Jewellery material info
Manufacturing
Remankeli jewelery is designed and manufactured by a small company Elokuje Handicrafts in Oulu, Finland. Did you know: Oulu in nominated as a Winter cycling capital of the world!
Used materials
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Inner tube: Used and upcycled bicycle inner tubes come from the Oulu region and Lapland from mountain bikes, fat bikes and road bikes. Most of the inner tubes have already been patched a couple of times, which means they are quite used material. I wash the inner tubes by hand before shaping. Rubber as a bit sticky material collects dust, but you can rinse it for example with a bit of dishwashing liquid now and then without any worries. Naturally, allergy sufferers may get symptoms from inner tube rubber.
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Bicycle chains: Upcycled chains have done their job and instead of binning they are collected by me. Most of the bicycle chains are handed over to me for further processing from mountain bikers in Oulu and Lapland. The most common brands are Japanese Shimano, KMC from Taiwan, and SRAM from the USA (Sram makes colored chains!). Chain materials have been reported to be: steel, nickel-plated steel, titanium coated steel, chrome-plated, zinc-alloy steel and stainless steel. I clean and disconnect the chains by hand. As a general guideline, I can say that chains may contain nickel. Personally, I have not experienced any skin symptoms even after a long period of continuous use.
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Reindeer leather: I buy soft and dyed reindeer leather in surplus pieces from Haukipudas from a glove manufacturer. If the leather bracelet feels too tight, you can gently stretch it. Avoid watering reindeer skin.
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Leather cord: I buy a dyed leather cord as a new item from a Finnish online jewelry store. Avoid wetting the leather cord.
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Dyneema cord: Dyneema is a polyethylene cord with high tensile strength and low elongation. I have not become aware of any skin symptoms caused by dyneema, nor have I had any symptoms on my wrist despite constant use. I am buying a 3 mm cord from Oulu.
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Paracord: My orange and pink chain bracelet are made of a 4 mm Paracord made of polypropylene, which is well suited for bracelets. I buy Paracord from a Finnish online store.
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Steel jewelry parts: Stainless steel [AISI 304] is a durable and non-wearing jewelry material that contains 8-10.5% nickel, but due to the passive film on the surface, it cannot dissolve. However, sensitive nickel allergy sufferers may experience allergic symptoms from steel. I order steel parts from the Finnish online jewelry store.
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Silver-plated jewelry parts: Steel earrings parts can be replaced with silver parts which are made of: copper 62.8%, zinc 35.5% and silver 1.7%. The silver-plated parts are brighter and softer but become darker over time than steel. Of course, they can be polished with toothpaste, for example. I order the silver-plated jewelry parts from the same Finnish online store than steel parts.
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Solid silver (sterling): I use larger sterling silver jewelry loops in some jewelry. These are made by a local goldsmith in Oulu.
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Snaps and rivets: The snaps and rivets I use in the bracelets are of high quality and nickel-free according to the manufacturer (Prym). These, like the rubber band on the bows and the plastic locks, I buy from a local store nearby.