Frequently Asked Jewelry Questions

Repairs

I will only make repairs for previous clients who have purchased a piece from the Douglas Zaruba Studio in the past.


Warranty

We warrant that the parts and labor provided in any repair or custom order will be free from defects in material and workmanship for 90 days from the date that the work was delivered to you. Any parts or labor covered by this warranty shall only be corrected by us and is limited to repair or replacement of the defective parts and labor.

Because any gemstone set in prongs can be easily removed or knocked out of its setting, we cannot be responsible for the loss of any prong-set gemstone. We cannot be responsible for breakage or damage to any gemstone after leaving our store. It is your responsibility to inspect your jewelry prior to accepting it.

No other express warranties are provided.


Shipping

I can ship any piece of jewelry to you if you are unable to come to the studio. I ship either by USPS: EXPRESS MAIL (overnight) or by UPS, both are fully insured. I charge only the cost of shipping and insurance. (*complimentary shipping may apply)

A signature will be required for all shipments at the time of delivery.

I CAN SHIP ANY PIECE THAT IS CURRENTLY IN STOCK TO YOU FOR YOUR APPROVAL AFTER PAYMENT IN FULL. YOU HAVE 5 DAYS FROM THE TIME OF DELIVERY TO RETURN ANY PIECE THAT YOU FEEL DOES NOT MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. YOU WILL PAY ALL SHIPPING CHARGES REQUIRED FOR THE RETURN. YOU MAY ALSO RETURN ANY RING PURCHASED FOR SIZING IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE SIZE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. ONCE A RING HAS BEEN SIZED, IT CANNOT BE RETURNED.


Terms Of Sale

PAYMENT TERMS: We only accept cash, check, Visa, Master Card, Discover or American Express Bank cards for payment. No credit will be extended.

Full payment is due upon completion of work.

We reserve the right to require a deposit of 50% of the estimated cost for all custom work, special orders and substantial repairs.

You agree to pay all costs of collecting any amounts due under this order, including reasonable attorney fees.

Unless full payment is received within 30 days from the completion of work, your jewelry may be sold under the Uniform Commercial Code of this state to pay any charges due. Any jewelry remaining after 60 days from the completion of work will be considered abandoned and will become the property of DOUGLAS ZARUBA GALLERY.

LIABILITIES: Custom work and special orders are done especially for you. No exchanges or refunds will be made after 24 hours from the acceptance of this agreement. No Exceptions.
It is your responsibility to be clear about the work that you wish to have done and that the drawings and descriptions fully reflect your Intentions. Anything not specified shall be left to the discretion of the designer and goldsmith performing the work. Any changes made to the completed work shall incur additional charges unless the work was not done as specified in the drawings or descriptions.

All work will be done by highly skilled goldsmiths and professional craftsmen, but all work Is done entirely by hand. Minor deviations will occur and this Is to be expected as a feature of hand craftsmanship. We specifically reject CAD/CAM work as lifeless and impersonal. While we strive to achieve the highest levels of craftsmanship, we reserve the right to decide if our work meets those standards.

Any work brought to us for repairs or modifications and not made by us may contain hidden defects which are impossible to detect when the wok is taken in. You will be notified immediately of any unexpected problems that may occur, but we cannot be responsible for the workmanship of others.

We cannot be responsible for damage to any synthetic gemstones, treated gemstones, fractured or fracture-filled gemstones. It is the responsibility of the person requesting work from us to notify us in advance of any known treatments or enhancements to gemstones. Any such gemstones may require removal from the jewelry prior to any work and may incur additional charges.

Any gemstone may be damaged during setting. While we are experienced professionals, we know from experience that stonesetting is a delicate and risky procedure. Some stones are more susceptible to damage than others and gemstones with inclusions, thin girdles or poorly cut stones are especially risky to set. Any gemstone that Is supplied by us, that is damaged during setting, will be replaced by us at no charge with a replacement that Is as close to the original as possible.

We cannot assume responsibility for damage to any stone not supplied by us.

While fine jewelry is meant to be worn, it does require proper care. All precious metals are malleable, which means that they can be bent, dented and scratched. Rings, especially, can get worn or damaged quickly If not properly cared for. Stones can come loose and may need to be tightened periodically.

We take pride In our work and would like to see it looking good for a long time. We would be happy to advise you on the proper way to care for and clean your jewelry. We also ask that you bring your jewelry back to us every 3-6 months so that we may inspect it, clean it, polish or re-texture it and check all the stones. We do not charge for this service for any jewelry that was made by us.


Returns and Exchanges

Special orders are special for you and cannot be returned. Anything not specified shall be left to the designer and goldsmith performing the work. Any changes made to the completed work shall incur additional charges unless the work was not done as specified in the drawings and descriptions.

I CAN SHIP ANY PIECE THAT IS CURRENTLY IN STOCK TO YOU FOR YOUR APPROVAL AFTER PAYMENT IN FULL. YOU HAVE 5 DAYS FROM THE TIME OF DELIVERY TO RETURN ANY PIECE THAT YOU FEEL DOES NOT MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. YOU WILL PAY ALL SHIPPING CHARGES REQUIRED FOR THE RETURN. YOU MAY ALSO RETURN ANY RING PURCHASED FOR SIZING, IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE SIZE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. ONCE A RING HAS BEEN SIZED, IT CANNOT BE RETURNED.


Jewelry Care

Douglas Zaruba Jewelry is handcrafted and requires proper care and attention. Dirt, perspiration, perfumes and other natural elements can dull the appearance of gemstones and may lead to premature damage to the jewelry.
When choosing your jewelry, take into account how you will be wearing them. Avoid wearing them to the beach, or at the swimming pool, working out, playing sports, or doing housework or gardening. NEVER wear rings when doing any type of construction projects or when working with electricity.

Diamonds can break, crack, and chip if struck at the right angle and the right amount of impact, especially along the edges. The edges are the weakest part of a diamond and this is why I prefer to set diamonds, and any fragile gemstone in a bezel that completely surrounds the fragile edge of the stone.

CLEANING JEWELRY:
I recommend using a glass cleaner, such as Windex, and an electric toothbrush to clean behind the gemstones in your jewelry. Rinse your jewelry under warm, running water and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Jewelry containing delicate stones, such as opals, pearls, or porous stones such as turquoise may be cleaned using a denture cleaning tablet, such as Polident 3-Minute Denture Cleaner. This will not clean jewelry that is very dirty but is an effective way to keep your jewelry clean, if used regularly.

I do not recommend using silver polish or dip style cleaning solutions, and I do not advise using an “at-home” ultrasonic cleaner (many stones can be damaged by the use of ultrasound), or “at home” cleaning chemicals like bleach, ammonia, baking soda, or toothpaste.

As always, you may bring any of Douglas Zaruba’s Jewelry to the atelier to be cleaned and refinished at no charge!


Sizing My Jewelry

All stock ring sizes are 6 and a half (6.5) for women and ten (10) for men. I will size rings up to one and a half (1.5) sizes larger or smaller than our stock ring sizes at no extra charge. Sizing can take three (3) to five (5) business days in addition to shipping time. Should a re-size be necessary, there is a seventy-five dollar ($75) fee. All rings sized under size five (5) and over size eleven and a half will need to be placed as a special order and will be shipped in four (4) to six (6) weeks of my receipt of your order as a special order.

*** One-of-a-Kind rings are not be able to be Special Orders. Please contact the atelier at 240-439-4000 or by email at doug@dzaruba.com for more information.


How do I start the process?

To begin a commission, it is best to call the studio to schedule an appointment.

If you see one of our designs in the Inspiration Room that you would like to modify, this is generally the least expensive option. These designs have been “field-tested” for years, and we know their strengths and weaknesses.


Do you do CAD/CAM work?

CAD/CAM work not done on premises. Doug specializes in hand fabrication.


I have some stones from old jewelry. Can I use these?

YES! We can always use undamaged stones. We will first clean and examine your stones to look for any chips, wear or scratches. We will also evaluate the quality of the cut and clarity. Commercial grade stones generally do not look great in custom jewelry. We will also advise you regarding the durability of different gemstones. Some are fine for everyday wear and some are too delicate to wear every day.

We can also have stones re-cut or re-polished. This is only cost effective on larger gems.


Can I use my old gold?

We can take old gold and platinum jewelry as scrap, but will not re-melt this for your new piece since we cannot guarantee the quality of the alloy. Re-melting generally does not produce a piece that will be up to our quality standards.

14 karat gold is 58% gold, 18 karat gold is 75% gold. The rest can be a combination of silver, copper, silica, zinc or other elements.


Can I sell you my jewelry scrap?

No, we do not purchase scrap.


What quality diamonds do you use? Are they conflict-free?

We can supply diamonds for your design, and we sell only the quality stones that we would give to one of our loved ones. With larger stones, we only sell diamonds that are GIA Certified as SI1 – VS2 or better. Clarity grades above this can only be determined with a microscope, so why pay more for something that you can’t see?

Likewise, the color grade will depend on the metal that it will be set into. Platinum requires a higher color grade than setting a diamond into 22k yellow gold. The most important grade on a diamond is the Cut Grade; we will only sell Ideal Cut diamonds. The brilliance of a diamond depends on the optics of the stone, and an Ideal Cut grade is by far the most brilliant and the best value. We do not generally stock diamonds, so we will source these stones from our suppliers to give you the best quality at the best cost. We feel that this is too important a purchase to trust to “luck.”

All the small diamonds that we use are VS/ F-G color, Ideal Cut Canadian rough. The best there is! Most of our diamonds are also of Canadian origin and aside from being conflict-free, they are certified to be responsibly mined.

We also supply colored gemstones that are clean, well-cut and a great price. We work directly with gem cutters and lapidary artists around the world that we have known for years. We can show you gems that you may not be aware of and colors that you have never seen! Just give us an idea of your favorite color and we can supply it. We often have gems custom cut for a design, and we work directly with some of the world’s finest award winning lapidary artists! Also, ALL our colored gemstones are certified to come from responsibly mined sources using environmentally sound mining practices and ethical working standards.


What metals do you use?

We work with a wide pallet of metals: 14k brilliant white gold (so white it looks like platinum and never needs rhodium plating), 18k, 20k, and 22k yellow golds, rose gold, peach gold, and green gold (we mix our own alloys for color and hardness), platinum, and non-tarnishing silver.


I don’t want to use a diamond in my engagement ring. What other gemstones can I use?

Diamonds are the hardest stone, but they can break if you hit them on their edge. Therefore, we prefer to set stones in a bezel that completely protects the edge of the stone. Sapphires are also a good choice for an engagement ring, and they come in almost every color except red – red sapphires are called rubies! Aquamarine and topaz MAY be considered, but they will scratch if you’re not careful.


What if I don’t like it?

It is YOUR responsibility to be absolutely positive you like the design BEFORE you approve it! Custom designs are specially made just for you. There are no returns or refunds. Take your time to be sure that you are completely satisfied with the designs. While we can sometimes make minor modifications after the piece is completed, we cannot completely remake the jewelry. Please be as clear as possible when you are working with the designer and ask questions until you are completely satisfied.


Do I have to have my white gold rhodium plated?

White gold is yellow gold that has been whitened by adding nickel or palladium to the alloy. Because 14k contains less gold than 18k, it will be whiter. We use a special white gold alloy that is very close to the color of platinum.


If my jewelry doesn’t fit, can you re-size it?

It is always best to get it right the first time but if not, the first resizing is free. It is easier to make a ring smaller so, if it is a gift and you are not sure of the size, it is best to go slightly larger. That way it will fit on the finger, even if it is too large, and we can resize it in one day.


Do you cut stones?

We do not cut stones in our Hagerstown, MD studio. Gemstones are cut by a lapidary – a specialist in the cutting of gemstones. Domed stones, or cabochons, are a more basic cut and generally those who cut stones like this do not cut faceted stones.

We work with several world-renowned lapidary artists who can cut incredible shapes and patterns in fine gemstones. We also work with other lapidaries who specialize in the simple polishing and re-cutting of stones to remove scratches or chips.