Caring for your BlackDeer Jewellery
Our aim is to produce every day, wearable demi-fine jewellery and longevity is key to our ethos. Taking small steps to care for your BlackDeer Jewellery will mean you preserve your pieces for longer. Follow these simple steps:

• Storage! Your jewellery will come in a pouch and a small plastic pocket - keeping it in this pocket is a good idea to avoid scratches. Storing it out of direct sunlight and away from heat is also a good idea.
• Polish or clean it with a gentle microfibre cloth (such as a lens cloth) but NO chemicals. Gold-filled items ONLY can be cleaned in warm, lightly soapy water. Rinse well after, and dry gently. Before you store your jewellery, ensure it's fully dry.
• Last thing on, first thing off! When you're getting ready for the day, always put your jewellery on last to minimise contact with chemicals found in perfumes, creams, make-up etc, and take it off before showering, removing make-up etc. Always remove your jewellery before bathing, swimming, gyming - any high intensity activity.

---

About the jewellery we use and source
Gold-Filled

Gold-filled (GF), also referred to as rolled gold, gold bonded, gold overlay or gold layer is a solid choice due to its relevant strength and affordability. It is one 'step' below gold jewellery and is created by mechanically bonding 5% of gold onto a metal alloy or base metal such as brass. GF must contain this 1/20th or 5% of gold value to be called gold filled. It has a distinct layer of permanent gold that won't flake, peel or fall off. It does require a little care to make it last and to keep it shining (see above). All of our chains and studs are gold-filled, alongside our multi-charm bracelets and necklaces and is nickel free meaning good for those with allergies or sensitivities.

Gold Vermeil: Our personal favourite, pronounced ver-may, is a base of sterling silver that is plated with a thick layer of gold. It is also known as silver gilt or gilded silver, using a base of one precious metal (sterling silver) plated with a second precious metal (gold). In order to be referred to as Gold Vermeil an item must be plated with 2.5 microns of gold or above - a micron is one millionth of a meter. As the base metal is sterling silver, it should be marked with '925' which is the recognised sterling silver hallmark. The majority of our pendants are gold vermeil, hallmarked and plated with 2.5 microns. As it's made from precious metals, it is nickel free again good for allergies and sensitivities. 


Gold Vermeil-style: As per Gold Vermeil with a sterling silver base but with a lighter plating of gold, i.e. 1 micron. We mostly carry vermeil jewellery, but carry a few pieces of vermeil-style jewellery, which is clearly labelled. Caring for these pieces is similar to caring for your gold vermeil jewellery.


Other Gold-Plated Jewellery not currently carried by BlackDeer
Each metal, precious or otherwise is taken at its own merit, and has its own space, either for affordability or other. See the following for some further information

• Gold plated: Standard gold-plating is approximately 0.5 microns and upwards over a base metal. We don't currently carry any gold-plated jewellery, but from time to time we may introduce pieces.
• Gold flashed: Also referred to as gold washed, this is a gold layer with a thickness of less than 0.5 microns over a base metal.