PEWTER

  Pewter is a metal alloy traditionally made up of 85-99% tin. The remainder made up of copper, antimony, bismuth and occasionally silver which act as hardeners. Until recent years lead was commonly used with the tin, but due to the now known health effects, lead is only used for decorative items and never items that might come into regular contact with the body. All our pewter items are Lead Free. 

Pewter can trace its origins back to the ancient world with both the Egyptians and Romans using it widely. It’s a soft malleable metal with a low boiling point making it an easy to use and popular metal for craftsman. 

Care tips for pewter Items – 
 

• Pewter should never be washed In a dish washer as the detergents and chemicals react and tarnish the finish. It’s therefore recommended to hand wash in hot soapy water and dried with a soft cloth
• When drying your pewter keep the direction of the cloth up and down, never in circles as pewter will scratch easily if using a hard cloth
• If your item can store alcohol, like a hipflask, it’s recommended not to leave your favoured tipple in there for more than 24hours
• Hip Flasks are not suitable for carbonated mixtures
• If your pewter is heavily tarnished there are a number of metal polishes available which can be used prior to washing to bring the finish back

 

GOLD

Gold is one of the world’s most valuable commodities and is particularly valued in the manufacture of jewellery. This precious metal is normally marked with a karat value with 24 karats denoting pure gold and 9 karats 37.5% gold. The remaining metal, copper for example, is added to improve strength and wear. To work out the percentage of pure gold in an article simply divide its karat value by 0.24. By way of example 18 karat gold is 75% pure gold. As with a karat mark a ‘375’ mark (or other applicable figure) is also a manufacturer’s mark. A genuine hallmark authenticates an item as meeting legal purity standards and can only be added after testing by one of the four UK Assay Offices each having its own unique symbol. It is against the law to sell gold weighing more than one gram unless hallmarked. Where gold pieces are less than 10 karats, a number indicating the actual purity percent is often used instead of a karat amount, as in the case of the "375" stamp. Dishonest traders may add marks such as ‘375’ on imitation gold or of below context. At Chiltern Gift & Trophy Engravers we only obtain stock from the most reputable suppliers and you can be absolutely confident of acquiring genuine gold as described in our listings 

SILVER 

Sterling Silver is one of the world’s most precious metals. A ‘925’ or similar Silver mark means 92.5% pure silver mixed with 7.75% metal alloy for strength. It is a manufacturers mark not a hallmark. Hallmarks can only be added by one of the four UK Assay Offices. Each Office has a unique symbol and by law items over 7.8 grams must be hallmarked. Dishonest traders may mark 925 on imitation silver, or of below 92.5% content and pass off as genuine. Chiltern Gift & Trophy Engravers only obtain stock from the most reputable of suppliers and you can be absolutely confident of purchasing genuine silver or silver plated items described in our listings Caring for your Gold and Silver 

Tips for Caring for your Gold & Silver jewellery:-

• Clean Your Jewellery with Care
• Gold Jewellery won't tarnish or corrode. However, with regular wear, your gold jewellery will eventually accumulate a film of soap, body oils and grease.
• For a light clean of untarnished silver or gold, use phosphate-free detergent or non - abrasive cloth made for cleaning jewellery - these cloths should come with built in jewellery cleaner.
• Remove Jewellery before showering, swimming, bathing or household cleaning.
• Cleaning your jewellery regularly can keep it looking its best, but be careful. For best results purchase commercial cleaners fro ma jeweller, DO NOT use bleach a sit can literally destroy the piece, so avoid it at all costs.