Lolide Materials

Striking jewelry

Every piece of Lolide jewelry is crafted by hand in Seattle from ethically sourced materials. Every supplier of metals and stones for Lolide jewelry (including mined diamonds) has provided documentation supporting their adherence to conflict-free mining practices. Here are a few more reasons that customers in the market for ethical, sustainably-made jewelry should consider Lolide.

Conflict Free Materials

All LOLiDE rings are made from 100% recycled metal. Most rings can be made in any of the materials I work with. If you don’t see the metal you want listed for your choice of ring, please let me know and I’ll do my best to make it happen.

There’s a lot to choose from. If you have further questions, just get in touch by clicking on the "Got a question for the seller" section located on any product page.

Lab-grown diamonds

I feel strongly that lab-grown diamonds are a superior alternative to mined diamonds, and prefer to use them as the default in all my diamond work. Although I will use conflict-free mined diamonds by customer request, lab-grown diamonds present the most ethical, technologically advanced and sustainable alternative to mined diamonds available in today’s market — while losing nothing in beauty and performance.

More than just diamonds

Many customers want the added beauty of stones in their engagement or wedding rings, but aren’t sure what is available beyond diamonds. I have created a variety of styles set with diamond alternatives: Moissanite and White Sapphire, to offer diamond-free sparkle at a lower cost. I also love working with colored stones — yellow and blue sapphires, black and other colored diamonds — to support my customers’ unique visions. If you see a design you like but want to add something more vibrant, most white stones can be substituted with other colors.

Recycled materials

The materials I use for bands and most bezels is 100% recycled. All other components (such as a few bezels and a few of the rings I have cast) contain between 50% and 95% recycled materials. Whenever possible, I use packaging made that is made from recycled materials and/or can be re-used and recycled.

Non-toxic processes

I use as many non-toxic chemicals and processes as possible during jewelry fabrication, including working with common household ingredients like citric acid (vitamin C!) and dish soap rather than industrial chemicals during tumbling and finishing. I even clean my studio with non-toxic cleansers.
 
    Sterlium Plus

    This is a superior sterling silver alloy that has improved tarnish resistance so maintains a white color longer than regular sterling (much like argentium silver) All sterling silver is 92.5% silver with other metals added to give strength and other characteristics. However, this alloy is still sterling silver which is the softest of the precious metals and should not be confused with the harder, more durable metals such as 950 palladium, white gold or platinum. All of those have varying degrees of superior strength, durability and tarnish resistance than silver. Sterling silver does not contain nickel.

    Please note that of all the metal choices, sterling silver is the most reactive, and in some rare cases when silver comes in contact with sulfurous substances, it will turn completely black. In fact this is how jewelers purposefully use oxidization as a decorative element in silver jewelry. This is not an indication of a defect or the fault of the maker. It is a surface reaction only and can be removed by a local professional jeweler or I can do it for you for a fee. However, this does not qualify as a manufacturing defect and is not covered by the warranty. If this is of concern to you, please consider choosing a different metal for your ring.

     

    950 Palladium

    95% palladium; a strong durable metal comparable to white gold. Palladium is greyer and cooler in tone than white gold. It is virtually hypo – allergenic and does not tarnish. Palladium prices have quadrupled in recent years, making it one of the most expensive alloys for jewelry.

     

    PD5

    While I love palladium, due to skyrocketing prices, for some PD5 is a more moderately priced alternative while still maintaining a lot of what makes 950 palladium great. PD5 is approximately 50% palladium with most of the rest of the alloy being made up of silver. Somewhat surprisingly, this actually makes the alloy a darker grey.

    PD5 is not as hard as 950 palladium or white gold but is far superior to sterling silver in strength and does not tarnish. It’s also a great way to add more intense color contrast to mixed metals rings like my fusion or gold stripe rings. The drawback is that PD5 is difficult to resize and most likely cannot be resized locally as most jewelers are not familiar with it.

     

    White Gold
    White gold is a bit of a misnomer as all gold is yellow, but white gold has many options as well. It is made to look white by alloying it with various white metals such as nickel or palladium. “Regular” or “nickel” 10K, 14K and 18K white is made with nickel which some people, though not many, have a reaction to. I also offer palladium white gold which is a nickel-free white gold option. White gold is greyer and darker than silver but lighter than 950 palladium. It also has a warmer tone to it. White gold will become more “yellow” as it ages, but is a very hard, durable metal as well, and the different karats refer to purity. 10K is approximately 41% gold, 14K is approximately 58% gold, 18K is approximately 75% gold, and so on. The karats also have a factor in how the metal performs. Therefore, not all karats are offered in all designs. *Please note that most white gold you may see in large jewelry stores is rhodium plated. I do not plate my gold, although my items can be plated locally, if desired.

     

    Palladium White Gold

    Palladium white gold uses palladium alloyed with the gold to create a “whiter” look. Palladium white gold is less yellow than “nickel” white but warmer and a bit lighter than 950 palladium. Palladium white gold tarnishes much less over time than regular “nickel” white, but is not as hard either. Palladium white is offered in 18K or 14K as a special order. It’s a great choice for those who want gold, but have a known nickel allergy, want an alloy that is warmer than palladium, or want a lower maintenance white gold.

     

    Yellow & Rose Gold 

    Most people are more familiar with these alloys. They mainly differ just in color. Higher karats are a little softer, but also richer and deeper in color, so 18K rose or yellow gold has a deeper hue than 14K and 14K more than 10K, and so on. Rose gold is also referred to as red or pink gold. In this case, copper is added to give its characteristic hue.

     

    Platinum

    This is the densest and at one time was the most valuable of the metals. Rhodium plated white gold was created in order to mimic platinum. Like palladium, it is 95% pure. It has a slightly whiter finish than white gold or palladium, is hypo-allergenic, and very durable and scratch resistant. Platinum does not tarnish and holds up extremely well over time with little maintenance. It’s density is a large part of why it is more expensive as metals are sold by weight.

     

    Engraving Fonts