FAQs

Your jewellery is a part of you so, please, show love and care to both you and your jewellery every day.

• Handle gently and with regard for its lightweight nature - remember; last on, first off
• Don't expose your jewellery to perfume, body creams, chlorine, detergents, sun lotion etc
• Remove before physical activities such as gardening & sports
• Remove before showering/bathing, swimming & sleep
• Wipe pearls and gems regularly with a clean, damp cloth
• Polish precious metal components with the polishing cloth included
• PLEASE NOTE: Pearls are soft & porous and need extra care to avoid scratches or exposure to anything (as above) that will dull their lustre

You will occasionally need to clean your jewellery, and usually a gentle wash with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water (with a mild detergent) is sufficient. Ensure it is carefully dried afterwards with a soft cloth and do not allow pearls or gemstones to become submerged.

If your jewellery becomes tarnished (a natural reaction of metal with the oxygen in the air) then use the polishing cloth provided, or in more stubborn cases, a tiny dab of Brasso or Silvo on a soft cloth - please see my blog post on polishing for more details.

Prevention is better than cure when it comes to Pearls as they are porous and very soft, so please try to avoid any unscrupulous lotions and potions coming into contact with them.

Remember - last on, first off.

Only put on your pearl jewellery once hairspray and perfume have dissipated and body lotions have soaked in. It should be the first thing you remove at the end of your day.

Keep them stored in a soft pouch or the jewellery box they arrived in, to prevent being scratched by other jewellery parts.

Due to the porous and soft nature of Pearls, they should never be submerged in water, and only ever wiped with a damp, soft, clean cloth (e.g. a microfibre cloth).

Try to avoid the thread on knotted pearls to become wet, but if this happens, ensure it has fully dried before wearing.

Never use harsh chemicals or ultrasonic or steam cleaners as they can cause irreparable damage to softer, more delicate stones.

All items are sent in a smart grey jewellery box, with beautiful finishing touches with grey tissue paper, branded stickers and a matching paper raffia bow.

They are sent inside a sturdy kraft postal box, with a handwritten thank you note, a complementary polishing cloth and a care guide card.

For a small additional charge you can upgrade for your item(s) to be beautifully hand-wrapped in handmade paper with a paper raffia bow, with a complementary card for your personal note to be handwritten to the recipient.

All items are handcrafted by Cat Birch, and most are ready to ship in 1-3 business days. 

Some items are made to order which takes around 1-3 weeks; this will be clear on the individual product pages. 

Jewellery is sent via Royal Mail Tracked 24 in the UK and International Tracked & Signed to Europe, USA (any duties and fees paid at point of sale) and the rest of the world.

Please let me know if you have a deadline – I will always do my best to meet your timescale where possible.

Yes, you can pick up from me directly if you are in the area of Falmouth, Cornwall (UK). To arrange, please contact me direct.

I take on a small number of commissions each year, due to the high investment in time and energy for these pieces.

Contact me with your initial ideas of design or concept, with any reference images you may have, and we can chat and see if it's something I can take on.

The initial stages of the commission process are very much a conversation between us, to bring your vision to life. Any reference material, and ideas around concepts, design, materials or budget are really helpful at this stage.

Once I have understood the basis of the commission and am able to take it on, I will send you a quote (50% deposit due to confirm the order).

You can choose whether you want to be involved in the decision making throughout the development process, with regular updates and photographs sent, or whether you would prefer to leave me to work on it and just show you the finished piece.

Photographs are sent once finished to ensure you are happy with it before the final balance is paid and the piece is sent to you.

Once the details of the commission have been confirmed between us, you will be sent a quote.

Quotations are valid for 30 days.

A 50% deposit is required on all commissions to confirm the order, with the balance payable upon completion and prior to delivery or collection.

Bespoke orders and commissions cannot be changed or cancelled once a deposit has been paid – this is your agreement and commitment to the order.

The deposit will not be refunded if you choose to cancel your order once it has been confirmed and production started. In exceptional circumstances, a credit note to the value of the deposit paid will be issued, minus a design and production charge.

Commissioned jewellery, or items that have been made to your specific requirements, cannot be returned unless there has been a fault in the workmanship, which will be assessed at the point of return.

All Cat Birch Jewellery items are guaranteed for a period of 6 months from the date of purchase against faults in materials and workmanship.  Any faults will be repaired or replaced free of charge, provided that the fault falls within the terms of this guarantee.

The 6 month warranty includes:

- Cleaning
- Repolishing
- Tightening of findings (clasps and connecting rings etc)

If you feel there may be a manufacturing issue, of any kind, please feel free to contact me at any time with your proof of purchase, a brief description of the fault and photos if possible.  The jewellery can then be returned for closer inspection.

In the event there is a manufacturing defect, I will carry out repairs or replace your piece for you free of charge.

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If the problem is due to accidental damage or general wear & tear, I will always contact you to discuss the best options for repair and the costs involved.  There may be a charge for the repair but I will notify you of the estimate before proceeding with any work.

Yes absolutely - I am more than happy to make any repairs to your older pieces that need a little TLC or perhaps any that have been accidentally damaged.

Send me a message with a description of the damage and photos, and I will contact you to discuss the best options for repair and the costs involved.  There may be a charge for the repair but I will always keep it as reasonable as possible, and will notify you of the estimate before proceeding with any work.

Yes I am happy to clean and polish any of my pieces, no matter how long it has been since you purchased it. For orders over 6 months old there will be a small charge to cover my time and return postage, but this will be minimal.

Sadly I do not clean or polish other jeweller's work - please contact them direct.

If you wish to return an item for refund or exchange, please email cat@catbirch.com within 7 days of receiving the item stating your order number (please see exceptions below).

The piece(s) being returned must arrive back at Cat Birch Jewellery within 14 days of purchase, in the original packaging, unworn and in their original condition.

Once I have received the item, the refund will be processed within 14 days and the money refunded to the original payment source, i.e the debit/ credit card or paypal used for the purchase.

Please note: Commissioned jewellery, or items that have been made to your specific requirements, cannot be returned unless there has been a fault in the workmanship, which will be assessed at the point of return.

Please note the following items are non-returnable for refund or exchange unless they are found to be faulty - should this be the case, please send photographs of the fault in your email:

• Earrings
• Bespoke or commissioned pieces
• Sale items

Please make sure you securely wrap the item you are returning. I am a small business and cannot take responsibility for any damage to the item whilst it is in transit.

The return postage cost is the responsibility of the buyer and as stated above, I am unable to take responsibility for the items whilst in transit, so I recommend using a secure and tracked postage service as well as keeping proof of postage.

Cat Birch Jewellery is unable to authorise any refund until the returned item has been safely received, so please take care to cover yourself.

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions at all regarding returning jewellery.