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Fingerprint jewellery
Fingerprints are totally unique and so is fingerprint jewellery.
Fingerprint Jewellery makes wonderfully original gifts or keepsakes. Whether for yourself, a family member or friend, fingerprint Jewellery will be something to cherish.
Upon receipt of your order we will send you a fingerprint impressions kit, enough to take up to two fingerprints. Taking the fingerprints is a very simple process and we provide step by step instructions. You will then return the fingerprint impressions to us in the pre-paid envelope along with the order form.We will then create your unique piece of fingerprint or hand and footprint jewellery in our studio.
As fingerprints are so unique so also will be the amount of definition of fingerprint whirls. This does not always apply to age as some young babies have more defined prints than some older children, although generally the younger the child the less defined the print. If you are worried that you cannot see any whirls send us the molds anyway as we use a pouring resin which picks up fine detail. Occasionally, with very young babies the best we can get is a dimple! most of our customers still wish us to proceed. If however you do not want this please state this on the order form that we send you, otherwise we will continue to make your item. Please be aware that the final outcome will only be as good as the impressions we receive.
Each piece of fingerprint or hand and footprint jewellery is made by hand to the highest standard using a substance called precious metal clay. PMC is made by combining pure silver particles with an organic binder. As implied by the name, precious metal clay is a kind of clay which we shape and impress your prints into. When your piece of fingerprint jewellery is formed it is fired in a kiln which burns off the organic binder, leaving .999 pure silver. 999 silver is 99% silver unlike sterling silver which is 92.5% silver.
Sterling silver is combined with other alloys mainly copper in order to give it strength. This is why all the fittings used with your fingerprint jewellery are sterling silver. After firing your fingerprint jewellery is tumbled, antiqued and polished by hand.
The cost of the fingerprint jewellery reflects the amount of time and hard work it takes in order to turn your prints into fine silver jewellery.
All of our fingerprint and hand and footprint products are made with a silver clay rather than sheet silver therefore it is inevitable that there will sometimes be small surface variations, this in no way detracts from the beauty of the product instead adding to the handmade quality, natural beauty and individuality of these unique keepsakes.
Please remember when buying and receiving your items that every single part of the process, the shaping, polishing and finishing is done by hand. Products retain their handmade quality; they will not look as if they have been stamped out of a machine and engraved. You may find small marks and blemishes which should not be seen as defects, these are simply characteristics of the methods and metals used to make these unique pieces of jewellery.
Fingerprint jewellery is becoming increasingly popular also as a much cherished in memorium piece. Whilst this is always sad for us we are compensated in the knowledge that we can produce an item capturing a unique fingerprint, hand or footprint oof the loved one you have lost which will then be much treasured. In memorium fingerprint jewellery and hand and footprint jewellery can be for both children and adults.
We absolutely guarantee that every single piece is crafted and polished by hand, no machinery is ever employed. We endeavour to produce the highest standards and each piece will inevitably be a little different! unlike mass produced jewellery.
Antiquing
Some customers choose not to have their fingerprint jewellery items antiqued, preferring instead a shinier, more commercial looking piece. Although any product made using a silver clay will retain a more organic feel than machine made jewellery. The advantage is that you own a one off, completely bespoke piece of pure silver jewellery.
In order to antique silver the item is dipped in a chemical solution that oxidises the silver, eventually turning it black. This has to be polished off by hand leaving the impressions and engraving black.
The oxidisation brings out the fingerprint whirls more clearly and defines the wording. Oxidised items will tarnish a little sooner but this can easily be rectified by cleaning the piece or by using one of our cleaning pads. These can be purchased on our product pages.
If you would like this option you will be able to specify this on the order form that we send you.
Once complete your unique piece of fingerprint jewellery will be sent back to you, beautifully packaged in our Tiny Trinket boxes using Royal Mail Special Delivery. Delivery is Free to all UK customers.
The whole process usually takes between 3-4 weeks from our receipt of your impressions kit, longer at busier periods and when hallmarking is required. All impressions are either returned or destroyed upon completion of order in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
Mini-Art Jewellery
 
Your children's first drawings are always special but are often consigned to the back of a cupboard! Mini-Art is a wonderful way to cherish your child's very own artwork forever.
Do you have a favourite drawing? Or maybe you would like your child to draw something special for Mummy, Daddy or the Grandparents? We are able to take these wonderfully, unique first drawings, miniaturise them and create an original piece of solid silver jewellery! Whether you choose a charm, bracelet, necklace or cufflinks this original gift idea is guaranteed to impress.
Please allow between 3-4 weeks, longer at busier periods from receipt of your child's drawing to completion. Best results are achieved with simple pen line drawings; however it is still possible for us to use a favourite drawing you may already have. Ideally the piece should be in black and white and no larger than A4 in size, however we can work from coloured drawings but some of the detail may be lost. Please post or e-mail your child's drawing to the studio at info@tinytrinkets.co.uk
Upon completion, your unique piece of silver jewellery will be sent to you by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Delivery is Free to all UK customers.
Hand and Footprint Jewellery
Awww gorgeous little hands and feet should be remembered forever.
And now they can be!
Capture tiny hands and feet onto pure silver jewellery either to keep for yourself or as a fantastic gift for either family members or friends.
Upon receipt of your order we will send you a kit containing a completely harmless inkless wipe. These wipes are widely used in maternity hospitals and are non toxic. You simply rub the wipe over hands or feet and place on the paper to produce a print. You can then send the print back to us by mail or by e-mail to our studio at info@tinytrinkets.co.uk
If you have more than one child’s prints please write the respective child’s name under the print. Do not worry as this will be erased before processing as will any smudging or extra toes!
Once we have your prints we will begin the process of transferring them to silver using PMC. The cost of the jewellery reflects the amount of time and hard work it takes in order to turn your prints into gorgeous fine silver jewellery.
First we have to miniaturise your hand/footprint, turn it into a negative from which we make a stamp. This stamp of your child's hands or feet is then carefully pressed into the precious metal clay and cut to your desired shape before it is fired in a kiln and tumbled to a high shine. After tumbling, your item is dipped in an oxidising chemical to blacken it. This has to be removed by polishing with various different grades of sanding pads in order for it to have a mirror shine effect.
Every single piece is crafted and polished by hand to our high standards. The whole process takes about 3-4 weeks, longer at busier periods. Upon completion the item will be sent to you by Royal Mail Special Delivery. delivery is Free to all our UK customers.
Little Scribbles
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a piece of fine silver jewellery created just for you or for you to give as a gift to a loved one with your child’s own handwritten message?
The first scribbles are milestones to treasure in your child’s development and with Little Scribbles you can keep this moment forever!
We ask you to provide a sample of your child's writing which we miniaturise before creating a negative in order to make a stamp. This stamp is then impressed in to wet silver clay as your product is made.
For this reason we cannot use long names on small items such as cufflinks etc. The larger the item such as a pendant or keyring the better the result will be.
When you receive your order you will be sent a separate sheet for your children to write their message or name. Alternatively you can provide a sample that you already have. You can either return the sample by post using the envelope provided or you can send it as an e-mail attachment to our studio at info@tinytrinkets.co.uk
The whole process takes about 3-4 weeks, longer at busier periods. Upon completion the item will be sent to you by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Delivery is Free to all our UK customers.
Paws and Claws
We haven’t forgotten all the animal lovers out there either!
How would you like a piece of jewellery either for yourself or a gift for your pet loving friend? Paw print jewellery make unique gifts for all occasions. Or how about giving your dog the ultimate designer id tag with his name/address and paw print?
Upon receipt of your order we will send you a kit containing a completely harmless inkless wipe. These wipes are widely used in maternity hospitals and are non toxic. You simply rub the wipe over the dog or cat’s paws and place on the paper to produce a print. You can then send the print back to us by mail (a pre-paid envelope is included) or in an e-mail attachment.
Once we have your prints we will begin the process of transferring them to silver using PMC. The cost of the jewellery reflects the amount of time and hard work it takes in order to turn your prints into gorgeous fine silver jewellery.
Every single piece is crafted and polished by hand to our high standards. The whole process takes about 3-4 weeks, longer at busier periods. Upon completion the item will be sent to you by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Delivery is Free to all our UK customers.
Grown Up Stuff
Fingerprint Jewellery is not just for children! Fingerprint rings, fingerprint cufflinks, fingerprint necklaces, and fingerprint dogtags etc imprinted with your loved ones fingerprint and name for instance is a wonderfully unique way to mark an occasion and show somebody just how much you care.
To celebrate a new relationship, mark an Anniversary, Valentine’s Day, for a Civil Service and so much more! Or rather than a fingerprint how about having your own message in your own handwriting impressed onto a piece of fine silver jewellery?
Pucker Up
Come on girls send the man in your life a great big smacker! Kiss print jewellery is an original way to give the person you love something very special.
And what could be more special than an imprint of your own lip print impressed into a piece of pure silver jewellery. This is truly an innovative way to say 'I love you'
About Gold Vermeil Jewellery.
Our gold vermeil jewellery is extra special as it is crafted in fine silver, this is classified as .999 silver for hallmarking purposes and is 99% pure silver. This is opposed to sterling silver which is an alloy of silver and contains 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The reason for this is to add strength to the silver which is basically a soft metal. This is why all of our fittings are sterling silver in order to afford our pieces durability as well as beauty.
We use an electroplating technique to bond the liquid gold to the silver to depth in order to create beautiful pieces for you to wear and treasure. Our yellow gold is 24k and our rose gold is 18k.
Historically, Gold vermeil, which is pronounced "vehr-MAY," is sterling silver plated with gold. The process originated in France around 1750. This technique called for fire gilding whereby jewellery makers applied mercury and gold to the silver and exposed the metal to extreme heat. The heat caused the mercury to vaporize and the layer of gold to adhere to the silver. However, the mercury vapours caused many artisans to become blind and France made this process illegal in the 1800s. Modern gold vermeil is usually created using an electrolytic process, which is much safer than fire gilding yet produces a similar result.
In order to qualify as gold vermeil and not merely gold-plated silver, a piece of jewellery must meet certain requirements. The base must be pure silver or sterling silver. It may not be coated with any other metal prior to having the layer of gold applied.
Finally, the gold layer with which the silver is plated must be at least 10-karat gold, and the layer must be at least two and one-half microns in thickness. The quality of the gold vermeil just like pure gold is defined by Karats. The number of Karats denotes the quality of the piece. Therefore the higher the karats the higher the quality. The benefits of gold vermeil are many. It is comparable to pure gold in both appearance and artisanship but without the hefty price of pure gold. It is ideal for people with nickel or other metal allergy as it contains only silver.
If properly cared for Gold vermeil will last for many years without tarnishing. We recommend that you should avoid wearing gold vermeil jewellery in the bath, shower or when swimming.
This advice applies to all of Tiny Trinkets jewellery. As with all of our jewellery to clean simply Use a soft, clean, lint-free cloth, glass cleaner can provide added lustre if required.
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