melodyarmstrong's Shop Policies

Welcome

Melody Armstrong is a Canadian metal artist who designs and creates precious art to adorn the body. Melody graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 1999 with Honors, majoring in Jewellery and Metal. Working with sterling silver, anodized titanium, patinas, semiprecious and precious stones, and gold, she creates jewellery that is influenced by nature, architecture, and fashion. Melody's design philosophy of organic infused with industrial is demonstrated through a mix of natural shapes and geometric structures, with great attention to detail and quality of workmanship. Melody Armstrong now resides in Regina, Saskatchewan where she maintains a studio and is the Jewellery Instructor and the Artist in Residence at the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre.

Payment

I accept PAYPAL.

DEBIT/CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ARE WELCOME. When paying with your credit card simply proceed using the Paypal link during the checkout process to complete your payment.... Paypal processes payments and is completely secure, safe and confidential, and you DO NOT need an existing Paypal account to use this feature.

Payment is expected at the time of purchase. If payment is not received within 7 DAYS of placing your order, the order will be canceled.

Provincial sales tax of 5% is applied to all Saskatchewan orders.
Federal sales tax of 5% is applied to all Canadian orders.

Shipping

For CANADIAN orders I ship using XPRESS POST with SIGNATURE STICKER includes TRACKING NUMBER.


For UNITED STATES orders I ship using XPRESS POST includes TRACKING NUMBER.

Refunds and Exchanges

I want you to love your jewelry! If you are not satisfied with your purchase you may return the item within 7 days of receiving it for EXCHANGE or CREDIT ONLY. Please contact me and get confirmation before returning anything. The item must be in good condition (no signs of wear or damage). It must be shipped in its' original (or similar) packaging and be insured for the full purchase price. Sorry, shipping costs will not be refunded.

If you are unhappy for any reason, please contact me. I will do my best to work out a win-win solution for both of us.

If for some reason you encounter problems with your jewelery, or it has undergone an accident and needs repair, please contact me to discuss details. Depending on the issues, the cost may be covered by the artist, split, or your responsibility.

Additional Policies and FAQs

Caring for:

ANODIZED TITANIUM
Titanium is a reactive metal that has the unique property of developing colored surface films when charged with small voltages of electricity through an electrolyte bath.
Anodized Titanium develops an oxide film of consistent, specific and uniform thickness. Once formed this film is inert and tends to remain unchanged.
The oxide film is incredibly thin, at any given voltage the film will grow to a specific thickness and stop. The different voltages are what determine the color.

Anodized Titanium will change color from finger prints and oils. You can remove these oils with rubbing alcohol. Or clean like you would eye glass lenses. The Anodized Titanium will return to its original vibrancy.

SILVER CARE
Shiny Sterling Silver can be cleaned with a jewellery cleaning cloth.
Sterling Silver with a Patina can be washed in mild soap and water, and dried with a soft cloth. It can also be cleaned with a gentle jewellery cleaning cloth just rubbing the high spots and edges.

PATINA
Patina is a process used on Sterling Silver to create a sulfide layer. Using Potassium Sulfide dissolved in hot water, and dipping the jewellery piece, a full spectrum of colors develop from gold to purples and blues to a matt black, depending on how long it is in the solution.
These colored oxide layers are used to produce contrast and to enhance surface textures. Then the piece is sanded or burnished, leaving the colors in the low spots and exposing the shiny silver on the high points. This process produces rich and alluring jewellery pieces.

PEARLS

The pearls most of us wear today are cultured pearls, their existence initiated by humans who insert a bead or other object into an oyster or clam. The clam coats the foreigner with nacre, the patina that gives pearls their unique appearance.

The depth of the nacre coating depends on the type of creature involved, the water it lives in, and how long the intruder is left in place before it is removed. As nacre thickness increases, so does the quality and durability of the pearl.

Caring for Your Pearls

Even cultured pearls with thicker coatings are more fragile than most other gemstones, so you must handle them carefully to keep them in the best condition.

•Your pearls will stay cleaner if you put them on after you've applied your makeup and perfume.
•Be sure to take off your pearl rings before you apply hand and body creams.
•Wipe your pearls with a soft, lint-free cloth as soon as you take them off. The cloth can be dampened with water or it can be dry. If damp, allow the pearls to air dry before putting them away.
•Dirty pearls can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution (try Ivory flakes).
•Never clean your pearls with solutions that contain ammonia or harsh detergents.
•Don't put pearl jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner.
•Don't use abrasive cleaners or rub pearls with abrasive cloth. Both can wear away the nacre coating, leaving you with a plain looking bead.

Storing Pearls

Don't store your pearls with other jewelry, because they can be scratched easily when metal or gemstones rub against them. Find a special slot in your jewelry box for the pearls, or keep them in a soft bag made from chamois or another non-abrasive material.




CUSTOM ORDERS:

Custom orders are Final Sales.
50% payment is required to begin a project and is non-refundable. The remainder plus shipping upon completion.

The buyer will be given a time line for completion upon agreement of the project and the buyer must complete full payment within 14 days of notice that the item is ready.

Please understand that custom orders are new creations, and will never be exactly like something before. Furthermore, my interpretation of your ideas may be different than you expect. I will do my very best to create a piece we are both happy with, and with our combined vision. As noted, custom orders are a final sale and I will do my best to fulfill my end of the bargain. But upon a disagreement, or cancellation of finished pieces, your deposit of 50% will be non-refundable.

Also note from time to time the price of a custom piece may be higher than quoted, but you will be asked for approval for a higher price, if more work is agreed to be undertaken.

THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT MY ETSY!
Melody Armstrong

Last Updated November 18, 2009

Etsy's Policies

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Copyright Policy • DOs and DON'Ts