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Helpful Information on Swarovski Crystal Jewelry, Gemstone Jewelry, Handmade Jewelry at Bella Cristalli
Do you use sterling silver in your work?
99% of the silver in my jewelry is made with .925 sterling silver. Sterling silver is 925/1000 parts silver and 75/1000 parts copper. Silver plate is copper with a thin coat of silver. I do not use silver plated wire or components. On rare occasions I will use a charm or embellishment that has been made from coin silver or Pewter. Coin silver is 900/1000 parts silver.
Maintaining the beauty of your silver is very important. I recommend you periodically clean and polish your silver jewelry with a Sunshine Polishing Cloth. It is a non-toxic cloth that combines no-scratch micro particles and chemical cleaners that give a lasting luster to your silver. Use the cloth whenever the silver starts to appear dull. The Sunshine Polishing Cloth will last a very long time - well beyond when the cloth turns dark. I don't recommend using silver cleaning dips. The solution will remove the antiquing from the silver which gives depth and interest to your piece. The Sunshine Polishing Cloth will also clean other jewelry metals such as gold, brass, and copper. It even cleans mirrors and glass. I know you will be very pleased with the results.
Can you make a piece of jewelry in gold or copper?
Many of my pieces can be made in 12K gold filled wire and most of my jewelry can be made in copper. Please e-mail me describing which piece of jewelry you are interested in, and what your metal preference is. The price will vary according to the metal. As you might guess, gold will increase the price, and copper will reduce it.
Occasionally clients would like to change the beads in a piece that has already been designed.
Are you hard to fit?
Want a earings, a necklace or a bracelet to match a piece of jewelry you already own?
Do you have a special occasion coming up, a wedding for instance, for which you'd like your group to have the same jewelry?
Send us an e-mail. We can give you an estimate of what it would take to make just what you want. Depending on availability of materials and your time frame, we'll do our best to accommodate your custom order.
Please note: Custom orders are not returnable.
I often start by asking you what your budget is. I can then offer options that will meet your needs. Pricing a piece of jewelry depends on the cost of the beads selected, the amount of silver used, and how much time it takes me to make it. I will be happy to give you an estimate when you contact me.
Take a soft measuring tape and with your fingers pointed to the floor measure where you would like your bracelet to hang. Also measure the exact size of your wrist at the wrist bone. Please provide me with these two measurements.
Can I return a piece of jewelry if it doesn't suit me?
I value your satisfaction with my jewelry. If for any reason you are dissatisfied, please return the item within 7 days of the date you receive the jewelry as long as the item is in its original, unused condition, with no missing, broken, or exchanged stones and the finish of both metal and stone(s) are unscratched and unmarred. Any scratched, altered, blemished, used/worn or broken items are not eligible for a refund or exchange unless the damage occurred during the original shipment, or unless the item(s) were flawed due to our fabrication error. Of course, returns will not be honored if the jewelry has been altered or damaged.
To arrange for a return, please e-mail us. We will give you a shipping address. You may want to insure your return as we cannot be responsible for lost or misdirected returns.
When your returned item arrives, we will check it and issue a credit to the credit card used for purchase. A credit will appear on your credit card billing statement.
Shipping and handling fees are non-refundable.
If you paid by check, we will issue you a refund check in the full amount of the purchase. (Selling price of item + sales tax, if applicable.)
How do I decide what jewelry would look good on me?
The first consideration is to decide what type of jewelry you generally wear. Do you wear necklaces? Bracelets? Wire earrings? Following your past pattern would be a safe choice. But, you may be ready for a change. Try wearing multiple bracelets to give your look a lift. Or wear a necklace when this is not your practice. Obviously, branching into a new area of adornment is a little more adventurous.
To arrange for a return, please e-mail us. We will give you a shipping address. You may want to insure your return as we cannot be responsible for lost or misdirected returns.
Once you have chosen the type of jewelry, ask yourself these questions. In a necklace, what length would I be most comfortable in? A choker (16-18 inches), matinee (20-24 inches), opera (28-32 inches), or rope (40-45 inches)? In a bracelet, would I like a bangle, a soft-linked bracelet, or a charm bracelet? If you are thinking of getting earrings, what length earrings would best suit you? 1.5 inches, 2 inches, 3 inches?
Next, think style. Are you more classic in your apparel? Or, ethnic? Do you like feminine accessories? Or are you bold and dynamic? When it comes to style, think of wearing an ethnic piece of jewelry with a classic jacket or dress. I most typically wear a bold piece of jewelry with a classic suit jacket of a plain color. It is an eclectic style that is interesting, and shows that you can move beyond the expected.
Then ask yourself, what colors do you generally wear? The neutral tones such as gray, black, white, tan? Is your wardrobe mostly in the cool tones of blues, blue-green, clear green, purples, wines? Do you wear the warm tones such as brown, red, peach, gold, yellow, or olive green? Or maybe pastels are most flattering.
Answering these questions will help you make a selection. If you are still mystified and don't know what to get, there is an answer. Contact me and I will offer some suggestions.
Once I order a piece of jewelry, when will I receive it?
Most orders will be shipped in less than 1 week. If a circumstance prevents shipping in that time frame, I will contact you. Alterations to existing pieces may take a day or two longer. If you have custom ordered a piece of jewelry I will advise you in our planning discussions how long it will take to make.
If you'd like to pay for your order by check, you cannot use the shopping cart as it is only for credit card purchases. Please contact us to make arrangements for paying by check.
All purchases come packaged, at no additional charge, in a cocoa brown gift box and placed in an aqua blue or green gift bag with brown tissue.
Gift-wrapping is available for an extra $5.00 per item. We have several lovely choices available, for most occasions, to make your gift stand out. We will even personalize a gift card free of charge.
All items are sold "as shown, as described. We will adjust the length of Bracelets by 1? free of charge. Any alterations exceeding 1? to length, change in clasp, or design will incur a fee depending on the complexity of the change.
Please email us if you'd like to make a change to an item.
We take care in making Bella Cristalli jewelry to last. If you have a problem, contact us and we'll make arrangements to repair the item. If something breaks, please try to gather all stray pieces to send back.
Buyer pays shipping to Bella Cristalli.
Bella Cristalli will pay return shipping back to buyer.
We cannot be responsible for items shipped to us that are uninsured.
We want you to feel comfortable purchasing from us. Our Web site has a shopping cart to make it easy for you to select and purchase our jewelry. The shopping cart allows you to pay by VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover with a secure, online transaction.
