Handmade Celtic Jewelry, Celtic Earrings, Celtic Rings
FAQ's about our Celtic Jewelry
1. What is the guarantee, repair, or return policy on your handmade celtic jewelry?
All celtic jewelry pieces are completely guaranteed against any defect in the material or in the workmanship. Rob will repair or replace anything where either are at fault.
If any of our celtic jewelry pieces are damaged due to ill use or accident, Rob will repair the piece for a fee. Generally, no more than the cost of the materials.
As far as returns go - we guarantee satisfaction on all of our celtic jewelry pieces. If a celtic ring doesn't fit, we will resize it or replace it; if a piece simply doesn't suit, we will replace it with another style. Replacements for an item of lower cost will include a refund of the difference. And if, strange as it might seem, you or the person for whom a gift was purchased simply cannot find anything to suit, we will issue a complete refund to the originial purchaser if returned within 90 days of purchase with a copy of the sales receipt.
Items returned for repair or exchange should include (1) a note with the client's return address, telephone number, any pertinent information about the item, (2) a check or money order for $7.05 to cover return shipping and insurance. The item should be packed in a BOX (padded envelopes can get crushed or torn by sorting equipment), and shipped insured to R E Piland, PO Box 607, Haymarket VA 20169-0607. These steps will prevent lost or damaged articles and give us the information we need to take care of your item as promptly as possible. Please contact us with any questions.
2. How should I get my celtic ring size measured?
If you are buying from us at a show, the best way is to simply let one of our staff measure you. If you are ordering over the internet, you will need to go to a jeweler to get measured if you do not already know your ring size. The entire jewelry trade buys our tools from the same dozen or so suppliers; gauge rings (the steel rings used to measure a finger) and sizing mandrels (long, conical steel or aluminum sticks a ring is measured on) are made in Germany, Switzerland, India, and China. Unfortunately, there can be a variation of a quarter- to a half-size in what are supposed to be standardized tools. We try to make sure our tools match, but certainly cannot guarantee the match with other goldsmiths and jewelers.
Please also make sure you are measured with a gauge that matches the style of the handmade celtic ring you are buying. A thin celtic ring which fits right at the joint of your finger can be 1/2 to a full size smaller than a wide celtic ring that rests from the joint up over a portion of the more thickly padded portion of the finger. Most of our handmade celtic rings will match a narrow guage. A wide guage should be used for both Infinity and both Braided Knot celtic wedding bands, the wider Morvan Celtic wedding band and the Oak Leaf Gem Ring.
In the event that there is a difference between our sizing tools and those of the jeweler who measures you and your celtic ring does not fit, we will resize it at no cost to you.
3. Do you repair celtic jewelry other than your own?
No.
4. Do you accept credit cards?
Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover for online payments, orders placed over the phone or at shows. To view our show schedule, click here.
5. What are the usual shipping methods and costs?
Our standard shipping is USPS Priority Mail, insured, throughout the United States for $4.05. Express Mail (overnight service) costs $16.25. We cannot currently accept orders from outside the United States due to technology restrictions. A solution is in the works, and we should be able to sell and ship internationally soon. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
6. Why is tax charged on orders placed outside Virginia?
We directly sell our handmade celtic jewelry in NJ, PA, MD, and VA at shows from time to time during the year, so for legal reasons we need to collect and remit sales tax for those states even for telephone/internet orders to avoid losing our business licenses. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.
7. What is your mailing list policy? Do you sell your list?
Contact information collected by us via our web site (when customers establish accounts) or via newsletter signup forms is used by us for our marketing purposes. A regular newsletter is sent out via email to clients who have an address on file with us, advertising featured items, new patterns and upcoming show dates. R.E. Piland values our reputation for respecting clients' privacy, however, and all requests to unsubscribe from our mailing list will be honored. To unsubscribe, please click the link at the bottom of your newsletter or email repiland@repiland.com.
Our mailing list is never shared or sold - it is for our use only, to benefit our customers.
8. Are the stones real? Why aren't all the stones of the same sort - for instance, the amethysts -exactly the same color as they are in the mall jewelry stores?
All the stones used in our handmande celtic jewelry are real.
The big jewelry stores have to be completely consistent in what they sell, so they buy stones that are exactly alike. In some cases, the stones can be treated to alter their color slightly to achieve that consistency.
Rob buys stones according to what strikes his artist's eye and imagination. This means that they can be very different from each other - but all will be beautiful, all will suit their individual settings, and they will certainly all be real.
9. How do I order an item that is no longer displayed on the site?
Unfortunately, you probably can't. In order to ensure the collectability of his designs, Rob limits each pattern to two to three years of production. The molds are then retired, and Rob will not cast any new ones unless it is for repair or replacement to an original owner. Some celtic jewelry items which are already sold, such as one-of-a-kind pieces, may be displayed around the site, but only those items which are in the catalog are available for sale.
10. How can you call it Celtic jewelry if it isn't imported from one of the Celtic countries?
Rob's inspiration and images are all from Celtic sources - whether it be from the Book of Kells, from photographs or drawings of Celtic stonework, from ancient Celtic metalwork from everyday table items (such as, in the case of the now-retired Moy Tura line, a beer bucket handle!), or from his own imagination. Rob himself is a Celt through and through.
11. What's the history of the Celtic torc?
Celtic torcs date back to very early periods of Celtic history. Originally, the torcs were worn by men only, and some people believe they were battle jewelry - worn as decoration, to be sure, but also to stop a blade.
Whether that's the case or not, they were - and perhaps still are! - a sign of rank and wealth. Those with money wore Celtic torcs of gold and silver; those without wore Celtic torcs of iron. In either case, the torc remains a symbol of Celtic influence.
12. What does the knotwork symbolize?
Generally, each individual piece has no symbolism in and of itself above that which comes from its inspiration. Many believe the wealth of Celtic knotwork symbolizes the eternal and neverending flow of life. In a properly crafted knot there is no beginning and no end; each strand crosses over and under and over and under without stopping.
13. What is fourteen karat gold if it's not pure gold?
Pure gold is 24 karat, and it's too soft to use in jewelry - it would bend, dent, or break very easily. Fourteen, ten, and nine karat gold are all blends of alloys (metals other than gold) and pure gold.
The karat number indicates how much alloy metal has been added to the pure gold, using the full 24 karat as the starting point for measurement. Fourteen karat gold is, therefore, 14/24 gold and 10/24 alloy metal; likewise, ten karat is 10/24 gold and 14/24 alloy metal.
For yellow gold, the base metals used are silver, copper, and zinc.
14. Why don't you sell nine or ten karat gold?
Fourteen karat gold is the best quality for gold jewelry, with the best color and the best weight and feel.
15. How do you get "rose" or "white" gold?
The different colors of gold are achieved by blending different alloy metals with the pure 24 karat gold. Fourteen karat yellow gold - the gold most commonly used in gold jewelry - is made with fourteen parts of pure gold and ten parts of a combination of silver, copper, and zinc.
Rose gold uses more copper and less silver than yellow gold.
White gold uses nickel instead of silver.
And green gold - which is more commonly seen in antique jewelry - uses more silver and less copper than yellow gold.
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