Frequently Asked Questions
1. History of the Swarovski Crystal
2. What exactly is Sterling Silver jewelry (or .925 sterling silver)?
3. What is gold filled jewelry (GF)?
4. What are your shipping and handling fees?
5. What do you accept for payment?
8. Do you have a physical showroom that I may come and look at the items or try them on?
10. Do you have gift certificates and how do you redeem them?
12. How long before I receive my order?
13. I see an item on your site and it is out of stock can I still order it?
14. Is there any type of guarantee?
15. Do you restring items bought elsewhere?
16. What happens if I receive my item and it is to large or to small?
Any questions you have that may not have been answered please contact us.
1. The History of the Swarovski Crystal. We use the finest Swarovski crystals & Swarovski pearls in our jewelry. Swarovski crystal was invented by Daniel Swarovski in 1895 in Bohemia. They are made from the finest crystal lead glass, cut and ground with such precision that they sparkle as brilliantly as diamonds. They have a weight and style that sets them apart from normal beads.
Swarovski uses only high lead content crystal glass; typically a full 32% of the glass is lead and lead oxide. The presence of the lead increases the index of refraction, bringing it closer to that of diamond and a greater sparkle. The sparkle comes from light bouncing off internal surfaces in the lead crystal. This is why lead glass beads have an attractive sparkle and heavier weight than cheaper forms of glass.
Today
Swarovski is a world known name for high quality crystal beads.
Swarovski are simply the best crystal bead, that’s why we choose to use
SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL in our Jewelry.
2. What exactly is sterling silver jewelry (or .925 sterling silver)? Silver, even that has been fully work-hardened, gradually recystallizes and softens at room temperature. To maintain hardness, other metals are added to form alloys that are harder, stronger, and less susceptible to scratching and marring. The best-known copper-silver alloy is sterling, which is 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 copper (hence the name .925 sterling silver).
3. What is gold filled jewelry (GF)? Gold filled is a process of pressure bonding a thing layer of gold to a base metal core (usually brass). Gold filled (unlike plating) has an actual layer of gold, giving it more value and making it tarnish-resistant. Gold filled also will NOT wear off whereas gold plated is likely to after a few year. ALL OUR ITEMS ARE GOLD FILLED NOT GOLD-PLATED and they are guaranteed not to wear or your money back.
4. What are your shipping and handling fees? Shipping and handling is $2.50 first class mail no matter how much you buy. If you would like it shipped other ways there will be additional charges please email me for a quote.
5. What do you accept for payment? We currently accept VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER, and AMERICAN EXPRESS through a secure PayPal shopping cart. You do not need a PayPal account to use the feature. If you do have a PayPal account you may pay using your PayPal balance or checking account. We also accept MONEY ORDERS and CASHIERS CHECKS and we will accept a PERSONAL CHECK but will hold item ten days for the check to clear.
Please make out money orders, cashiers checks, and personal checks to:
“Betsy Stokan” and mail to:
5731 Flinchbaugh
Kimball, MI 48074
6. Do you accept returns? Your satisfaction is 100% but you will need to contact me before returning item so that we can do anything possible to make you happy before having to return the item.
7. Is there sales tax? If you live in Michigan there is a 6% sales tax added at check out.
8. Do you have a physical showroom that I may come and look at the items or try them on? At this point in time I am in the process of having a room built for this but it is not finished. You are more than welcome to come to my house and receive the one on one attention you deserve. My showroom should be completed within a month or two. Please check out website and I will make an update on this situation.
9. Do you have a catalog? I do send out a catalog once in a while with seasonal specials and new ideas. To receive these catalogs please join our mailing list by visiting our contact us page.
10. Do you have gift certificates and how do you redeem them? Yes, I do have gift certificates and to redeem them simply email me your order and I will email you an updated quote on your balance due after verifying that your gift certificate has not already been used and is valid. You must then MAIL (or bring) your order to me with the gift certificate attached to:
Betsy’s Designs
5731 Flinchbaugh
Kimball, MI 48074
If there is a balance due you may send it with the gift certificate or I can send you a new PayPal invoice. Once the balance due and the gift certificate is in my hands I will send your items out to you.
11. How do I redeem a coupon? To redeem a coupon simply email me your order and I will email you an updated quote on your balance due. A coupon can not be used on the Weekly Special or any other clearance item.
12. How long before I receive my order? As long as the item is in stock (which it most likely is if on the website) your item will be mailed that day or next depending on the time you buy it. If it is not in stock you will receive an email from me. For special orders and out of stock items you will receive them in about 2 weeks. If you need them sooner you can email me and we will see if it can get out to you sooner.
13. I see an item on your site and it is out of stock can I still order it? In most cases yes but the time frame for special orders applies. Please email me with any questions on the specific one you are looking at. Some items are made with one of a kind beads that I may not be able to order again.
14. Is there any type of guarantee? We offer a one year guarantee against any defects with our merchandise. If anything should happen to your item please mail it back with the original receipt and all pieces. If there are a large amount of pieces missing you will be charged for the extra. If it is past the one year guarantee there is a $5.00 charge plus any extra fees for lost beads and shipping and handling.
15. Do you restring items bought elsewhere? Yes there is a small fee of $5.00 plus any extra cost for lost pieces (clasp and beads) if applicable and shipping and handling for the item to be returned back to you.
16. What happens if I receive my item and it is either tolarge or to small? We offer free resizing on anything that you buy from us. You will need to supply shipping and handling fee to have item returned back to you. If you know what size for sure that you need when you order it please email me with that information so that I may make any changes necessary before sending it out to you. Or email me your wrist size and I can make sure that it will be okay for you.