OUR GOLD
At Temple St. Clair, we are known for our fine gold work. A fascination with this precious metal and its history is what first inspired Temple to explore jewelry. Our signature gold details like triple gold granulation and archer’s granule reference Temple’s early studies of ancient gold.
Gold has a venerable history and has been prized by diverse cultures from every corner of the globe for millennia. This precious metal has traditionally been a symbol of royalty, positivity and strength. Gold has a unique molecular structure that makes it the most malleable and ductile metal known. It is highly workable so that even when used as fine wire, it is strong enough to hold valuable gems, while malleable enough to be molded in to delicate thread, hammered in to thin sheets or molded into almost any shape imaginable. It warms to the skin, and gains a beautiful patina over time yet can be re-polished to its original glow. Gold is flattering to every skin tone and has the wonderful quality of improving with age.
OUR SECRET FORMULA
Temple St. Clair jewels are made in 18K gold, meaning 75% (or more) pure gold alloyed with a 25% alloy mix of silver and copper. Early on, Temple established her own special “formula” of gold, silver and copper to create what has become our signature warm yellow hue. We require that all of our gold is “750 plumb” meaning that our pieces contain just over 75% pure gold content. Each of our gold jewels is marked “750” to indicate 18K gold. The pieces are also marked with our “temple” hallmark of authenticity: the “temple” refers to Temple’s given name and her classical beginnings.
THE SOURCE
We are currently in the process of verifying that our supply chain for gold and alloys, silver and copper, is sustainable and certified. Our 2021 goal is to achieve verification that our precious metal sourcing is 100% sustainable.
CARE OF YOUR GOLD
Gold is a precious metal. As a jewel it should be taken care of and cleaned regularly. As with most of our jewels, a gentle soapy wash and rinse is best for basic maintenance. Gold can scratch so is best to be kept in its TSC jewelry pouch when not being worn. We also offer wonderful “on-the-go” travel cases for daily use and for travel. Don’t wear your gold rings when working out or lifting heavy objects!
The only alloys we use in our gold are pure sustainable silver and copper. Gold is generally considered a hypoallergenic material yet in rare cases of allergy, one may have a reaction to gold or alloyed metals in the form of skin irritation. This happens most frequently in lower carat gold jewelry where nickel may be present. Temple St. Clair uses only high carat gold that never contains nickel. Most of our collectors “live” in their Temple St. Clair jewels so we rarely hear reports of adverse reactions to our gold. Skin discoloration can be caused by metals’ interaction with other substances such as soap, perfumes, lotions, cleaning supplies or other chemicals. We love to wear our jewels all the time but it’s important to clean your jewels regularly and it’s best to remove your jewelry when applying perfume or cosmetics, or when using any chemicals.
If your gold needs professional re-polishing or refurbishment, please contact clientservices@templestclair.com.