Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns about any of our products or your order.

Returns/Repairs

While we are confident that you will be satisfied with your purchase, because almost all of our pieces are handmade to order, all sales are final. We recommend that you confirm appropriate sizing for rings or any other customized pieces prior to placing your online order.

While all items are closely quality controlled, should your item not arrive in perfect condition, please email [email protected] within 7 days of receipt and we will arrange to make necessary repairs to the item and return it to you.

Larisa Laivins covers the cost of all repairs under normal wear for the first six months after purchase unless the piece is noticeably bent, shows improper care, or is damaged in any other manner. After the first six months or in the case of obvious damage, Larisa Laivins will perform repairs for a fee. Please email us at [email protected] if your jewelry requires service.

We are happy to make minor adjustments to jewelry, including resizing, for an additional fee.

Shipping/Delivery

As most of our pieces are handmade to order, please allow 2-4 weeks for your order to ship. Certain customized orders may take longer.

All US orders are shipped free of charge via USPS with insurance and require signature for delivery.

Please inquire for shipping to all other destinations.

Contact us at [email protected] if you have any shipping or delivery questions, concerns or special requests, such as expedited shipping services.

Taxes

We collect local sales tax of 9.0% for any orders that ship to destinations within the State of California. This sales tax, if any, will be added to the cost of your order during checkout.

Jewelry Care

Even though they can seem quite sturdy, gold, gemstones, and even diamonds can chip, crack, scuff, or scratch if they’re knocked hard enough or at the wrong angle against another object.

Avoid impact, pressure, extreme temperatures and rapid changes in humidity.

Avoid harsh chemicals – substances such as bleach or chlorine can pit metals, change the color and weaken settings, causing loose or lost stones.

Although it can be tempting to wear your jewelry all the time, please remove rings, necklaces, and earrings when:

- Exercising: any strenuous activity including cardio, yoga, lifting weights, etc.
- Showering or bathing
- Sleeping: not many people realize it, but the extended heat and pressure that occurs during sleep can sometimes damage delicate fine jewelry.
- Applying perfumes, lotions, oils, makeup, or hair products
- Cooking, baking, or doing dishes
- Cleaning, especially with bleach or other harsh chemicals
- Swimming or soaking in the hot tub
- Gardening
- Painting, throwing pottery, etc.

As a general rule, if you're unsure about whether it's a good idea to wear your jewelry in a given situation, choose the safer option and remove it.

Even though we love them, turquoise, opals and emeralds are all relatively soft stones on the Mohs scale, and therefore require extra vigilance to avoid scratches, chips, cracks and discoloration.

Turquoise is one of our favorite stones, but it is relatively soft and porous at a 5-6 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It is especially important to avoid impact and contact with hard surfaces or other jewelry, and to avoid chemicals and oils since they can soak into the stone and cause discoloration.

Opals, like turquoise, are soft stones with hardness ranging from 5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Again – very important to avoid impact or pressure or contact with a harder material. Also – avoid drastic changes in temperature and humidity and never submerge your opal in liquid for any period of time. A quick rinse in warm soapy water for jewelry cleaning is okay, but your opal jewelry should definitely sit out nightly dish duty and hot tub parties to avoid discoloration and a loss of its luminescence.

Emeralds are slightly sturdier than turquoise and opals at 7.5 – 8 on the Mohs scale, but they are still susceptible to chips and scratches. We love their vibrant green color, but since the great majority of fashioned natural emeralds contain filled fractures, it’s risky to clean them ultrasonically or with steam. Ultrasonic vibrations can weaken already-fractured stones, and hot steam can cause oil or unhardened resin to sweat out of fractures. Using warm, soapy water coupled with gentle scrubbing is the safest way to clean emeralds.

Diamonds fall at the opposite end of the hardness spectrum—they are among the hardest materials on earth. They are so hard that they may cause damage to other jewelry worn around them or their own setting. Take care when wearing diamond jewelry along side jewelry containing some of the softer stones.

Cleaning

Turquoise, opals, pearls, tourmalines and emeralds should be cleaned in warm soapy water and dried with a soft lint-free cloth immediately. Never use steam or ultrasonic cleaners. Also avoid chemical jewelry polish and jewelry polishing cloths charged with polishing compound.

Chrysoberyl, sapphires and diamonds can be cleaned with warm soapy water or with a steam or ultrasonic cleaner.

Larisa Laivins is always available to consult with you about any care questions.