I have held off making an FAQ page for a very long time, because people usually don’t ask me questions. The following questions are mostly a figment of my imagination and also cover some topics that aren’t covered on other pages of my website.
Q: I’ve placed an order, but I haven’t received a confirmation email. Has my order been received?
A: Sometimes confirmation emails don’t go through to some email platforms for mysterious reasons. If your PayPal payment went through and money has been taken from your PayPal or bank account, then there’s a 99.9% chance that your order has been received 🙂 However, if you still want to confirm the status of your order, you can always send an email to bellyofthesnek [at] gmail.com
Q: I have a question about shipping.
A: All things about shipping are covered on the Shipping page.
Q: I really liked a one of a kind item that you made, but it’s not my size/got sold. Could you make one more for me?
A: That depends. I often use unique stones for OOAK items, so there’s a high chance that I won’t find an identical stone. However, if you’re open to other stone options, we could figure something out together. The resulting item wouldn’t be identical to the initial one, but along the same lines.
Q: Why is everything so expensive?! It’s just silver!
A: You’re probably asking this because you live in Latvia 😀 In Latvia many people still see jewelry as an investment, so it should be made of gold and preferably still be cheap. For some reason people see silver jewelry and assume that its cost should be equal to the cost of materials. Lol.
What you should really be asking is: why is your jewelry so cheap? I make everything with my own hands, and usually it takes hours or days to make a single piece of jewelry. Every detail matters to me. I want to provide you with jewelry that will last many years. It takes time to find good stones, and very often I discard a few stones from a batch that I get. I also buy my own tools (jewelry tools are expensive) and join jewelry courses to improve my skills (outrageously expensive!). You’re lucky that I live in Eastern Europe where the cost of living is not as high as in other places in the world 😉
Q: Could you make one of your designs in a different metal?
A: I work with sterling silver and 14k and 18k gold (red, yellow, white). Unfortunately I don’t work with anything other than these two precious metals, and I really hate 9k gold. My casters also hate 9k gold and never cast it. Just say no to 9k gold. It only contains 37.5% of gold, you deserve better.
Q: I have some gold jewelry that I don’t wear. Could you use this gold to make something new for me?
A: If you live in Riga and can meet with me, then most certainly yes! Gold is recycled in the jewelry industry all the time, and this way you could considerably reduce the price of your jewelry item and, possibly, only pay for the labour. The most important thing you need to understand about this process is the following: most likely your gold will not be reused directly, i.e. your old jewelry will not get melted and directly cast into your new jewelry. Instead, in most cases it will be melted into an ingot, tested in the assay office, and then exchanged for pure gold that will then get mixed into the gold alloy that you require. The people who exchange gold usually don’t charge a fee, but keep around 1.5 – 2% of your pure gold.
Additionally, if you live in another EU country and can send me the gold in an insured shipment (or whatever shipping way works for you, but at your own risk), I can offer this service to you as well.
Q: I have a cool stone. Can I send it to you to make a custom order?
A: Short answer: it depends. Long answer: I would be more inclined to say yes if you are a previous customer or a jeweler who understands that the stone can be set in a piece of jewelry in a secure way, but everything will depend on a particular stone, your location and many other things. It also helps a lot if you know whether the stone is natural, has been treated and so on.
Q: How do I know that your stones are what you say they are?
A: I buy my stones from people who have spent years in the lapidary business and have earned a good reputation. Every now and then I get some stones tested to see if they’re legit. If you would like a certificate of authenticity for a particular stone used in my jewelry, I can offer this to you at an extra cost.
Q: Can I find out if the stone was treated, or its origin?
A: I am not a gemologist, so I won’t be able to give you a solid answer. Technically many stones are heat treated for a better colour, so it’s best to assume that a coloured stone has undergone some treatment. This does not make a stone inferior, it’s just part of the industry. Some sellers include information on treatment, others don’t, so I don’t provide any treatment information at all to avoid false claims. If you’re really curious, in some cases I can request an analysis of a stone at our local assay office at an extra cost.
The same goes for origin: I only know what the stone seller had told me, although good gemologists usually know where certain stones with certain features are mined. The same goes for “ethical mining”. Unfortunately you can’t claim that with all certainly unless you’ve been to a mine yourself, which I haven’t, although that would be super cool 🙂
Q: I would really like to buy a pendant with a chain. Why don’t you sell them with chains?
A: Most jewelers who sell their jewelry online offer the most basic thin chains. I can’t do that, because I care for the longevity of your jewelry items and I would hate it if you lost a pendant because your cheap thin chain broke. If I were to offer chains with my pendants, I would choose thicker chains that would increase the price of a pendant by at least 50 EUR, and I would also have to invest a lot of money into chain material. I would much rather invest this money into tools. Besides, I know that different people prefer different chain styles, so this way you could find your own favourite chain.
Q: Is there a place where I can see your jewelry in real life? Or can I come to your studio?
A: At the moment my jewelry isn’t displayed anywhere, and my studio is not designed to accommodate strangers. But if you live in Riga, we could arrange a meeting in a cozy cafe. Once or twice a year I also participate in local artisan markets.
Q: I am learning how to make jewelry and I love your work. Can you teach me?
A: I consider myself a terrible teacher, and I’ve discovered most things by trial and error. If you’re local and were to study with me, it would only give you knowledge and experience, but unfortunately no credits towards getting a LAK diploma, because I don’t have one myself. However, if you send me a question, I’d be happy to give you some pointers, including book or tool recommendations. You could also send me your work for constructive criticism. I promise to be harsh and honest, but it will be for your own good.