STERLING 92.5 SILVER
999 sterling silver is refined with copper
regular testing results 92 to 95 % silver
316L SURGICAL STEEL
is practically nickel free
@0.03% it well complies with the E.U. Directive
giving nickel release below 0.5 microgram/cm2/week
A MIRROR POLISH IS ACHIEVED
BLACKLINE
A shiny rich black coating is applied to 316L S Steel
by physical vapour deposition giving wear resistant thin film.
UV ACRYLIC
Lets not call it plastic is from non toxic vinyl acrylonitrile.
After a lucky start , my travels over , no money, the early days of the nosepin trade ,
I went on up and down to deal with some of the best workers in the world ,
who to this day by hand , one by one claw set all the small stone pins .
Their fine work with fine metals produces repeatable demands. Random samples are broken up and sent off for testing , the best guarantee being regular orders with regular people . Now its off to Korea too , changing times-new Jewelry ,now i meet people who talk of machines and lasers , the steels and acrylics they use , lets not call it plastic . But the people as ever want to choose a choice , so i do hope you like mine . testing the metals searching pukka suppliers talking to you…
I was hopeing to tell you prices can stay the same ,that the war is over…but you know, its not like that at all !.
And so the man who spotted there is not enough silver in the world goes on to become the richest man in the world
He might well be american but everybody sees the prices coming from London (lme) .
In order to keep workers working or is it business businessing gillet abounds “,an alloy of other white metals hopefully not nickel – but it does give a good shine ! “ . . polish guarantee 6 months in the bag no guarantee once opened !. at the same rate pisraily silver was ten years ago !
ARTISAN FLORA prices are determined on an aggregated balanced average basis..so many prices are stable.- heavier items must cost more. it is not my aim to overtlly profit on stock , piece rates are still mostly determined by worker rates to ensure fine finish.
PIERCING
Piercing jewellery is said to be special , because its not like other jewelry ,when we sell a BCR barbell whatever we don’t know where its going into , skin ,cartilage , nipple , or an orifice – healed hole or open wound . The jewelry metal should be good , the European nickel directive is there . For ease some factories are annealing , their metal is soft –helpful ? Some are polishing some not , some are plating . Some are not even using 316 steel !
And does it matter if the ball is not 316L too , as long as it matches and the price is right .The Piercing jewellery business is not so special , it’s a jewelry business it mixes and matches .
316LSURGICAL STEEL supplied conforms to the EEC NICKEL DIRECTIVE , confirmed by ASSAY OFFICE , AND IS INCLUDED ON ALL JEWELERY
I am confident of the quality , compatibility , and usefulness of the Body Jewelry supplied
316 L STEEL is purchased from the most reputable KOREAN BODY PIERCING MANUFACTURER it is bright and shiny a mirror polish is achieved. , NICKEL PURITY CONFORMS TO THE EU DIRECTIVE ,The jewelery is usefull for all piercings , it is used by piercers everywhere .
BLACK LINE Is the same 316L steel with a polyvapourized (P.V.D) deposit being coated onto the jewelery , The same technology developed for anchor chains on boats , it might not come off .
UV ACRYLIC Is non toxic vinyl compound (acrylyonitrite)
Acrylics value is determined by machine costs and production . .
…SPIKY UV BALLS excepted -, are wantable, this ball has proliferated all over Bangkok like W.M.D , in many guises the balls aren’t all the same , neither is the steel. Finally the factory hopes it has overcome the threading problem , and for those who care for real steel , you don’t have to change the bars anymore I do that for you too!
NICKEL
My testing career continues , items are now to be checked for compliance to the EUROPEAN NICKEL DIRECTIVE (piercing) . this means that jewelry intended for pierced holes is to be tested for the rate at which nickel is released (if any) . all gold studs and silver studs and nose pins have been found to be releasing less than 0.1 units , -as against a permissible limit of 0.5 units/ .Several batches have been tested . the factories I use have always maintained that nickel is never knowingly added , and certainly never “polished” on. Nickel as an element can however be here there and everywhere.
Costume jewelry is another matter , given asian home markets , that actually like the everlasting shine of nickel , in order to supply the fashion market , certain warehouses in bangkok ,have been found to to have nickel plated items hanging alongside silver plated items . initially only jewelry specific to the directive were tested , now that i am confident of compliance , costume jewelry will be tested for release rates , as certain uninformed councils are treating all jewelry as being covered by the act .
92.5 SILVER
As a result of the nose pin cheating i took to testing silver in Thailand which had a better reputation – yet hardly any factory there tests its silver….it’s a matter of faith- as once i did trade with such faith . I believed and trusted everyone -the karma was all mine . but good karma does not come so easily if one is so deceived .
The lowest test recorded was 60% the average 89 %. Slowly over the past few years working with selected factories the majority of items are now melt testing 93 % +. , I am very pleased with the quality of the silver I offer you from Thailand ..
THAI HOOPS -simple hinged and ball joint hoops consistently test @ 93-95%
.BALI HOOPS TO 92.5 %
THAI STUDS CONSISTENTLY 92-94 % NOSE PINS too .
Hooks ,stud posts, butterfly backs (scrolls) and things that go inside are alL TO OR ABOVE 92.5% STANDARD
SUCCESS THAILAND They came from the north and set up in bangkok. they seemed good honest people with good simple designs claimed to be 99 % after all these years it was hard to believe…im so happy to say a melt test gave 99.3% .
.however there is a thriving white metal market , these items are silver plated –now too aluminium toe rings and hoops are silver plated
.Nickel plated items are also to be rejected
MELT TEST The item sample is weighed then boiled in nitric acid dissolving the silver , which is then reclaimed and weighed , giving a definite percentage – BEST FOR BUYING JEWELRY WHOLESALE as item is lost. ACID TEST Nitric acid solution is placed on the sample or the sample is streaked on a TOUCHSTONE -the quickness of reaction and intensity of colour change indicate the quality of the top metal . Accuracy is dependent on expertise and it is easy to be fooled by plated jewelry…GOOD FOR SELLING. I practise both methods but rely on melt test….the quality of the plated 60% snake chains i now supply is so good that it is hard to prove them not to be good silver by acid test only .
Gold
9K GOLD TESTS 9-1O K 18K GOLD TESTS 18-19K
To achieve quality of alchemy ; GOLD 999 yellow metal biscuits are purchased reputedly , refined in india with copper and silver to maintain workability-
NO SCRAP GOLD IS USED – SO NO OTHER NAUGHTY METALS WILL BE THERE.
9k 40 % gold 15% silver 45% copper
*18k 77% gold 6% silver 17% copper
Nickel no nickel is knowingly added to any metal ..samples are melt tested once with the workers and then again far away . be aware that cadmium solder is used for gold work -a statement concerning the pros and cons of cadmium solder will be made , for now the matter is with the suppliers – they are aware of their risk .
Indian artisans often “polish” their work with pure metal be it silver or gold , and they are expert…
GOLD NOSE PINS ARE NO LONGER PLATED ,at first i thought they were suggesting buffing…the problem then is consistency of colour as 9k balls etc supplied are often actually 14k.
Gold biscuits are no longer purchasable duty free so i am no longer taking them to India.
EXPANDER
VEG OR NON VEG
Some horn no doubt is collected from the wayside on full moon nights by wise gypsy women.
The rest of it comes from abbatoirs ..ARTISAN FLORA horn is from real halal post tsunami Sumatra,
giving supply and availability of all sizes, and good prices.
Don’t forget to remember a vegan in a 4×4 childcrusher has a smaller carbon footprint than a non veg cyclist.
STONES
STONES , THEIR VALUE AND SCAMS .
The first time someone said my stones were not sparkling like last time , i did not want to believe her. but it was true ,.. id been cheated again !
A good swarovski stone costs 1.25 , a cheap piece of glass .35 . multiply the difference by a couple of thousand , and it’s a nice little earner .
ALL IMITATION STONES FOR ALL CURRENT SILVER STUDS AND NOSEPINS ARE SWAROVSKI
(beckhums excepted 6 / 8 mm..
Real amethyst , garnet stones, are available as gold , silver nosepins .
.REAL DIAMONDS NOW TOO ARE AVAILABLE AS A GOLD NOSEPIN OR STUD , Spectralite , labradorite , amethyst , & garnet gemstone pendants , studs , and earings also available .
MISSION
LOCALLY GLOBAL TRADING POLICY.
Still about shanti small factories fair trade at fair local rates.
NO exploitation of children or anyone else.
Many jewels and crafts are purchased direct from owner/operators and traditional artisans.
NO demand for compromise on quality and labour.
pay and go happy to come again.
MISSION TO SAVE AND BEAUTIFY.
Through the supply of neat and clean nosepins, to be worn with pride,
-thus bringing peace and cleanliness to all.
Thru silver testing, honest buying and selling . quality of nose pins has risen.
however world peace is not so inevitable….but the nose pins are good.
JUST AND FAIR WHOLESALE SERVICE.
-HELPING YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT.
To hold stock for your demand parcels sent as per your order.
ADDING CREATIVITY TO THE WISDOM OF A VISION.
Believe that exquisite jewelery and quality come from honest mind and spirit
And from the principle of basics, visualizing possibilities
creating the future on this vision ,towards achievement toward success.
THAI HERBAL
AINCIENT WISDOM MASSAGE
INDIAN SILVER
HAND MADE INDIAN SILVER IS NOT YET AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE
Alchemy ; 999 PURE silver is refined with copper to maintain workability- no scrap metal is used . STERLING SILVER – 92.5 % silver 7.5 % copper is guaranteed.
NICKEL no nickel is knowingly added to any metal .
One main bazaar salesman once assured me there was no such thing as “Sterling Silver” in India !-Over the years i have proved him right and wrong ! , in his particular place he was right . exactly 92.5 silver is a mystical value rarely achieved in Asia. A mystical value yet an attainable quality .
Besides normal cheating, silver can be lost due to incorrect mixing, to resolve this items are mostly made to order as continuing business with selected factories that are aware that the product will be melt tested for chemical analysis. some deviation is there of course. suppliers are chosen not only for purity of metals but quality of workmanship. All items by ACID TEST will test as good silver. larger items are hallmarked (a.f.).* Even the inside pieces are checked because they too should be silver…is that not so ! -consistency of parts is a problem that easily goes undetected . the item is 92.5 but are the jump rings etc . INDIAN BUTTERFLY BACKS OFTEN CONTAIN NO SILVER…even from silver shops ! . hanging bells and beads so too..I often take jewelry to pieces to ascertain such discrepancy, and they don’t like It! Nowadays i only use pliers to break jewelry ! .
In case of faulty workmanship pieces may be returned but please be sympathetic to the nature of the work
.Melt testing does not reveal presence of cadmium..
INDIAN RINGS , PENDANTS -BANDS AND PLAIN SILVER CAN TEST @ 93%
HAND MADE INDIAN CHAINS 91-93% , i have hallmarked many , the first time it happened i couldn’t believe it .then i got cheated in AMRITSAR market.
Hand made Indian silver always remains a problem. despite getting 92.5 % plus and hall marking recently. the average is 90.5 % the problem is as normal -the solder . the worker only need drop too much , and they have much to drop ! there are a lot of joints in some ethnic designs., and the sought standard is lost . Also mixing is not so exact , yet attains a workable metal to make the intricate designs India is famed for .
After discussion-
A GUARANTEE OF NOT LESS THAN 90 % IS GIVEN SOMETIMES MORE NEVER LESS…..say it’s a pendant unadorned base plain silver will most likely give a melt test of 93 % but if the piece is fancy it will be between 90- 93 % I persevere with the same suppliers as the designs are well made, are they not, (this too is important) , also in a bazaar renowned for selling 60 % as 92.5 % there is some amazement that im hassling about 1.7 % when i should be so happy to see so much silver already . Last year everything was 93 % But this is India ! in the world of hand mades its never the same every time and there is a big difference between 90.8 % and 92.5 % – its still a beautiful chain , but it will never see a hallmark so close yet so far !
This thus might be seen as a set back or an expression of honesty , as the work of other exporters often tests 80 – 90 % !
Also please note given percentages are derived from melt tests .many Jewellers use acid tests to verify silver quality which might not for most pick up the differences between the jewelry i supply and a hall marked item. Thankfully trading standards often go to jewelers to confirm their suspicions . Hallmarking is the only certain guarantee . the 92.5 stamp means nothing and is routinely stamped as a sales aid only. Once in thailand a french girl bought a lot of 60% snake chains then asked that they be stamped 92.5 i watched the shopkeeper contemplate losing a sale before reluctantly agreeing.
SUCCESS JAIPUR Gemstone studs were made to order in alliance with my stone supplier , due to a time problem i first got only samples which tested at 88 % as Jaipur silver often does. he removed all of his stones and returned the dodgy silver and asked another worker to set his stones….3 subsequent tests gave 92.3 ,93 , 93.4 % . A satisfactory result some variation is always going to be there . This can only be done if the goods can be taken on credit trust something foreigners don’t get . Mostly i have to pay a substantial deposit which in the event of silver loss is rarely seen as returnable often its my metal my stones my problem !
AMRITSAR
ONLY 20 -40 -NOT 92 % SILVER !
I couldn’t believe it ! standing bemused on Chandi Chowk after getting the results .
A cheeky rickshaw puller glided up -to me -the price was right , i was still stunned – he was happy-so i got in .With so many other pullers waiting for fares sometimes it just aint fair !as we set off i noted oh- no. old man -crap rickshaw something i try to avoid …but for him it seemed effortless…it was one of those days when police have to close every main road in Old Delhi . soon we were in the back ways and my heart was in my mouth, this guy seemed so rash yet was not…he knew exactly his width ,how fast a horse cart is, how slow an overladen hand cart…we weaved in and out of the congestion with the goodwill India knows . Soon i forgot about the cheating there are i realized those who do things well and properly and those who don’t . I had tracked this guy to amritsar he was guaranteeing and giving 92.5 % silver ! – but not this time .I always thought cheating was for the first time ,now i know its the last time…if you know. that is ! walking away , i thought the bag felt heavy , heavier than usual ! SOMETIMES IM A LITTLE BIT SMARTER THAN I THINK I AM , I just don’t know it . So i got cheated and once there was only 20% silver in my nosepins , so everybody from customs to passers by praised my luck ! Yes lucky!. Yes ok lucky to at least get some silver most of all lucky to know .and lucky not to get cheated on the gold ! -one place i go, some people from some ashram come to finance their meditation. the first time they trusted they got pure gillet no silver -they only found out trying to sell to jewelers back home . some find out getting charged for fraud ,IMPORTING COSTUME JEWELRY AS PRECIOUS METAL INTO THE CHECKING COUNTRIES !
HENNA
First for the australian hippy markets all those years ago i was buying
henna from pucca spice dealers and simply selling it in brown paper
bags..every year people came back asking for more good henna . So for
precise weighting and to supply demand I am getting it from a HENNA
DEALER who purchases the leaves direct from the local mandi/market and
grinds them to order
….the henna biz itself is like drugs and silver…you get the quality of herb you pay for !
