Our Policies
Below you will find information on the primary policies that guide the way we conduct business with you, including allowable payment options, shipping, returns, and website privacy.
If you have a particular question not addressed here, do not hesitate to contact us.
Payment Options
J.L. White Fine Gemstones offers our customers a number of convenient payment options:
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Discover, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express credit card payments, administered through PayPal.com.*
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Direct PayPal account transfers.*
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Direct bank-to-bank wire transfers. This option can be requested for any transaction and is required for all transactions over $2000.00.
*Credit card payments may be made via PayPal, even if you are not a PayPal member. However, non-members or non-verified PayPal members are subject to a $750.00 maximum for purchases by credit card. Any purchase over this amount must be completed via direct wire transfer.
Custom Gem Cutting
Custom gem cutting, sometimes referred to as "commissioning" a gem to be cut, represents the largest segment of our business. Below are the policy elements specific to custom faceting:
If J.L. White Fine Gemstones determines that rough in inventory will be suitable for a customer's specific job, the customer will be provided with information regarding expectations for the finished product. That information normally includes: size range (mm and/or carat weight), color, and clarity. Other particulars may be provided as well, based upon requests from the customer. J.L. White Fine Gemstones cannot guarantee that the finished gem will fall within the specifications provided, due to the uncertainty inherent with natural items such as gem rough.
In addition to those technical details, a firm price will be provided prior to a customer being asked to commit to a purchase. This firm price covers the full purchase, less shipping costs. In other words, the price is not affected by final weight of the gem. This allows our customers to know up-front exactly what will be paid.
Please note that there is a $500.00 per stone minimum for commissioned work.
Commissioning a gem requires a 20% non-refundable deposit payment be made up-front. Payment may be made via any of the methods outlined in the "Payment Options" section above. Completion of this payment reserves a specific piece of rough for the client. In addition, it is this payment that allows the job to be added to the official cutting schedule.
Payment of the balance is not required until completion of the work, although the customer may elect to pay a portion or all of the balance earlier if desired.
Returns/refunds on commissioned gems:
Should the customer decide to return a gem, the general return policy (discussed in the "Returns" section below) applies, with one exception. The 20% deposit is not refundable, barring significant departures from agreed-upon specifications for the gem or gems.
Should the finished gem fall significantly outside the agreed-upon parameters discussed above, the customer is entitled to a full refund, less associated shipping costs.
Please note that the cost of any third-party laboratory testing requested by the customer is considered non-refundable as well.
For more information about the custom gem cutting process, please click here.
Shipping
For domestic shipments (those within the 50 US States), USPS Insured Priority Mail with signature confirmation is the default shipping method. Please note that this requires that the customer be available to sign for the package when it arrives. Shipping times are typically two to three days, excluding Sunday. Expedited shipping via ParcelPro Secure Logistics (with delivery fulfillment by FedEx) may also be requested if desired.
For international shipments, Expedited shipping via ParcelPro Secure Logistics is the default shipping method. Shipping times range from approximately 2 days to 4 days, depending on destination. USPS Priority Mail International (with fulfillment by EMS internationally) is also available and is generally less expensive. However, it tends to be considerably slower and has less reliable tracking. Shipping times vary considerably, depending on destination and customs clearance times. However, typical delivery times are in the range of five to fifteen days.
Returns
Our primary objective is to make sure that our customers are thrilled with their purchases! Buying gemstones online presents unique challenges, due to the sometimes unpredictable output of computer monitors, the difficulty in interpreting photos online, and the lack of performance "feedback" that one gets by holding a gem in-hand. For those reasons, we work to be as accommodating as possible and offer a return policy that ensures our customers have a reasonable amount of time to review and feel comfortable with their purchase.
For purchases of pre-cut gems (non-commissioned) pieces, there is a seven-day review period offered on all stones. The review period begins when the customer physically receives the package or when they first have an opportunity to receive the package (when delivery is first attempted). If, at the end of the seven-day period, the customer decides that the purchase doesn't meet their expectations, any undamaged/unaltered stones may be returned no questions asked for a full refund, less shipping costs. There are no "restocking fees" or other hidden charges associated with a return.
For purchases of custom-cut (commissioned) pieces, the same seven-day review period applies. The undamaged/unaltered gem may be returned no questions asked during this time. As discussed in "Custom Gem Cutting" above, however, the 20% deposit is generally non-refundable, as are shipping costs.
J.L. White Fine Gemstones is responsible for safe shipping of the gem to the customer, and any loss that occurs in transit will be the responsibility of J.L. White Fine Gemstones. If damage is found upon receipt of the package, the customer must notify J.L. White Fine Gemstones immediately. The customer is responsible for damage that occurs during the review period, when the gem is in their posession. He or she is also responsible for damage or loss during return shipping and should insure the package accordingly. Gemstones that are damaged during the review period or during return shipping are considered non-refundable.
Website Privacy
We at J.L. White Fine Gemstones take the privacy of our visitors very seriously. Our website privacy policy may be accessed by following this link. A link to the policy may also be found at the bottom of every page on the website.