Fine jewelry should be a forever thing. At Kinn, that's not a marketing line, it's the standard we hold every piece to before it leaves our studio. So when questions come up about durability, we want to answer them directly, with real specifics about how and why we build jewelry the way we do.
Every Kinn piece begins with solid 14k or 18k recycled gold, not gold-filled, not gold-vermeil, not plated. This distinction matters more than most people realize. Gold-plated and vermeil jewelry uses a base metal (often brass or sterling silver) coated in a thin layer of gold. That coating wears away with time, friction, and exposure to moisture. Solid gold is gold all the way through. It won't peel, chip, or reveal a different metal underneath, because there isn't one.
We source our gold through KinnCycle, our recycled gold program, which means the materials are traceable and held to the same metallurgical standards as newly mined gold.
Clasps are the most-worked part of any necklace or bracelet, they open and close hundreds of times over the life of a piece. We engineer ours accordingly.
Our lobster clasps and spring ring closures are made from the same solid 14k or 18k gold as the chain and pendant. There's no weak point where a different material meets gold. The spring mechanism inside each clasp is precision-tensioned to hold securely without requiring excessive force to open, which is actually one of the leading causes of clasp fatigue.
If you ever experience a clasp issue, we want to know. Our repair and replacement policy exists precisely because we stand behind the hardware.
We use substantial chain gauges across our core styles. Delicate doesn't mean thin-to-the-point-of-fragile, it means refined. Our chains are designed to move naturally with the body without the micro-stress that causes links to weaken over time.
Chains that break typically do so at a solder point. Our soldering is done by hand by experienced bench jewelers, and each piece is inspected before it ships. If a chain breaks at a solder point within normal wear conditions, that's a manufacturing issue we will always make right.
Even solid gold benefits from some basic care. Here's what we recommend:
Daily wear: Fine jewelry is designed to be worn, and solid gold handles daily contact well. Chlorine (pools, hot tubs) is the one thing to avoid, it weakens gold alloys over time.
Cleaning: A soft toothbrush, mild dish soap, and warm water is all you need. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
Storage: Keep pieces separated, chains especially, to prevent tangling and surface scratching.
Clasps: Avoid opening and closing clasps more than necessary. If your necklace has a standard length that works for you, a clasp extender lets you adjust without working the original hardware.
We believe in the pieces we make. If something goes wrong, a clasp malfunctions, a link separates, a setting shifts, reach out to our team. We assess each situation individually, and for manufacturing defects we will repair or replace at no cost.
For wear-related issues, we offer repair services at transparent pricing. We'd rather keep a piece in your life than see it sit unworn.
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