WELCOME! HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
My name is Chuck Domitrovich. I live and work in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley with my wife and business partner, Corinne, and our dog Emma. I’ve been creating and selling jewelry over two decades and have sold on Etsy for nearly twenty years. I've achieved a near perfect customer feedback rating.
If you look closely, you may find lesser-quality wedding bands on Etsy that are similar to mine (particularly some of my floral designs), but these designs were created by me and I continue to create them one at a time, from high-quality materials, in my small jewelry studio. My pieces are exclusively made from solid gold and silver. I strive for the best quality and customer service (please read my customer reviews!) and I want you to know that this is a start to finish process, with continued care long after your purchase.
-If you do not know your ring size, we'll begin the process by sending you a free ring sizer. If you contact me today, I will send one to you tomorrow.
-My shipping method is quick and reliable: your package will be insured and have a signature requirement so that your ring is safe and secure from my place to yours.
-I offer returns and exchanges. If your ring isn't perfect, just contact me and I will let you know how to proceed.
-If your ring ever requires repair or resizing (right away or even years later) simply contact me. I stand by my work and am more than happy to offer these simple repairs and resizes for a small fee, rather than having another jeweler do the work and possibly damage the structure of the ring.
-If you ever lose your ring, I will be available to make you a replacement.
I want your purchase to be a wonderful experience. Many of my customers are return customers. Happily, once they’ve purchased one piece and gotten to know a little about my studio, my work, and my process, they often return for another piece for their friends, family, or coworkers. I’ve even been contacted by couples who’ve purchased a set of wedding bands, inquiring years later about a meaningful anniversary gift. This is the relationship I strive for with anyone who buys my work, whether they live down the street or halfway around the world.
I am happy to make small alterations to listed items upon request. This would include things like changes in: ring sizes, chain lengths for necklaces, bead and stone selection, metal choices, metal patterns, etc. If you would like a small change to an existing piece, please contact me for details and a price quote.
If you would like a custom piece made from your own original idea, please feel free to send me a request. I enjoy doing custom work and I welcome requests. Please note, it can take up to eight weeks to create and ship a custom order. If materials must be ordered for your piece, it may take even longer. I will keep in contact with you throughout the process, but feel free to contact me anytime for a status update.
PAYMENT
Payment must be made in full before an item is shipped. You can pay with your credit card. If you prefer to pay through PayPal, please contact me. Other forms of payment will be considered but will invariably add time to your order. Please keep this in mind if you are faced with a tight deadline. All custom orders must be paid in advance.
SHIPPING
Wedding jewelry and more expensive pieces are shipped either by USPS Priority Mail or Priority Express Mail, depending upon the dollar amount. For security purposes, I require a signature for items shipped via Priority Express Mail. Let me know if you prefer to waive the signature requirement for your package. I ship most of my earrings and necklaces via USPS First Class Mail, which usually arrives domestically (inside the U.S.) within one week. For most items, you can upgrade the shipping for speedier delivery for an additional fee. I will ship to the address on your order rather than the one on your Paypal account unless you request otherwise.
I will email you to confirm both receipt of your order and that your order has shipped. Please watch for these emails. If you have a spam filter on your email account, you might not receive these emails. Feel free to contact me if you do not hear from me, especially if you have questions or concerns about your order.
If you haven’t purchased a wood presentation box, items are shipped in an attractive red box in a padded envelope to protect against damage. If your purchase is a gift and you would like it shipped directly to the recipient, I will gladly include a note from you upon request; just let me know who the gift is for and what you would like the note to say when you place the order. I will also leave out the invoice on all gift shipments upon request.
Finally, I do ship internationally but I cannot be responsible for any customs fees that may arise on shipments sent out of the United States. I am unable to comply with requests to mark the customs form field as "Gift."
REFUNDS AND EXCHANGES
Please be sure to provide me with accurate ring sizes. I create each ring for you personally and generally do not stock an inventory of my work. Because of the nature of these rings, many cannot easily be made smaller and can often only be stretched larger by a half size.
If you are unsure of your size, I would be happy to send you a free ring sizer. Using the ring sizer is an easy way to determine your size (or double-check your size if you think you already know it). Please note that going to a jeweler or knowing the size of another ring that you wear is not always an accurate gauge of your size because the equipment that jewelers use to make and size rings may not be consistent. My tools are consistent with the sizers I send out so I’ve found using my sizers to be an accurate way to determine your size. If you use my sizer and your ring still requires a size adjustment after you've received it, I will be happy to waive the resizing fee and charge only shipping. Otherwise, a $25 fee will apply to simple resizes (stretched bigger by up to a half size), and a restocking fee of up to $75 will apply in cases where I need to make you a new ring or if you decide to return your ring.
If you are placing a wedding band order, you may wish to note your wedding date or the date you'll need the rings by in the Notes To Seller section at checkout so that I can account for labor and shipping time (especially if your wedding date is soon). Also, please write out a quick reminder of any other changes to the design that we may have discussed. Having this information on your receipt is useful, as I use it as the work order for making your rings.
Unfortunately, I cannot accept returns on custom items that I have made especially for you.
If you receive an item that is not to your satisfaction for any reason, please contact me upon receipt and I will work with you to correct the situation, repairing or altering the item as needed or allowing you to exchange or return it. All exchanges must be shipped back to me within seven days of receipt and should be sent back insured. If you do not insure the item, I cannot be responsible for it being lost or damaged in transit.
GREEN MATERIALS
Everything I make here at Down to the Wire Designs is handcrafted with time-honored methods and eco-friendly materials.
My jewelry is created using ethically sourced materials. I purchase recycled and ethically mined metals from reputable US-based suppliers. I offer only conflict-free diamonds, responsibly sourced gemstones (like fair trade sapphires), and lab-grown stones.
Finally, my studio is a low impact, environmentally friendly space. Chemicals are kept to a minimum and natural options are always preferred.
Please contact me if you would like more information on the materials I use or if you’d like some help choosing what options are right for you.
EQUALITY
I believe in equality and diversity, and fully support the LGBTQ community. We all deserve a chance to live happily ever after! You will find several examples of gender neutral and same-sex couples’ rings in my shop, and I am happy to provide two of the same band from any set (rather than one traditional “men’s” band and one “women’s” band). If there is something you’d like but don’t see in my shop, please feel free to contact me here.
CARING FOR YOUR JEWELRY
Most of the jewelry in my shop has been given a patina finish, meaning it has been darkened and then buffed so that the high areas are the lighter color of the metal while the low, indented areas remain dark. To keep this jewelry looking its best, there are a couple of precautions you should take. First, try to limit the exposure of your jewelry to any chemicals. Chemicals may discolor some metals or loosen the bond between the patina and the metal and cause the patina to fade or wash away. These can include dish soaps, shampoos, bleach, or household cleaning products. Even hand soaps may include mild abrasives, perfumes, and anti-bacterial agents that may adversely affect your jewelry’s finish.
As for cleaning your jewelry, the recommended method depends on the item. My silver and brass patterned pieces have a matte finish and so can be very lightly buffed with a scotch-brite pad similar to those you might use when washing dishes. My filigree work is given a shiny, glossy finish and should be cleaned with a jeweler’s cloth which can be found inexpensively at most jewelry shops, including those at most department stores.
If your jewelry has stones, I would recommend contacting me prior to cleaning as certain stones are very soft and may be damaged while cleaning. Also, since silver is a relatively soft metal, it is not recommended that you wear your rings without gloves when doing chores like gardening or working on your car, as this could leave scratches on the metal.
