FAQs

What are gold karats?

A karat is a weight unit. When referring to 24k gold we refer to gold in its purest form, or 24/24. 


Karat is for gold weight and carat is for gemstones weight.

Fun-fact: 24k is the exact weight of an old gold coin. Gold in its purest form is never used for jewellery though because it is too soft. A piece of jewellery made with 24k gold would scratch or bend very easily, and wear off quickly.


14k solid gold

14k gold means that out of the 24 carats, at least 14 are pure gold, equal to 58.5%. The other 10 are used to enhance the characteristics of the metal. For LJJ pieces this means an alloy that also contains silver and copper. 


What is Fairmined gold and silver?

FAIRMINED is an assurance label that certifies gold from responsible artisanal and small-scale mining. 

Generate a positive impact and buy a piece with a story of origin from empowered miners. By choosing Fairmined certified gold, you are showing respect and empathy towards people and the planet. It is an opportunity to generate positive economic, social and environmental impact by supporting artisanal and small-scale miners that are committed to improving their practices.

www.fairmined.org


What is the difference between solid gold, vermeil, gold-plated and gold-filled?

Solid gold

A jewel made of solid gold only contains gold, on the outside as well as on the inside. In other words, making a cross-section of a ring would not reveal any layers.

In general I use 14k solid gold (over 58% of gold), 18k is on request.


Vermeil

A vermeil jewel is a silver jewel with a tiny layer of gold plated to it. The gold layer is too thin (usually 2.5 micron) to have any value, so the value of a vermeil jewel lies solely in the silver. 


Gold-plated

A gold-plated jewel is a brass or copper jewel with a tiny layer of gold plated to it. The gold layer is too thin to have any value, so the value of a gold-plated jewel lies solely in the base metal. 


Gold-filled

A gold-filled jewel is not ‘filled with gold’, but plated with a thicker layer of gold than traditional vermeil or gold-plated jewels. There is no definition for the used base metal, but a 5% minimum of gold by weight is required for a piece to be called gold-filled. 


What do the hallmarks in your jewellery mean?

Unless I fear damaging your piece, all LJJ pieces are hallmarked  with 2 different stamps:


Gold purity

You will find a diamond shape in the pieces, with the letters 'au' followed by 3 numbers.

750 stands for 75% gold purity, or 18k whereas 585 stands for 58.5% or 14k.

The numbers depend on the purity of the gold used, and have nothing to do with the color. For example 18k white gold and 18k yellow gold bear the same 750 stamp.


Master's mark

This is my goldsmith stamp (meesterstempel) that is legally required for all precious metal designs. It guarantees you that the LJJ piece you are wearing is designed and made by me according to the official standards. It’s a tiny barrel shape and you’ll recognise the mark on top of this website within that barrel. The goldsmith stamp is officially registered and protected.


Are your jewels nickel-free?

Yes.