Materials We Use

GLASS

Let’s start with the most important material. We use three different kinds of glass.

Borosilicate glass is the most shock resistant glass we use. It’s sometimes called hard glass. Clear borosilicate glass is what’s used in Pyrex kitchen dishes and in scientific glassware.

Borosilicate glass is stronger and harder than soft glass, making it the best choice where strength matters. We use borosilicate glass for all of our glass links and chains, for decorations and for all of our barware.

In the unlikely event that borosilicate glass gets damaged it can be repaired. Our clear borosilicate glass is sourced from a UK supplier and is made in the Czech Republic. Coloured borosilicate glass comes from a UK supplier and is made in Bulgaria, USA and China.

Soft glass sounds like an oxymoron. It’s still hard. Soft glass is also known as soda lime glass as it’s made from soda, silica and lime. If you’ve ever been to Venice most of the glass you’ll see there is soft glass. Soft glass needs less heat to melt it. Where it differs to borosilicate is how it reacts to changes in temperature.

Borosilicate copes well with extreme temperature changes (that’s why you can put a Pyrex dish from the freezer into a hot oven). Soft glass needs much more careful handling otherwise it will shatter. That means that part of the skill in working with soft glass is keeping everything warm.

So why use soft glass? Soft glass comes in a much wider range of colours. As it’s easier to melt it lends itself well to beads and tiny sculptures. The tint glass stitch markers we make would be really tricky in borosilicate glass – by the time the glass was hot enough to manipulate the thin steel rods (mandrels) we use to make beads would have melted.

Our soft glass comes from a UK supplier and is made in either Italy, Germany or China

Recycled Glass comes from bottles and jars. It’s like soft glass to work with, but there’s no guarantee that it will combine with any other glass, so our recycled glass pieces are all made with glass from a single bottle. We’re fans of the beautiful blue of Bombay Sapphire gin bottles, and the emerald green of Gordons gin also works well.

Glass has a number called the coefficient of expansion (COE) The lower this is the less the glass expands when it’s heated. Borosilicate glass has a COE of 33. The soft glass we use has a COE of 104. Recycled glass – we don’t know. It can vary from batch to batch so we treat each bottle as a separate batch and don’t combine it. Mixing glass with different COE values is a recipe for disaster – as the glass cools and shrinks different amounts it will splinter and shatter, so each type of glass needs to be kept separate.

All of our glass is kiln annealed to ensure durability. This removes any stress created by heating and cooling while making pieces. We’re always happy to reuse glass. Soft and recycled glass can go back into household recycling. Borosilicate glass can be returned to us for reuse.

FINDINGS
Findings are the little parts that make up a piece of jewellery, stitch marker or decoration. They’re the extras like jump rings and head pins which allow beads to be mounted. We also include chains in this.

Stainless Steel

We use stainless steel jump rings, headpins and chains for our jewellery. Stainless steel is durable and does not tarnish. We use 316 grade surgical stainless steel for all of our chains, as this is best for sensitive skin. Using stainless steel allows us to offer more affordable pricing and heavier chains. We buy our stainless steel findings from a UK manufacturer.

Our pins and plant decorations are also made from stainless steel.

Sterling Silver

We use sterling silver for our link pendants. We buy chain made from recycled silver from a UK stockist. The silver chains used in our jewellery weigh less than 7 grams so are not hallmarked.

Silver Plated

We don’t use silver plated findings. It’s common for the very fine layer of silver to wear away exposing the base metals, and these can cause skin irritation.

PACKAGING
We’re very keen that your goods arrive with you safely. We’ve never had glass arrive in less than perfect condition because we pack carefully.

Wood

Glass chain link necklaces and larger pieces come in an engraved oak box. This gives your jewellery a safe space when it’s not being worn and makes the glass extra gift worthy. Our oak boxes come from a UK stockist and are made from sustainably managed wood.

Metal

Almost everything else we sell comes in tins. The tins are made from tinplate (that’s steel with a thin layer of tin). Why? Putting a solid buffer round your goods protects them in the post. If we didn’t do this we’d need cardboard boxes which would need to be bigger to allow for more packaging. Card is easily recycled but it’s seldom reused, so tins felt like a much better solution.

Tins make great storage. If you decide you no longer want them they’re much loved by charity shops, playgroups and anyone who makes stuff (and for whom there will never be enough storage). Our tins can easily be recycled as they’re made from the same stuff as cans for food.

Cardboard Boxes and Tubes

Where tins won't  fit or won't be used for storage we use cardboard boxes and tubes. We buy packing materials made from recycled card, use paper tape and paper bubble wrap.

We'll reuse plastic bubble wrap if we receive it, but we don't buy it.

Stickers

We use stickers on our tins. These are printed on a film made from wood pulp thats 100% plastic free.

Card and Paper

We buy recycled card and paper packaging which can be easily recycled. Business cards, leaflets and gift cards are all printed on recycled paper too.

If there’s anything you’d like to suggest or ask please get in touch via the contact us form.