faq
how do i take care of my new magical piece?
general care: the best place to store your jewelry is in the original bag or box. store pieces separately, including each earring, to prevent scratches. don’t store your jewelry in a bathroom or wear it while washing hands, showering, or swimming. put jewelry on last, after perfume or hair products. (unless you like a rustic look, then go for it!)
over time your jewelry will develop a patina, creating a beautiful vintage look. salty beach air and water will activate a green patina on your metal. if you prefer a shiny finish you can restore your piece by using a polishing cloth or, for a satin finish, use very fine grade steel wool. (be very careful with porous stones; ie. opals & turquoise.
gemstones: wipe clean with a soft cloth.
a quick word on ethiopian opals: they are very delicate. especially to chemicals. while clean water shouldn’t affect them, shampoo, lotion, perfume, sea water, chlorine, etc. will absolutely discolor your opals. australian opals & turquoise tend to be more robust than ethiopian opals but they are still more fragile than most other gemstones, so please handle with care.
there's a piece i love but it's sold out!
email me! we can talk about making you a similar piece. laura@laura-mar.com
do you create custom pieces?
yes! email me. laura@laura-mar.com
how soon will i get my order?
most items are made-to-order. please allow 1-2 weeks for order fulfillment. these items ship quickly. you will receive a notification via email when your order ships. if you need your order in a hurry, please reach out to info@laura-mar.com and i will do my very best to expedite it.
ok, but what if i changed my mind?
any unused and unaltered pieces can be returned for a refund or store credit, within 7 days of delivery date. all tags must be attached and items must be returned in the original packaging. return shipping charges are the responsibility of the customer. shipping fees are non-refundable, even if you received free shipping. you will be refunded less the actual shipping cost for the returned items. please email me at info@laura-mar.com to arrange for a refund or exchange.
i sent it back! now what?
returns are typically processed within 10-14 business day of receipt. refunds are issued to the original form of payment.
shipping fees are non refundable and will be deducted from any refund issued. (even if you received free shipping in your original order.)
please note that while most refunds are visible within a few business days, your banking institution or credit card company may take up to 30 business days to process and post the refund to your account.
i broke my piece & it looks dirty. what should i do?
for well loved jewelry, i'm happy to offer repairs or refinishing. cost is dependent on the case. most oxidized jewelry can easily be restored to its original shine by using a polishing cloth or, for a satin finish, you can use very fine grade steel wool (be very careful with porous stones; ie. opals & turquoise.) to request a repair or refinish, please email me at info@laura-mar.com or fill out my contact form (link is in the top menu.)
why shop small?
besides the fact that your are helping this lady survive (thank you!), all pieces are handmade in my studio, by me. no factories are manufacturing my pieces, which means you don’t have to worry about inadvertently supporting a manufacturer with unethical practices. my metal is recycled and any pieces that don't sell i take apart and reuse the stones & metals.
you say you use recycled metals. are they still high quality?
recycled metals are no less pure than mined metals. recycled metals are made from scraps, scrapings, filings, and sometimes electronics, that are processed and then refined back into pure precious metals. all of my metals come from rio grande, a net zero energy company.
do you offer wholesale?
yes! email me at sales@laura-mar.com or you can shop directly on lauramar.faire.com
how secure is this store?
this store uses shopify payments via stripe and paypal for payments. paypal automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the secure sockets layer protocol (ssl) with an encryption key length of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available).