East London’s Award-Winning Gemmologist Jeweller, The Rock Hound of Aka Susi Smither, is thrilled to announce the release of its new ethical jewellery collection. Inspired by the bright golden Summer sun with warm tones of yellow and rose gold, the Alchemy collection gives an opulent gold touch to The Rock Hound’s iconic HotRocks pieces inspired by naturally occurring quartz crystals.
Striking pendants evoke a feeling of connection to Mother Earth, juxtaposed with their trademark flash of colour that adds a playful mysticism to the pieces. Always striving to be an ethical innovator, The Rock Hound turned Alchemist using traceable Fairmined Gold to plate its recycled AgAIN silver repurposed from retired NHS X-rays – the first time that these ultimately sustainable precious metals have been worked together – making it a top ethical consumer choice.
Susi Smither explains, “Through plating the Fairmined Gold onto the AgAIN sterling silver, we’ve created the ultimate 18ct Fairmined Gold Vermeil, proving Alchemy is possible and you don’t have to sacrifice your morals or your bank balance to wear gold this season.
With long summer festival days which blur into the nights ahead, these pieces were made to be worn by carefree sparkly souls who want to only have a positive impact on the world around them.”
Statement jewellery, such as a pair of hoop earrings with a detachable hanging charm, features a strikingly colourful ceramic-coated tip. This signature flash of colour that is present throughout the eclectic collection is created using a form of plating utilising coloured ceramic particles which are undetectable to the human eye.
After a thin layer is adhered through a form of electroplating to the piece, it is then cured, giving a vibrant solid layer of colour that creates a beautifully striking contrast against the gold vermeil.
Gold vermeil is made in a similar way to gold plating but is considered superior as it is made up of a much thicker layer of gold and always on sterling silver rather than any other metal. Due to this 2-micron gold layer on top of the white silver underneath, gold vermeil has a bright finish giving a durable and longer lasting option for jewellery.
