Katie takes a few commissions per year with very limited spots. If you're interested in having Katie create something custom for your home, please get in touch.
The jewelry is shipped from Katie's studio in Portland, Oregon but other items like greeting cards, t-shirts and prints are shipped separately from the printer's location. Rest assured your other item will arrive soon!
Sterling silver is an alloy of pure silver. It is comprised of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals such as copper. An alloy is the mixture of two (or more) elements taken from the periodic table. Silver by itself is too soft for use in jewelry so copper is added to increase hardness, strength and durability. You can tell if a piece is sterling silver because it is stamped with the numbers 925 or S925, usually on the back of a pendant or on a small silver tag. 925 refers to the 92.5% silver content.
Some jewelry is marketed as "base metal" (usually nickel, or brass) and disguised with a thin coating of sterling silver, called "plating" which ultimately wears off, looks cheap and can lead to skin irritation. The problem with inexpensive metals such as nickel or brass, is that they can cause infections, especially with earrings. Other metals can turn the skin green or cause other allergic reactions and there are even unscrupulous jewelry manufacturers that use cancer-causing metals like cadmium in their jewelry. Bottom line: Sterling silver, aka 925 silver is hypoallergenic, high quality, stylish and safe.
Our jewelry is sterling silver which is plated with rhodium to reduce tarnishing. The air contains small particles of sulfur which react with silver. Over long periods of exposure, this can cause tarnishing. To protect your jewelry, store it in a plastic bag zip-lock bag when you are not wearing it to prevent tarnishing. Remove your jewelry when going swimming or using bleach because chlorine damages silver. Perfumes, hair sprays, and lotions can also tarnish silver, so avoid getting these on your jewelry.
To polish tarnished jewelry, rub the surface gently with a silver polishing cloth. Avoid scrubbing or rubbing into the letters on Arabic calligraphy jewelry. Silver polishing cloths can be bought for a few dollars at a hardware store like Home Depot. Wearing silver jewelry continually prevents it from tarnishing because it’s constantly being polished when it rubs against your skin, clothing and objects.
If your jewelry breaks through no fault of your own, we will fix or replace it it free of charge. Contact us for mailing instructions.
Import duties and taxes may be charged by your local customs office. We are not responsible for these charges, nor do we know what they will be. Please refer to your local customs office for further information prior to completing your order if you are concerned about these charges. Such charges are the sole responsibility of the customer.