How will my pieces arrive?
When you purchase a piece or pieces from me, the piece(s) will be wrapped in anti-tarnish cloth and placed in a plastic bag. I then put the article in a snap top box. I encourage you to wrap your piece (s) in the cloth, place in the plastic bag and use the box to ensure your jewelry remains clean, bright and undamaged.
How do I maintain the jewelry?
My jewelry is designed and crafted to last several lifetimes, however, the metal will tarnish (yes, even gold tarnishes), and the beads and stones will dull with film from our hands and necks. If your jewelry is not heavily tarnished, use a polishing cloth. I use Connoisseurs Silver Polishing Cloth (although there is no difference between this and the Gold one); there are two sides to this cloth, a very red side and a yellow side. The red side is saturated with a compound known as rouge, and this is the side that you use first. You will notice that the tarnish will come off your jewelry and turn the red to black. The yellow side is to buff the jewelry and you use this side after, gently going back and forth on the metal pieces. You use this cloth until all the red is replaced with black.
If your jewelry is very black with tarnish, you have a choice depending on what your jewelry is composed of. If the jewelry is only metal, then you can use a dip. I use Ellanar Dip Instant Silver Cleaner, and it does work fast (you’ll need a glass jar in which to dip your piece). If your jewelry has stones and/or beads, then I would take the piece to your local jeweler and ask to have it cleaned and polished.
What is the commission process like?
I tremendously enjoy making pieces on commission, and here’s what the process is like. You and I converse either in person, over the phone, via email and/or snail mail. I need to get to know you, what you like in terms of color, style, piece of jewelry, size, images. I then sketch some ideas and I send them to you. You pick out your favorite and I work the design up further, pick out the stones and other materials. I then send you pictures of the final design and the stones and other materials (beads, stones, inlay materials). I get your approval and start to work.
If you are ordering a ring, I make several simple bands for you to try on. I believe a ring has to fit well (although my hands swell in the summertime, so I have rings I mostly wear in the fall, winter and early spring). I send these to you and you indicate to me which one fits the best. I have a record of the linear dimension so I’m good to go. It is my preference for there to be a fitting prior to the last steps (usually stone setting and final polish) so if I have to make an adjustment, I can do so fairly easily.
If you are ordering earrings, my favorite pieces to make, then I’ll ask some questions: do you like the earrings to be identical or mirror images (same with cufflinks)? I ask you to consider how heavy or long you like the earrings to be.
I will keep you apprised of my progress; a piece generally takes between 15 and 25 hours to make from start to finish depending on complexity.
Do I repair jewelry?
That depends on the piece. If the jewelry is marked, “Sterling” or “99.5,” then I will be happy to take a look at the jewelry and determine if the repair is something I can do. Unhappily, a lot of jewelry is not reparable because the piece was not hard soldered or the stones cannot be easily dismounted. I do restring pearls using silk. Email me with your requests, and I’ll respond.
Is your jewelry stamped?
I stamp all jewelry with Sterling as appropriate. My trademark is the logo you see in the left upper-most corner on all of the pages of this site. It is a stamp and was designed a long time ago. The trademark has been registered with the Federal Patent and Trademark Office, and it clearly indicates that the piece of jewelry was designed and hand-crafted by me.
Please email me with any questions, concerns or feedback you have. I will respond in a timely manner. I look forward to hearing from you.