We understand that buying something as expensive as a gemstone online is not an easy decision to make. This may be one of the most significant purchases you will be making and most importantly, it’s something you or someone special to you will treasure for many years to come. We want to put your mind at ease–we want you to be 100% happy with what you purchase. To make that happen, we offer a 100% risk-free review and return policy for retail customers.

How does it work?

To begin with, we strongly suggest that you reach out to us via our contact form or just call us to ask any questions you might have. We are happy to take a short video for you of the gem you are interested in, or we can do a side-by-side comparison video of up to four gems to help you narrow down your choices. When you think you’ve found the perfect gem, simply put it in your cart and check out. If you still can’t decide between several gems, you can also order more than one, and then simply return the ones you don’t decide to keep.

The Gemstone Review Period

We ship all orders fully insured, and most orders will arrive to US customers within 2-3 days. Domestic orders over $1000 USD will automatically be upgraded to complimentary FedEx Overnight shipping (international orders are excluded from free shipping). Regardless of where you are located, you have ten business days (two weeks including weekends) from when you receive a gem (or gems) to view it in person and be 100% sure it’s the right one. We believe it’s very important to take advantage of this offer because no matter how good the photo or videos are, there is no substitute for seeing a stone in person. Everyone has different color perception, and phone and computer screens vary in their accuracy of color reproduction. Even the angle of the sun in different parts of the world will cause a colored gemstone to have a slightly different appearance!

We encourage you to view the gem in a variety of lighting–all colored gems will shift their color to some extent depending on the light they are viewed in. In some cases, the color can appear to shift quite dramatically. For example, some teal-colored sapphires will appear much greener under newer white LED lights, and much bluer outdoors in sunlight. Almost all colored gems will be darker and less lively at night or in low light (although there are some exceptions) and will be the most vivid outdoors in shaded or overcast sunlight. Take your time! The easiest way to view the gem is to carefully place it on the back of your hand between two fingers. That will give you a sense of scale and help you visualize how it would appear in a ring. Be careful! Even though many gems are quite hard, you can chip them if you drop them onto a hard surface.

If the gem is perfect, then there’s nothing more to do, unless we are also making your jewelry for you. If we are making the jewelry OR if your gem just isn’t right (for any reason) then read on–we want to make you happy!

How do I Return a Gem?

If the gem you’ve ordered isn’t perfect, or if you ordered several and need to return the ones that aren’t right, or if we are making your jewelry then simply contact us to arrange the return. We do not include a return label with our packages as we need to be aware of every return headed our way. When you’re ready for a return contact us via email, on the website chat function, or call our 800 number.

We will email you a prepaid and fully insured return label. You can choose either FedEx or UPS based on your preference. The label will come from our insured carrier, Parcel Pro, and it will include instructions on how to properly pack up the gem to return it. Please note that if you fail to follow those instructions you can be liable for the replacement costs if the package is lost or stolen, so follow the directions (we promise, they’re very easy!). Do not reuse any boxes; you can get free new boxes from FedEx or UPS. 

Once we have the gem back from you, we check it back into stock. The gem must be in the original condition–if you accidentally damage it during the time you have it, you are responsible for any costs associated with repairing it or any lost value as a result. Luckily this is a rare situation, so just be careful when you have it. We process the refund of your purchase the same day that we receive the return, and typically you will see the funds back in your account within 24-48 hours, depending on how your bank/credit card company operate.

Are There any Charges for Returning a Gem?

We strive to keep our gems priced as competitively as possible, and in order to do so we do need to manage the costs of delivery and returns. We believe you really need to see a gem in person to fully appreciate it and to make this as easy as possible, you can order any gem over $1000 and incur absolutely no costs to return it. The vast majority of customers will never incur any costs for a return; however, for orders of multiple gems we may have to assess some charges in order to keep the overall costs down for all of our customers. These charges are outlined below. Please note that multiple orders and returns of single stones will count the same as ordering multiple stones in one order and we may put a cap on how many purchases and returns you can make.

*If gems are purchased with a debit or credit card

Because we pay a significantly higher charge for orders financed through Affirm, we do charge a 6% restocking fee on all orders financed with Affirm as well as return shipping. Please note that if you place more than one order and return the first and any subsequent orders it will also trigger the return shipping and restocking fee on the subsequent orders.

For gem purchases under $1,000 we do not refund the shipping charge and you are responsible for the cost of return shipping.

Return Shipping Charges

For orders of a single gem, return shipping is completely free. Orders of more than one gem may be subject to return shipping charges as outlined in the previous section. Those shipping charges will be assessed as follows:

• For total order values under $1,000, you will be charged $25 for the return shipping.
• For total order values over $1,000 and under $5,000 you will be charged $50 for the return shipping.
• For total order values over $5,000 and under $10,000 you will be charged $100 for the return shipping.
• For total order values over $10,000 you will be charged $200 for the return shipping.

Please note that international orders and rush shipping are excluded from free return shipping; while we can send you a label to facilitate the process, your refund will be net of the return shipping charges.  Typically this will range between $65 and $150 USD depending the value of the item and where in the world it is being returned from; it increases with the cost of the purchased item. 

Please note that we reserve the right to limit the number of free shipping/returns so multiple single orders will not skirt the charges listed above.

What if I Want to Exchange a Gem?

Sometimes you will get a gem and while it’s not perfect for you, you believe that another one we have will be perfect. In that case, contact us to arrange the return and exchange. To avoid multiple credit card company fee assessments for multiple charges and refunds, we will typically just leave the current charge in place and ship you the new gem as soon as we get the old one back. You get a whole new ten business day review period when the new gem arrives in your possession. If the new gem is perfect and there is a net difference of price–either a refund to you or an additional charge–we will either send an invoice for the balance or refund you any amount due.  

If you’ve had one of our gems for a longer period of time and want to upgrade, contact us about our trade-in policy.

Can I Return a Gem Outside of the Standard Return Period?

We believe our review period is generous and more than adequate for seeing the gem in person and making sure it’s perfect.  That said, sometimes schedules collide, or unforeseen events happen.  If you need a couple of extra days, contact us and we may be able to provide you with an extension.  If you want to return a gem after the return period for a refund, we may assess a restocking fee; depending on the gem being returned and the amount of time that has passed, the fee can vary but at a minimum will be 30% of the purchase price.  You can contact us to discuss this option if necessary. 

What if I Want You to Make the Jewelry for my Gem?

We love making custom jewelry pieces with our own gems! If you want to learn more about that process, then check out this page. When we make the jewelry for you, we send you a prepaid return label to ship the gem back to us. Just contact us when you’re sure you’ve got the perfect stone and are ready to move forward with your jewelry. It doesn’t matter when–we’ve made jewelry for clients who purchased a gem from us a year or more previously!

Can I Return or Exchange Jewelry?

The majority of our jewelry is made-to-order specifically to fit your gemstone; made-to-order and custom-designed jewelry is not returnable. Made-to-order jewelry using one of our designs, or using a modified version of one of our designs, can be exchanged within 30 days for an item of equal or greater value subject to some restrictions (contact us for details). The new piece will be subject to our standard 4-6 week turnaround time. Fully custom-designed jewelry can also be exchanged for an item of equal or greater value, but there will be a restocking fee of 30% on the exchanged piece.

Jewelry in our ready-to-wear section- including rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets- is returnable with the same 10 business-day (two weeks including weekends) review and return policy as gemstones. Ready to wear jewelry must be returned in the same, unworn condition as it was sent to you, or you may be subject to a repair/restocking fee. 

Please note that international orders are subject to the same return and exchange terms for jewelry; however, you will be responsible for shipping costs.