properties of the basic sterling alloy such as reducing casting porosity, eliminating firescale, and increasing resistance to tarnish. These replacement metals include germanium, zinc and platnium, as well as a variety of other additives, including silicon and boron. A number of alloys, such as Argentium Sterling Silver
have appeared in recent years, formulated to lessen firescale or to
inhibit tarnish, and this has sparked heavy competition among the
various manufacturers, who are rushing to make claims of having the
best formulation. However, no one alloy has emerged to replace copper
as the industry standard, and alloy development is a very active area.
Rhodium 925 Sterling Silver material (Nickel free & Not stamped)
The founder of TBS believes that only pure Sterling Silver should have the 925 stamp. Any materials that have a mix of Rhodium is not pure Sterling silver and to have it stamped 925 sterling silver is miss leading to consumers.
In all of our previous products we used Rhodium 925 Sterling Silver which is the electro-deposition of rhodium for oxidation resistance combined with surface hardness. A material that gives metals a silver / platinum tone finish. A rhodium 925 sterling silver finish is darker than a sliver plated finish and darkens with time rather than tarnishing like silver plate. The quality and tone of rhodium plating is far more superior than any other plating.
18ct Gold Plating (Nickel free)
The material used in our gold collection is made of 18ct gold plating. Gold plating of silver is used in the manufacture of all gold fashion jewellery. Like copper, silver atoms diffuse into the gold layer, causing slow gradual fading of its color and eventually causing tarnishing of the surface. This process may take months and even years, depending on the thickness of the gold layer. A barrier metal layer is used to counter this effect. All our 18ct gold items are made of high quality plating, the gold material has taken 2 years to process to ensure the quality is exactly like solid gold.
