There is no online checkout here. This page sets out how a purchase or a sale actually proceeds, what is refundable, and what is not.
Everything starts with a written quote covering the stone, the setting, the metal and the total. Nothing is ordered until you have agreed that quote. For sourced stones and custom work, a deposit is normally required before I place the order, and the balance is due on completion.
Custom and made-to-order work is built to your specification. Once fabrication has started, a custom piece cannot be returned for a refund, because it cannot be resold as stock. I will say so clearly before taking a deposit rather than after. If a finished custom piece does not match the agreed specification, that is my error and I correct it at my cost.
Stock and unmodified sourced pieces may be returned in unworn, original condition within 14 days of collection for a refund of the purchase price, less any third-party certification or shipping cost already incurred. Resizing, engraving or any alteration makes a piece non-returnable.
Offers are made after the item is tested and weighed in front of you. For gold, the calculation is weight in grams multiplied by karat purity against the live spot price, less a refining margin — and I will tell you the percentage of melt being offered. For watches and jewelry, the offer reflects what the piece resells for, which is generally well below an insurance appraisal figure.
An offer is not binding on you. Nothing is melted, broken down or sold on before you have accepted and been paid. Alabama law requires precious-metal buyers to record identification and to hold purchases for a set period, so bring photo identification.
Once a sale is completed and you have been paid, it is final. I will always flag beforehand where a piece looks worth more intact than as scrap, and where a piece appears to carry family significance.
Bench work is quoted before it begins. Where a repair cannot be done safely — unsizeable metals, movements needing a specialist, settings too worn to retip — I say so and decline the job rather than attempt it.
Appraisals are written for insurance replacement value and are supplied as documents for your insurer. An appraisal is not an offer to purchase and does not represent resale value.
Where this site refers to beating a price, the offer is specific: bring a written quote from another seller on a comparable certified stone and setting, or a written offer from another buyer on a comparable item, and I will either beat it or tell you plainly that the other number is a good one and you should take it. It is a price-match offer against a written comparable, not a claim to be the cheapest seller in all circumstances.
