This particular style of jewelry has a higher price point than mass produced "costume" jewelry because of how much time and effort goes into it, and also the quality of material I use. Each piece starts with a relatively expensive piece of turquoise or other precious stone that needs an entire setting built around it to accommodate it's proposed design, which I happily construct using only .925 sterling silver. That in itself can take up to and often over an hour for larger pieces. Then it requires a lengthy period of time in my tumbler to polish and work harden the metal to make sure it can withstand all the life it is going to live once it is in your possession. THEN it's time to set the stone, which is done so carefully and painstakingly to ensure that it is a perfect secure setting using absolutely NO chemical adhesives, and only the bezel walls to hold that beautiful little stone in.... THAT is why this jewelry costs a pretty penny. Each piece is made from scratch and with love by my own two hands.

Over the last year I have developed relationships and dare I say friendships with a small handful of stone sellers and lapidarists that I trust completely with arguably the most important part of my pieces. The stones are cut by these talented people who often get the material straight from the mines themselves or from the people who own the mine rights. I prefer to use North American mined turquoise that comes from Mexico and all across the southwestern United States. Many mines are found in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. The only overseas turquoise I use is called Hubei, and it comes from a province in China. I use this in a few beaded strands. This turquoise is clearly marked in the listing to ensure there is no confusion.

".925 silver" and "sterling silver" are the same thing. The .925 refers to it's purity, meaning that 92.5% of it is pure silver while 7.5% is copper and other trace metals. 

You might ask then what is pure silver and why don't I use it? .999 silver is pure silver, so it only has 0.1% 'impurity’. Pure silver has a beautiful white shine but tarnishes very quickly and is so soft that it also scratches or gets deformed easily.

The metals added to .925 sterling silver make it stronger, harder, and allow it to tarnish slower, making it more suitable for most jewelry. 

This is called "tarnish" and it is normal. It is a chemical reaction on the surface of the metal caused by the moisture in the air. At my storefront and online I have a Sunshine polishing cloth that I highly recommend purchasing along with your "investments." These cloths will remove surface tarnish and bring the shine and life back to your piece that developed. You can help prevent and slow the development of future tarnish by keeping your sterling silver jewelry in a dark box away from air and sunlight. Avoid getting your pieces wet when washing your hands or showering as well, as this can also prematurely age your pieces. 

Behind most of the stones, especially the bigger ones, I often put sawdust behind them to cushion them and bring them up in their settings. This is an old Native American technique that, when performed and cared for carefully, will last a lifetime. Avoid getting your rings and chunky studs wet for this reason. My stone settings are pretty tight but you still don't want to risk moisture getting in there behind the stones. The tiny stud collection does not have sawdust behind the stones, so feel free to shower with those puppies on. It's not reccommended that you get sterling silver wet but those can handle it better than the larger earrings/rings/cuffs/necklaces.

I use USPS to ship all over the US for a flat rate of $7.50, anything over 5lbs will ship USPS Priority for $15.05 . If you are ordering internationally it is a flat rate of $28.00.

Great question. All ready-to-ship items will ship out in 3-5 business days, and probably sooner if I've got my ducks in a row. Items marked as "Made to Order" will require 2-4 weeks for production time, and then ship out upon completion. Custom orders operate on a different schedule and will likely be complete within 6-8 weeks of design confirmation.

Sezzle is a payment service that let's you make 4 payments on your purchase over 6 weeks with 0% interest. I know my jewelry can be expensive but that shouldn't stop you from treating yourself. When you use Sezzle at checkout the items will be shipped on their normal time frame and Sezzle will handle the rest of the payments with you directly. Available only online at this time, cannot be used on custom orders.

I prefer to use USPS since that's what I use to ship your pieces to you, but use whatever mailing service you'd like. Just know that if it doesn't make it back to me safely that you will not receive your refund/exchange.

At this time I do not offer resizing of rings or cuffs purchased, especially if they are custom made. At my storefront I offer free ring and cuff sizing, and online I have available "zip tie" style ring sizers to help you get an accurate size. Nothing makes me more sad than someone telling me that their ring doesn't fit after I made it to the size they requested. I am sure you are sad as well, seeing as you spent quite a tidy sum on it. So let's help each other out and double check your size before you commit to a beautiful little piece of jewelry that I want you to be able to wear forever.