The drawback of buying cheap jewellery

Rok Chix jewellery is nickel-free

If you've ever suffered a nasty rash after wearing jewellery, you're not alone. Millions of people worldwide have an allergy to a metal called nickel, which, when it comes into contact with skin, results in itching, burning, redness and even swelling and blisters if you're particularly allergic.

Nickel is commonly found in cheaper jewellery – that is, jewellery that's not made from a precious metal such as silver or gold (if it was cheap and doesn't have an official hallmarked, it's probably made from a metal alloy containing nickel) – as well as coins, belt buckles and even some mobile phones.

The reason I'm talking about this now is that scientists from Germany think they've discovered why nickel triggers a reaction in some people. Nickel, say the researchers, binds to a protein (TLR4, incase you wanted to know) that is involved in the immune system. When nickel binds to TLR4, the immune system believes it's a threat and fights back by triggering inflammation. The report has just been published in the medical journal Nature Immunology (again, just incase you wanted to know).

What they don't say however, is why some people react to nickel while others don't. But bearing in mind that anyone can develop an allergy to anything at any time, it's best – whether you're allergic to nickel or not – to stick to silver, gold and platinum where jewellery is concerned (unless you like the red raw look, that is).


Having said that, some unfortunate people are also allergic to precious metals, though it is fairly rare.

Rok Chix jewellery is guaranteed nickel-free (apart from the slight trace of nickel that may be present in some sterling silver, that is – though this shouldn't be anything like enough to trigger an allergy in even the most sensitive allergy sufferer).  We only ever use sterling and fine silver, never any other metals. Our gemstones are all genuine too - we don't use man-made crystals such as Swarovski (not that I've ever heard of an allergy to manufactured crystals or glass, that is).

Rok Chix jewellery is hallmarked according to UK legal requirements, which means some of our lighter jewellery – earrings, for instance – don't have hallmarks as, by law, only items where the total silver content weighs more than 7.78g have to be hallmarked. There again, many of our items that weigh less than 7.78g are hallmarked (because we know people like to see a hallmark). Usually it's just the earrings and tiny little charms, where there's no room for a hallmark anyway, that aren't.

So remember, cheap jewellery may seem like an irresistable bargain, but you could end up paying for it through your skin.

Check out our review

Our Rok Chix Chunky Silver and Gemstone Charm Bracelet has just been reviewed on YouTube by the lovely Kelsey Simpson.

It's well worth taking a look. 

Kelsey has her own tube channel, where she reviews a range of fashion and beauty products. It's a really refreshing change from the reviews you read by professional fashion and beauty editors (who receive so much stuff for free, they have to have entire rooms in their magazine's offices to accommodate it all).

Nice one, Kelsey.

New baubles for summer 2010

Summer is well and truly under way already – with schools breaking up at the end of this week, that's always a sign that the holiday season is upon us. And here at Rok Chix we've been beavering away with some lovely new bits and pieces to celebrate the long, sunny days (fingers crossed, that is).

First up, our fabulous rough diamond range kicks off with some gorgeous Black Diamond Hoop Earrings, £95; delicate little silver hoops that have been carefully wrapped with twinkly little black diamond nuggets. As you'd expect from Rok Chix, they're simple but stunning, and quite unique. And they go with absolutely everything. Perfect for adding a touch of raw, unspoilt glamour to your look.

Then there's our first diamond ring – made with a rough diamond, of course (£145).  Now these are totally unique, because each diamond is different as it's natural and uncut. The one on our website is a champagne-coloured rough diamond (each stone is around one carat in weight), but we have other colours available, including silver and brown diamonds. So if you want to make buying a diamond ring a truly one-off experience, you can pick your stone – just email us at info@rokchix.com, and we'll send you a snap of the stones we have in stock.
Normally a one-carat diamond ring would set you back a great heap of cash, but because we're setting the diamonds in silver rather than gold or platinum – and because we're using natural rather than cut diamonds – they're much more affordable (so go on, splurge). We think the natural diamonds look much more interesting anyway.

If you like your stones precious but you prefer more colour than diamonds, how about our Silver and Emerald Bird of Joy Necklace, £45.  This features a lovely little silver bird stamped with the word JOY, and hung on a delicate silver chain with a single, twinkly emerald bead. Very pretty it is too.

We've also got some lovely pieces that, well in our opinion at least, contain the essence of summer. For instance, our Silver Seahorse Necklace, £55, is bursting with sunshine and that feeling you get when you're by the ocean. It features a solid silver seahorse charm - quite a chunky one, none of your flimsy stuff here – and a bright peach/pink coral gem to add a pop of colour.

Then for jangly earrings fans, our Silver Leaves and Rose Quartz Earrings, £35, are perfect for long, hot summer nights when you feel like dressing up (but you don't want to go over the top). And finally, a friendship bracelet with a difference: our Silver and Leather Weave Bracelets, £35, feature coloured leather thong woven with sterling silver chain – the effect is quite special, even if we say so ourselves.

Available in pink, royal blue or black leather, these bracelets are so adorable (and highly wearable too, you won't be able to take them off. In fact, we've been wearing ours non-stop for the last few months (well, we've got to test their durability – it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it).

We hope you find something you like – most items are dispatched within two to three days of ordering (and there's free p&p), so there's time to get that new piece you've been looking for to complete your summer holiday wardrobe.
Whatever you do and wherever you spend your summer, have a truly great one.

Everything comes to she who waits...

It's the day – or rather the night – that SATC fans in the UK have been waiting for: the movie sequel premiere. Cue huge sigh of relief. I couldn't take too many more of those teaser photos in the glossies. At last we girls can experience the entire movie ourselves – only one day to wait. Start saving your calories for the popcorn...
I couldn't resist including this photo of Carrie and Co, taken at the New York premiere the other night (source: marieclaire.co.uk). They look A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. How do they do it? Kim Cattrall will be 54 in August, you know. Talk about an inspiration.
Of course it helps that the movie is released just at the right time, when we're all fed up with politics, the economy (or lack of it), stop-start summer and general absence of fun and glamour in our lives. Hurrah.
Jewellery-wise there are some serious sparklers on display in the NYC premiere photos too – mostly some very fine, classy pieces on show that scream 'super expensive'. Can't wait to see what the girls will be wearing at the London premiere tonight.

Competition winner and new stockist

While everyone else is fed up with the election fall-out, the lack of sunshine and the continuing volcanic dust cloud that's messing up holidays and airline schedules throughout Europe, here at Rok Chix we have at least been able to make one person happy.
That person is Courtney from Doddington, who is the winner of our April competition to win our Chunky Silver and Gemstone Charm Bracelet - woo hoo!
Courtney's name was picked at random from our database of mailing list members, so well done to her. To everyone else who didn't win, there will be more chances to bag a Rok Chix competition prize in due course – and for those who haven't signed up to our mailing list yet, get cracking now if you want to be in with a chance yourself.
Meanwhile, the latest stockist of Rok Chix jewellery is Charlie, a fab little boutique at 746 Ecclesall Road in Sheffield. Owner Ruth Charles is stocking a selection of Rok Chix pieces, so pop in if you're in the area.
As for me, I'm putting the finishing touches to some new designs – including our first pieces featuring rough diamonds (I know, too exciting!) – so look out for more news soon.

It's competition time...

Well there's something about spring being in the air that makes us feel like giving stuff away, so welcome to the first Rok Chix competition. Not a competition as such, if we're going to be precise about it. It's more of a lottery really, but without having to buy a ticket. All you have to do is sign up to our mailing list before the end of April (which, by the way, you can unsubscribe yourself from at any time - but you probably won't anyway, as we don't send out ridiculous amounts of irritating newsletters) and you'll be automatically entered into a draw to win one of our fabulous Chunky Silver and Gemstone Charm Bracelets – which is worth a none-too-paltry £150.

And for those who haven't clicked on the link yet, here it is...

If you've already signed up to our mailing list don't worry, you'll be automatically entered into the draw too. Then, on May 1st, a winner will be chosen at random (if you're lucky, we'll be in touch by email). Fingers crossed it'll be you!

So here's what you need to know about this fabulous piece of jewellery. Well it's pretty substantial, weight-wise, with a chunky sterling silver chain and hand-made toggle clasp. The handmade charms are also silver (and chunky), with a gold accent here and there, while the gemstone charms come in turquoise, rose quartz, jade and fluorite.

It's a serious charm bracelet, that's for sure.

Look out for more opportunities coming up to win free Rok Chix jewellery – at least while the weather's nice (and we're in a generous mood).

(No purchase necessary and all that other legal stuff... Oh, and really sorry, the competition is only open to UK residents.)

Mad about aquamarine

Ah, you lucky people born in the month of March. Not only does your birthday see nature bursting back into life after the winter, but you also have the honour of saying your birth stone is aquamarine.

 I adore aquamarine, can't get enough of it. I've even devoted almost an entire collection to the gem's bluey-greeney gorgeousness.Natural, uncut aquamarine is by far my favourite – as anyone who has seen some of the pieces in the Pure collection knows. But being an aquamarine addict, I'll take it any way I can get it.
But enough of my gushing tribute, here are some fascinating facts about aquamarine that any March baby might want to know...

 Aquamarine is a variety of a mineral called Beryl (no, not your aunty Beryl, but Beryl the gemstone family). As such, it is related to other fab gems such as emerald, morganite (which is pink) and helidor (golden). Aquamarine comes in various shades of blue and blue-green, ranging from the palest baby blue to a yellowy blue-green. Perfectly transparent aquamarine is understandably the most prized – and highly expensive – but the opaque (or cloudy) stones are just as beautiful, if you ask me. I especially like ones that have inclusions – that is, little fragments of other stones, typically haematite (black) and mica (silver).

In terms of hardness, aquamarine notches up a 7.5-8 – fairly hard, then, but not as hard as diamond (which scores 10) or ruby/sapphire (both a 9). Just incase you needed to know.
And because it grows in long hexagonal crystals, it's often used to make wands for crystal healing - talking of which, its healing properties include soothing sore throats and swollen glands and, according to some crystal healers, it's also good for hayfever and short sightedness!

Most of the aquamarine used in Rok Chix jewellery comes from Afghanistan, though you can also find aquamarine in Brazil, Mozambique, Nigeria, Russia, Sri Lanka and Madagascar.
Well then, why do I adore aquamarine? Well because it's fabulous, of course. But also because it's the closest thing I've found that matches the colour of my Siamese cat's eyes. She's no longer with me, I'm afraid, but whenever I see aquamarine or wear some aquamarine jewellery, I think of her. Awwww.
Next month: April's birthstone is diamond (and my birthstone, wouldn't you know!)

Bad marks

The hallmark office has been getting in a bit of a lather lately over the fact that traders on certain social auction sites (hmm, I wonder who they're talking about?) are selling jewellery without proper hallmarks.
Michael Allchin (yes, that is his real name and no, I don't know what he looks like) is the big cheese at the Birmingham Assay Office (hallmarking office, in other words). Lately he's been having a go at people who sell jewellery brought in from other countries – where they probably don't need a hallmark – and selling them via internet auction sites in the UK, where they do need a hallmark to be legally sold as gold, silver or platinum.
"The hallmarking regulations mean that whether you are selling via the internet or mail order, the goods are supposed to be hallmarked," he says.
So would you know what a hallmark looks like and when a piece of jewellery should have one?
It made me think – most people probably don't. So here's a quick lowdown on the rules.
In order to legally sell an item of jewellery as silver – rather than a metal that just looks like silver – those items where the total weight of silver is more than 7.78g must have an official hallmark. (Incase you're interested, the hallmark-requiring weight for gold is anything over 1g and for platinum, 0.5g.)
You'll be glad to know that all Rok Chix jewellery where the silver content weighs more (or, in many cases, less) than 7.78g is officially hallmarked. That means it's been sent to the London hallmarking office and analysed to determine if it is really silver, then marked with a series of hallmarks including the halllmark office's own mark, a metal and fineness (purity) mark and a sponsor's mark – that's the mark of the person or company making and selling the jewellery (in the case of Rok Chix, our sponsor's mark is RC).
You can find out more about hallmarks if you're really interested (including what they look like) at the London hallmark office's website.
The process of hallmarking isn't free – well, come on, what were you thinking? So where appropriate – usually in the case of earrings (many of which are difficult to hallmark anyway) and very small items that come well under the 7.78g weight – we try to keep the cost of Rok Chix jewellery down by not hallmarking items that don't require them for legal purposes. But many of our necklaces, bracelets and rings with a total silver content that weighs less than 7.78g are hallmarked because I know many people like to see a hallmark (well, I do anyway). The problem is, how many of us know the difference between a proper hallmark and, let's say, a 925 stamp, for instance? (FYI, much of the jewellery that has been imported from places like India and Mexico has a 925 stamp, but in the eyes of the UK law, that stamp is meaningless – besides which, anyone can buy a 925 stamp and use it themselves.)
So why is it important to make sure you buy jewellery that's been hallmarked? Well, if you want reassurance that you're getting real silver (or gold, platinum), then it's the only guarantee - though you can, of course, get precious metals tested, but that can be costly.
Here's another reason. If you suffer from a nickel allergy, you may want to only wear properly hallmarked silver since some non-hallmarked silver (usually coming from overseas) has a high nickel content. So that might explain why that ring you bought online – you know, the one you thought was a total bargain – has brought you out in a horrible rash (sure it was marked 925, but as I've already explained, 925 is essentially meaningless).
Even more seriously, if you're ever threatened by a werewolf and need to melt your silver down to make silver bullets, make sure you use properly hallmarked silver - or the bullet won't work, you'll get a nasty bite and turn into a werewolf yourself and spend all your full moons howling and biting anyone you can get your hands on (okay, blame Benicio del Toro and my mate Joolz for that one).
Well, I just thought you'd like to know...

Passion for purple

Continuing my admittedly ad hoc series on birthstones, here's the lowdown on the gemstone for February. Amethyst – who doesn't love it? It's got to be one of the most popular semi-precious gems...think of those gorgeous purple hues from the lightest of lilacs to deepest, darkest purple that's just a shade off black. Mmmmm.
So what can I tell you about amethyst?
Well, amethyst is usually a transparent type of quartz – purple quartz, naturally. It's also found in opaque forms, sometimes tinged with white patches or areas. Most of it comes from Brazil these days, but back in her day Catherine the Great was rather fond of the amethysts found in Russia's Ural mountains. Some also comes from India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Mexico and even parts of Canada.
 In terms of hardness, amethyst scores a seven (on the Mohs hardness scale, incase you were wondering) – that compares with a perfect 10 score for diamond, the hardest gemstone. So it's reasonably hard-wearing – again, another reason it's so popular.
Okay, enough with the educational stuff. The colour purple, as you may already know, is associated with royalty (perhaps because purple dye used to be incredibly rare, with only very rich people being able to afford purple clothing). Well amethyst also has a history of being used in royal jewellery such as crowns – apparently there's a huge one in the British Crown Jewels.

The Ancient Greeks, bless them, thought amethyst had special powers, including the ability to protect them against getting drunk (word has it that they used to drink alcohol from amethyst goblets, and that used to stop them getting drunk – yeah, right, that's going to work!). In fact, the name amethyst comes from the Greek 'amethystos', which means sober.

So for all you lovely New Agey people out there, amethyst has various properties. It's thought to help soothe the person wearing it and help balance your emotions (or should that be help you balance when you've had too much to drink?). Some crystal therapy devotees also say it has protective powers and that it strengthens love bonds (so give some to your sweetheart).
Want to know what I think? Wearing amethyst makes you feel great in the way that wearing a fabulous shade of lipstick does – well, that's my take on the matter anyway.

Next month: aquamarine (one of my all-time favourites).

Going for gold (or, er, not...)

If you've been tempted by one of those 'we give you the highest price for your gold' TV ads, think very carefully before you send off your valuables.
In a recent report by the consumer watchdog Which?, companies such as Cash4Gold and CashMyGold are offering around just six percent of the retail value for new gold jewellery – yes, SIX percent. Hardly a good deal.
Read the Which? report yourself, which also reveals that you'd get a better deal by taking your jewellery to a pawn shop (though high-street jewellers give the best prices, the Which? researchers claim).
And yes, I know times are tough, and we could all do with a bit of a cash injection, especially at this time of year. So I'm not at all surprised that these cash-for-gold companies are doing massive business.
But the truth is, you'll lose out big time if you do sell to a cash-for-gold firm. Not only do you get a rubbish deal (despite the ads making you think you'll be wadded), but think of it this way - it's like taking a perfectly good car, maybe a few years old, and selling it for scrap. Cash-for-gold companies only offer you the scrap value of your jewellery - that's because they melt it down. So all that skill and craftsmanship that was involved in making your jewellery counts for nothing in the end. And that's tragic, if you ask me.
So if you do need some fast money, sell to a high-street jeweller – at least they're more likely to sell your lovely jewellery as second-hand, rather than have it melted down (ooh, the thought of it brings tears to my eyes).

The Lincs connection

Good news if you're based in Lincolnshire. Rok Chix has a new stockist in Sleaford:
Wilkinson's Jewellers
The Little Time House
13 Southgate
Sleaford
Lincs NG34 7SU
There's a selection of Rok Chix pieces in store already, so if you're in the area do go and have a butchers (and say 'hi' to the lovely Peta Wilkinson, the store's owner).
And for those who are nowhere near Sleaford, there's always the good old online option (rokchix.com).

Sapphires and Soul Mates for Valentine's Day

This year, delicious handmade silver and gemstone jewellery designer Rok Chix has something a little different for hopeless romantics and passion addicts on Valentine's Day. Instead of the usual heart-shaped tokens of affection, our Silver Soul Mate Necklace is a simple statement of true love. 

Our unique and seriously funky necklace features a simple sterling silver tag emblazoned with the world Soul Mate along with two fabulous twinkling little sapphire gems – one pink and one blue (or two of each colour if you prefer) – all hanging from a classic 50cm sterling silver chain.

It's the perfect way to show how much you adore the object of your affection (and to show the world you're adored, too). Price: £55

There again, for old-fashioned girls who like the romance of the conventional hearts and flower approach, the Rok Chix Silver Rose Heart Necklace is a charming take on an old favourite. It features a large, sterling silver heart pendant with vintage rose pattern and a mouthwatering pink ruby gemstone as a symbol of love and passion, again  hanging from a classic 50cm sterling silver chain. Price: £65

Alternatively, for that flush of first love, our Silver Sweet Necklace is designed for little girls (and big ones) who are made of sugar and spice and all things nice. A sterling silver tag declares your sweetness to the world, stamped as it is with the word Sweet, while a cute little pink rose quartz heart charm piles on the romance. It's enough to make you go ahhhhhh. Price: £40

All are made right here in the UK by designer/maker Christine Morgan in  her Brighton studio and available from rokchix.com (see Smitten collection for these and other seriously romantic baubles).