Ethical Shell Sourcing
Pāua are gathered recreationally and commercially but strict catch limits are set for both. Adam has an agreement with small scale New Zealand fishermen, who collect the pāua for food. To Māori, pāua are recognised taonga (treasure), esteemed both as kaimoana (seafood) and as a valued resource for traditional arts and crafts. Pāua are frequently used to represent the eyes in Māori carvings and traditionally are associated with the stars or whetū; the symbolic eyes of ancestors that gaze down from the night sky.
Sterling Silver
Why do silversmiths use 925%? Measured in parts per thousand, pure silver (999%) is too soft so silversmiths mix it with other metals to make it it harder. The purer the metal, the higher the polish, but it is a lot softer (thus less durable). The harder the metal is, the more hard wearing the jewellery is, but it will also tarnish easier as it has less silver content. Therefore, the silver industry set a standard percentage content for fine silver (925); what we know as "sterling silver". At Two Skies our silversmiths use 925 (sterling) silver for ring shafts and moving parts, and a very high 950% on our stones settings, which enables us to get a strong jewellery item with a beautiful and secure stone setting, without any gluing. Each piece of our jewellery is hand stamped with our Two Skies Hallmark alongside the recognised industry 925 Hallmark.
