Yes. All payments are processed safely & securely through PayPal's SSL Payment Gateway.
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Here you'll find answers to questions that are frequently asked. If you don't find the answers to your questions here, please feel free to Contact me and ask your questions
No, you DO NOT need a PayPal account. You can make a secure payment by credit card without a PayPal account. All payments are still processed through PayPal's secure gateway, but an account is not necessary. To make a payment by credit card simply choose the second option labeled "Don't Have A PayPal Account?" on the checkout payment screen.
Yes, I do ship internationally. During the checkout process you have the option of shipping via USPS (U.S. Postal Service) or UPS. Orders over $100 USD ship free via USPS International Priority Mail with tracking.
Your personal information is exactly that - personal. Any personal information you provide during the checkout process (ie: name, address, telephone number, email address, billing address, ship-to address and credit card information) is maintained in private files on a secure web server. Your personal information will not be sold or given to third parties.
Currently I work in Gold-Filled, Sterling Silver, Copper, Bronze & Brass. I use only genuine precious & semi-precious gemstones.
Copper, Brass, Bronze & Silver all tarnish. I ship my jewelry in a plastic anti-tarnish bag inside the jewelry box. The best way to prolong the bright untarnished look of your jewelry is to keep it stored in the plastic bag. It is also better to clean it BEFORE it gets severely tarnished. Soft stones such as Pearls, Turquoise & Opal should NEVER be put into an ultrasonic cleaner. You should also never put stones that have visible cracks or fractures into an ultrasonic cleaner.
To clean light tarnish from Copper, Bronze & Brass, dip the piece into some lemon juice or white vinegar mixed with a little salt. Rinse it off well with water immediately after removing it from thedip. Do not let the jewelry sit more than a minute in the dip since leaving your jewelry sitting in the dip for a prolonged period can damage the finish.
To clean heavy tarnish from Copper, Brass & Bronze, put 1 cup of warm white vinegar into a bowl and mix in 1 tsp of salt. Dip your jewelry into the mixture & then rinse it well with water. Once again, do not let your jewelry sit in the vinegar for more than a minute or so to avoid damaging the finish.
To clean light tarnish from Silver, put a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a bowl. Add 1 cup of hot water and mix in 1 tsp of baking soda. Put your jewelry in the bowl on top of the aluminum foil and let it sit for a while. When the tarnish is gone, rinse the jewelry well with water.
To clean heavy tarnish from Silver, use a commercial Silver cleaner like Tarnex. Commercial tarnish cleaners are pretty noxious and you should always wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area when using them. It's always better to clean your Silver jewelry BEFORE it gets to the point where you need a commercial tarnish remover. Soft, porous stones such as Pearls, Turquoise & Opals should never be put into a commercial tarnish remover since it will damage the stones.
One-of-a-kind pieces ship out within 2-3 business days, most often it will ship the next day. Bridal pieces and multiple availability pieces are made to order, so please allow 2 weeks for fabrication. Most often these items will ship much more quickly.
Currently, the standard shipping method is USPS Priority Mail with tracking. You also have the option to choose UPS shipping at checkout.
If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your purchase, you may return it in undamaged new condition within 14 days of receipt for a refund of the purchase price not including shipping.
If you want to download images from this site, I ask that you use the images available for download on the PRESS KIT page. These images may not be sold, rented or used to reproduce any of my jewelry designs. All of my jewelry designs are copyrighted, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced or copied. If you do download any of these images, please include © Karen L Vargas with any of the images you use.
Not really. The way I work is very organic. Quite often, as I am making a piece of jewelry, the design changes significantly during the process. The finished piece is often quite different from the original design sketch. This process really doesn't lend itself well to doing commission pieces.
