- Why choose jewelry from Van Craeynest?
- While we believe that you will be very happy with fine jewelry from
other design houses like Tiffany´s, we also believe that you get
a special sense of ownership and pride wearing a piece of distinction
crafted by hand especially for you.
- Why get involved in a custom jewelry project when I can find something
cheaper and ready-made at a store?
- Custom hand-made jewelry is not for everyone and some customers are
indeed better served by purchasing something to their taste at a store.
Our hope is that you consider Van Craeynest to chronicle occasions such as
engagements, weddings, even the birth of a child. We have the tools and the
knowledge to create timeless jewelry; unique pieces that will evoke the
sentiment of these joyous events for years to come
- Should I buy from a retail store or directly from Van Craeynest?
- We urge you to make your purchase from one of our
Fine Jewelry Retailers as
they have professional fashion consultants that will assist you in selecting a
piece according to your taste, life style, and budget. If the store
does not have a Van Craeynest creation you are looking for in stock,
they could also assist you in
acquiring that piece either from another retail location or directly from us so that
you may experience our jewelry in person and determine if Van Craeynest is right
for you. Purchasing at a retail location also allows you to enjoy
that store´s particular return policy, warranties, and on-going maintenance, if any.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for that special customized or fully custom
made piece of jewelry and nothing less then a Van Craeynest will do,
please give us a call directly.
- Will I get a better deal if I order directly from Van Craeynest?
- The price of an identical piece ordered directly from Van Craeynest will
be comparable to the price you would pay at a retail location.
- Do you show all of your jewelry on your web site?
- No. We have many more styles available in our Signature Collection in
addition to many more custom pieces made for our customers. The web site is
an evolving project and we plan on adding more of our creations in the near future.
- Do you have all the jewelry on your web site in stock?
- No. We do not normally stock any of our jewelry. All the jewelry we make is
hand-made to customer specific order. We do occasionally have pieces for
immediate delivery that have been returned to us from our partner retail stores.
We are planning on adding a "Ready To Ship" section to the web site highlighting
such jewelry. When in doubt, please call us for more information.
- How long does it take to receive the jewelry I have ordered from you?
- We will quote you a firm delivery date at the time you place your order.
Our average lead time is 4 weeks, but it may be shorter or longer depending
on what you order and on our current work queue.
- What is your payment policy?
- We require a full payment at the time you place your order. Your
payment for custom work is non-refundable. We do understand that situations
change and we will do our best to accommodate your specific situation.
- Do you charge sales tax?
- We are required by law to collect sales tax on all items either picked up at our workshop
or mailed within the state of California. We do not collect sales tax on orders
shipped outside of California.
- I live outside of San Francisco. How will I receive my order?
- Your order will be shipped to you free of charge via our carrier of choice. All shipments
are insured by us and are delivered on a "Signature Required" basis.
If you would like to use a different shipping method, including using your
own carrier and account number, please let us know at the time of your order.
- Do you ship to PO Boxes?
- No.
- Do you ship to military bases?
- We will gladly ship to APO FPO free of charge.
- Do you ship outside of the United States?
- We will ship outside of the United States on a case by case basis. Please inquire about
your specific situation.
- Does all of your jewelry come with the center stone?
- Unless noted otherwise, all of our jewelry comes 100% finished,
including the center stone.
- Do your web prices include the cost of setting and the center stone?
- No. Our web prices are for the setting and the sidestones only. Each center stone is
unique and the final price depends on the center stone's size and quality. We will
consult with you on the appropriate stone for your jewelry piece. Once we
understand your specific needs and preferences we will quote you the full
price for the setting and the stone.
- Why do you insist on providing your own center stones?
- We make our jewelry with mounting specifically designed to
accommodate a specific stone. Precious stones do vary in size, shape, and quality.
We do strive to mount a specific center stone to show off the stone's specific
qualities.
- Where do you buy the stones used in your jewelry?
- One of the benefits of being in the jewelry business for about 100 years is forging
friendship and business relationships with people in the business. We acquire our
stones through such relationships, through people we have found to be reliable,
consistent, and professional over the years. We buy direct and we also use diamond
dealers for those hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind stones.
- Wouldn't I get a better deal if I get my diamonds from a diamond dealer/importer myself?
- Maybe. If you account for the time it might take you to acquire your own diamonds,
the anxiety of the process, the possibility of non-conforming stones
(diameter, table depth) and the resulting difficulties associated with mounting them,
the deal might not look so hot after all.
- Are your stones certified?
- We only use G.I.A. certified diamonds in our jewelry. A detailed diamond quality report
from G.I.A. is included for every center diamond in our pieces.
- I have an heirloom stone(s) that I would like to use in one of your
settings.
What can you do for me?
- Because we hand-make all of our jewelry in our
workshop, we do have the ability and the desire to accommodate our clients´
specific needs and preferences. Please give us a call and we will do our best to
work with you within your requests.
- What metals do you work in?
- We use 18K gold, 18K rose gold, and 900 platinum in our jewelry. If you have different
requirements, please give us a call.
- The ring I like is shown in platinum / gold on your web site. Can you make
the same ring in gold / platinum?
- Usually, the answer is Yes. Occasionally, specific design
can only be made in specific metal due to the metal´s properties and/or
the crafting technique used in creating the piece.
- The ring I like is shown in bright finish. I would like to see what
it would look like in other finishes before I make up my mind. What do I do?
- Please contact us with your request and we will do our best to add
a picture of that ring in other finishes.
- I am interested in one of your diamond rings but can you substitute
the diamond(s) with color stone(s) (ruby, sapphire)?
- Most likely, Yes. Please contact us with your request.
- Do you offer inside engravings on your rings?
- We do offer custom inside engraving on a per request basis. Given the variety of scripts
available, the space limitations, and the potential for miscommunications, all custom
engravings require a written confirmation from the customer.
- I would like to make a custom jewelry piece. What is the process?
- You start the process by giving us a call or sending an e-mail.
If you already have the design in a drawing form, we will ask you to send us a copy.
If you have some ideas and desires but do not yet have a complete design, we
will work with you in person, over the phone, fax, and/or e-mail to design just
the right piece for you.
Once the design is finalized, we will quote you a firm price to make the design into
wearable art. While we live for artistic expression, our landlord still demands
cold cash. Therefore, we will have to quote you our professional design hourly rate
at the time of your initial inquiry. Additionally, we will jointly agree on
the design work schedule and payment plan.
- You are making a custom piece for me and I would like to
know where it is currently in the process. How can I get this information?
- Even though a phone call can usually suffice it might be difficult
to explain the state of the crafting in words. We also understand that we might be
creating something special for you that will be kept in your family for generations.
Therefore, on request, we would be happy to post the pictures of your piece
on our web site to show its current progress. We can post the pictures
in a "private" place, only visible to you, or on our public web site through
"Work in Progress" blog. You can collect the pictures off the site directly
or we would be happy to provide the keepsake album at the time we deliver the piece.
- I have a question not covered here. Who do I talk to?
- You are welcome to call us directly or send us an e-mail with your question. Alternatively,
you can ask your question directly via our web site.
If your question is of general interest, then we will consider adding it and
our reply to this page for the benefit of all of our customers.
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