Our Precious Metals

Our Precious Metals

Learn more about Stephen Webster’s range of  precious metals, from 18 carat Gold and Sterling Silver to lightweight Titanium.

About

Our Gold

Our decision to use recycled Gold is due to its lower environmental impact: contributing 99.8% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than mined gold.

“Across our Fine Jewellery collections 99% are crafted using Recycled 18 carat Gold. For the remaining 1%, we believe it is important to support organisations such as Fairtrade Gold and Single Mine Origin, who not only provide fair pay and safe working conditions but invest in local communities.”

- Stephen Webster MBE, Founder & Creative Director

Single Mine Origin Gold

Committed to ensuring our mined gold is sourced ethically and can be fully traceable, since 2021 Stephen Webster has partnered with Single Mine Origin Gold (SMO) for our
collaborating collections.

SMO Gold has been produced by a legitimate mining operation which holds no ties to conflict. Miners are paid a just wage under secure employment. Furthermore, SMO strives to ensure that the communities living locally to the gold source are benefiting from sustainable initiatives carried out by the mining operation. Such initiatives include programmes centred on education, healthcare, safe drinking water and agricultural prosperity to support a wide number of people.

Every gram of SMO Gold can be tracked from the mine to the finished product. Clients have access to a QR code allowing them to gain insight into the community and environmental projects their purchase has helped to support.

What Does 18 Carat Mean?

Carat or Karat is the term used to state the Gold’s fineness, of which is based on 24 carats. If a piece is 24 carats, this is defined as pure gold, however, the gold would be extremely soft and not suitable for everyday wear.

Stephen Webster fine jewellery collections are responsibly made, crafted from 18 carat Gold.

Across Stephen Webster collections we craft our fine jewellery collections using 18 carat gold (75% pure gold). Our Gold is alloyed with other metals to increase the strength and hardness of the jewellery, prolonging the life and durability of the jewellery for daily wear.

About

Our Titanium

Always one to work with innovative materials, the use of Titanium has been incorporated into many of Stephen Webster’s collections. Used for spacecrafts, Titanium is lightweight, strong and hypoallergenic.

The material is an ideal choice for larger scale earrings and brooches - making the piece more comfortable to wear (in terms of weight) in comparison to using Gold.

Titanium can also be anodized providing a rainbow spectrum of colours. The material is extremely hard to work with and requires a great amount of skill and expertise to craft.  As such, Titanium is priced on par with precious metals.

What is Titanium Anodizing?

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that uses both electricity and chemistry to manipulate the oxide layer of titanium.

For colour anodizing, the final perceived colour depends on the thickness of the oxide layer.

​The titanium part, serving as the anode (positive electrode), is immersed in an aqueous electrolyte solution. When electrical current is applied, water molecules undergo hydrolysis and split into hydrogen and oxygen. The electrical
potential forces the oxygen to the titanium surface, adding to the thin layer of titanium oxide.

For colour anodizing, the final perceived colour depends on the thickness of the oxide layer, which can be adjusted by varying the voltage and the immersion time.

About

Our Silver

Stephen Webster uses 100% recycled Sterling Silver across our jewellery collections, due to the environmental impact, emitting one third less carbon emissions in comparison to mined Silver.

What Does 925 Mean?

The number 925 refers to the number of parts of Silver. Sterling Silver is 925 Silver, alloyed with 75 parts of copper.

Across Stephen Webster Silver collections we use recycled Sterling Silver, due to its lower environmental impact. Sourcing recycled Silver also emits one third of carbon emissions in comparison to mined silver.

As with Gold, pure Silver is too soft for daily wear, by alloying with Cooper, this increases the durability of the piece.