HOW DID YOU GET YOUR JEWELRY IN VIKINGS?
The simple answer is… we answered the phone! No really, about a year before the first season of Vikings started, we got a call from a production company who wanted to buy a few pieces of Viking jewelry for what we understood was going to be a ‘documentary’ on the Vikings for the History Channel. We sent off a small package to Ireland and didn’t really give it much more though, until… We were as surprised as anyone when one of our customers told us that he had seen one of our bracelets on the new hit TV series, Vikings. We actually argued that no, it could not be our bracelet. But it was and the rest is, as they say… Vikings History.
WILL THE BRONZE JEWELRY TURN MY SKIN GREEN? IS THIS HARMFUL?
Depending upon your metabolism, there is a chance that the bronze jewelry will turn your skin green. It does not happen to everyone and when it does, it is not harmful. Bronze is an alloy of copper - a mix of copper, tin and other metals. If your body is hungry for copper, one of the trace elements people need to stay healthy, it will absorb it through the skin by sending out enzymes that will convert the copper into cupric ozide (also called cleated copper), which is green. This can happen with any metal that contains copper, including the gold used in jewelry, which is usually mixed with copper to achieve the various carats.
The green comes right off if you wash with soap. However, you can do 2 things to help keep your skin from turning green. The first is to keep the bronze clean, since it is the oxidation, not the metal itself, causing the green. Clean it before you put it on, and again after you take it off, and keep it in a bag or pouch when it’s not being worn. For cleaning care see: HOW DO I CLEAN MY JEWELRY.
The second method is to coat the inside of the torc or bracelet with clear nail polish. You will have to do this periodically, as it will wear off after a while, but that should prevent the green stain completely.
HOW DO I CLEAN MY CRAFTY CELTS JEWELRY?
The best method for keeping your bracelet shiny and oxidation free, is to scrub it with dish soap, hot water and a green scrubby (yes, like the one that you use for dishes). You can use this method for every piece of jewelry that we make except anything with an amber stone ( which is a soft stone damaged by abrasive materials).
The bronze can also be cleaned with steel wool, a jewelry polishing cloth, or even tooth paste and a rag (and hot water).
WARNING!!! Be careful of liquid cleaners that will get down into the twist & look gunky/green. Also, never use a commercial jewelry cleaning dip! It will remove the antiquing in the recesses of your jewelry. Your jewelry will look ugly…trust us on this one.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I USED ONE OF THOSE COMMERCIAL DIPS?
It is likely that you are unhappy with the result… Send your jewelry back to us and we can re-oxidize and polish it for you and make it look beautiful again!
I NEED A REPAIR - WHAT DO I DO?
We offer a lifetime warranty on all of our jewelry. We will do the repair for free, minus return shipping. Please send it back to us with $10 for return shipping. We will fix it, shine it and mail it back to you as good as new.
I NEED A DIFFERENT SIZE - WHAT CAN I DO?
We want you to feel comfortable wearing our jewelry! We will do the resizing for free, minus return shipping. Please send it back to us with $10 for return shipping. We will resize it, shine it and mail it back to you as good as new.
DO YOU SHIP TO OTHER COUNTRIES?
Yes! With very few exceptions, we ship worldwide. We always ship through the USPS, with first class parcel post, insured. For international orders, please be aware that your country may impose a customs fee. We have no control over this and the cost is unique to each country.
CAN YOU SHIP MY PACKAGE UNINSURED TO SAVE ON SHIPPING?
No. We are sorry but we will not ship uninsured packages. Uninsured packages have a tendency of getting ‘lost’. If your package is lost during transit, we cannot put in a claim for reimbursement without insurance.
HOW WILL YOU SHIP MY ORDER?
All orders are shipped through the USPS. Items within the US are shipped using Priority mail and insured. All international orders are shipped using first class parcel post and insured.
HOW CAN I TRACK MY ORDER?
When you place your order, you will get a shipping confirmation email. When we ship your order you will get a second email with a tracking number.
HOW LONG WILL MY ORDER TAKE TO ARRIVE?
We really do try to ship items out as quickly as possible, especially around critical holidays! Oftentimes, we will have your package on the way in under a week. However, due to the hand-crafted nature of our wares, construction can take up to 4-6 weeks. In particular, items that have a size selection, such as torcs and bracelets, may need to be constructed. Once we ship it, you will most likely receive it in under a week.
HELP! WHAT IF I NEED MY ORDER FASTER THAN 4-6 WEEKS?
Contact us! If humanly possible, we will get it to you as expediently as possible.
DO YOU OFFER GIFT WRAPPING SERVICES?
At this time, no, we do not have a gift-wrapping service. But most items will arrive in a small gift box or a velveteen bag.
IS YOUR JEWELRY SOLID STERLING SILVER OR IS IT PLATED?
Solid! All of our jewelry is either solid bronze or solid sterling silver ( 92.5%). We do not plate anything and we do not work in pewter or nickel silver.
IS YOUR JEWELRY HOLLOW OR IS IT SOLID?
It is solid and built to last a lifetime!
CAN I ADJUST THE BRACELET TO FIT MY WRIST?
Yes, the bracelets are somewhat flexible. Gently squeeze the heads towards each other once it is on your wrist to tighten. Over time and as you wear the bracelet, the gap between the heads will widen. You can gently squeeze the heads towards each other to return your bracelet to its original shape.
ARE THE BRACELETS AND TORCS FLEXIBLE?
Yes! The torcs and bracelets are very flexible due to the special metal braid that we use. They are somewhat springy which allows you to take them on and off. However, they are not so flexible that they will come off when you don’t want them to.
CAN I GET THIS JEWELRY WET?
Yes! It will not hurt it at all and in fact, the best way to clean your jewelry is with hot soapy water. If you wear it while bathing or swimming ( fresh or salt water), just rinse your jewelry off with hot water and dry it with a towel or a blow dryer.
CAN I UPGRADE MY BRONZE BRACELET FOR SILVER?
Yes! You can trade back a bronze item to upgrade to the same item in sterling silver. We will deduct the cost of the bronze item (assuming it is in reasonably good condition) from the cost of the sterling silver version.
CAN TWO DIFFERENT HEADS BE PUT ON A BRACELET OR TORC?
It really depends on the heads. If they are similar in size, we may be able to do this for you. Contact us with your idea and we will let you know.
WILL THE BRONZE JEWELRY HELP WITH MY ARTHRITIS?
We can’t swear to it, but many of our customers do! The wearing of copper bracelets has been known to relieve the symptoms of arthritis and in fact it was a common treatment before the discovery of cortisone shots! Have you noticed that sometimes while wearing copper or bronze jewelry that your skin turns green? The green color is a result of your body turning the copper found in the bronze into a form that can be utilized by your body ( called cleated copper). We need trace amounts of copper (and other elements) to remain healthy and these elements can be absorbed through the skin. It is believed that it is this copper mineral that helps to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis.
ARE THE PINBACKS ON YOUR PINS AND FIBULAE STURDY?
Yes! Most of the smaller pins have modern steel safety pin backs which are sturdy enough for light weight to medium weight fabrics. The fibulae are even more durable – they have hammer hardened bronze pins. The larger fibulae will pin the thickest of fabric!
WILL THE FIBULAE PINS LEAVE A HOLE IN MY FABRIC?
The smaller pins have a modern safety pin style pin, so they are safe to use with just about any fabric. The larger fibulae have hammer hardened pins which do not have really sharp points. If you twist the pin as you push it through the fabric, it will separate the threads without leaving a hole. We do not recommend the larger fibulae for use on silk or tee shirt material, but other than that, you should have no problem.