Frequently Asked Questions
How to care for your Jewelry
How do I clean my silver jewelry?
We recommend washing your jewelry in warm soapy water and if necessary, scrubbing the surface with a soft bristle toothbrush. Avoid polishing clothes, generic cleaning solutions, and ultrasonic cleaners as they may affect the bright white surface on some of our pieces.
How do I store my jewerly?
Storing your jewelry in separate boxes (to avoid scratching the finish) in a airtight bag or box will help to keep your jewelry in the same condition as you bought it for as long as possible.
Can I wear my jewelry everyday?
Yes, we encourage you to wear your jewelry as much as possible as the natural oils in your skin help to coat the silver and prevent tarnish. Avoid applying any products, make-up, lotion, sprays, etc. when wearing your jewelry. Remove jewelry before bathing or swimming (chlorine will eat your jewelry!) and before sleeping.
An excellent practice we encourage jewelry lovers to adopt is to put your jewelry on last when getting ready and remove it for any strenuous activity or any activity that may submerge you in treated or salty water. Then, during your nighttime routine, remove - clean if necessary, and store separately in an airtight bag or box.
Please be aware jewelry with softer gemstones like opals and pearls require more care to avoid prolonged sun exposure, soaking, and scratching.
How do I care for my silk strung pieces?
Wipe the piece with a soft clean cloth and store in an airtight bag or box, being careful to lay the piece flat. Avoid soaking/wetting silk strung necklaces/bracelets as this can stretch the silk, reducing its lifespan. Silk does stretch naturally over time and will need to be restrung occasionally. If there are gaps of silk between the beads and the knot, it is time for a restring. Reach out via our contact form to inquire about restoring your necklace.
How are Pieces are Made
How long does it take to make my order?
Each piece is expertly hand crafted, made to order, and thoroughly inspected before being shipped to you. You can expect your piece to be shipped 2 - 6 weeks from the purchase date. Please note that custom work, large orders (3+ pieces in an order), and wholesale orders may have longer wait times.
MWFJ makes every effort to get your piece to you as quickly as possible. You may request to expedite your order for a fee determined by the size and complexity of your order. An invoice will then be sent for the above mention fees. Expedition of your order will not start until this invoice is paid.
MWFJ reserves the right to refuse an expedited request and will not issue a refund for an order delivered later than a customers expectation or if the expedited request came after 3 business days of placing an order. We recommend jewelry intended for special events be ordered 1-2 months prior to the date of the event to ensure you get your piece in time. Please note holiday times may cause longer wait times.
Why is the surface of your jewelry a bright white?
We use a tarnish resistant silver alloy, and all our jewelry undergoes a process called depletion gilding. This means we remove base metals, like copper, from the surface of the piece. This creates a thin layer of fine silver over the piece, leaving it with a brighter white color than untreated silver.
Who makes my order?
Every piece is made in house by Megan. If you'd like to learn more about the mind of the artist click here to go to our about page.
Are your materials ethically sourced?
We purchase all our metals from traceable companies that are conflict free. Our gemstones are purchased from long standing professionals in the jewelry trade that prioritize transparency and ethical mining of precious and semiprecious gemstones.
Whenever possible, MWFJ recycles metals in house and outsources materials for refining when needed.
MWFJ is currently experimenting with recycling materials into new artworks to reduce waste within the company. These works may be available for sale at a later date.
What does "Made to Order" mean?
Made to order means that once we receive your order, the process to make the purchased item or items begins.
Once production of the requested piece has started, any alterations requested thereafter may be subject to alteration fees and/or any material costs incurred, if any. If the client is interested in altering a piece we recommend reaching out through our contact form prior to purchase to allow MWFJ the opportunity to inform the client on any potential price changes due to alterations.
Why is the wait time 2-6 weeks?
We are a small operation run by a single person and all of our designs are fabricated by hand or have elements that are fabricated by hand. All other elements are hand carved in wax and outsourced to be cast and molded by our expert casters to be replicated for faster production. Unfortunately, we do not possess the capital to have multiple castings in stock in house. This means that there are wait times to receive the casting from our vendor once the necessary castings are ordered.
If the materials are available in house at the time of your order, your piece may come sooner than the expected wait times. We encourage our customers to not rely on this luck and rather order well ahead of times in the event MWFJ faces longer than usual wait times.
Where are your products manufactured?
All products sold on this website are made by hand in our studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
What does "Hand Crafted" and "Handmade" mean at MWFJ?
These terms are often misleading in the industry. This is what those terms mean for MWFJ; each piece is formed by hand using tools and techniques to manipulate the metal to the desired shape or texture. Our talented jeweler hand crafts your piece from beginning to end. If you'd like to learn more about the techniques we use at MWFJ, look to our Behind the Bench page for more information.
How can I ensure the purity of the piece I am ordering?
MWFJ stamps every piece with a quality stamp and makers mark congruent with the metals purity in compliance with the US federal regulations.
Custom Work and Alteration Inquiries
Is your jewelry available in different materials?
We are happy to make any of our designs with different gemstones or metals.
Any alterations to designs are accepted based on our discretion. To request a change in design use our contact form and leave a detailed description of what materials you are interested in.
Once processed on our end, we will send a quote for the changes made to the design. From the receipt of the quote, you'll have 10 days to reply and pay the deposit for the requested work. If no reply is made in 10 days the quote will expire and a new quote will need to be requested.
Please be aware that requesting white gold will incur extra fees because we are not setup to rhodium plate in house. Platinum additionally will incur a higher labor cost because of the nature of the material.
Can I request alterations to current styles?
We can change earring mechanisms, chain length on necklaces and bracelets, clasp style, and ring size for most of our jewelry. Any design changes such as adding or taking elements will be considered a custom piece and may be subject to custom work fees if multiple revisions are made.
MWFJ will make every effort to communicate of any additional charges prior to starting the requested work. MWFJ reserves the right to deny any alteration requests at the companies sole discretion.
To request an alteration to a current style, please reach out using our contact form.
Can I order a replacement for a single earring?
Yes, we are able to make replacements for lost or missing components. The remaining piece will need to be returned to MWFJ so we may match gemstones and finishings to ensure your set is cohesive. Please use our contact form to inquire about a replacement. If your piece had a unique gemstone, it may not be possible to find a replacement. Once your request is approve we will reach out with a shipping label. Cost of replacement and shipping will be the responsibility of the client.
What does the design process look like?
Once we receive your custom inquiry our designer will reach out to ask for any relevant reference photos and to confirm design elements provided from the clients description.
From there, they will get to work drafting 2-4 sketches for potential designs. Then the customer reviews and selects a design that best fits their vision. The customer can request three revisions of this drafted design. If no revisions are needed we begin constructing the custom design.
The initial quote includes 3 revisions from this refined sketch. If more revisions need to be made, addition fees will be added to the final invoice for each additional revision.
Please note that all sketches and revisions are drawn by hand unless the project dictates creation on CAD software.
What does the payment process look like for custom work?
After our designer connects and confers with the client concerning the requested work, a quote will be made and sent out to the email provided within 10 business days. If all parties agree to move forward after ideation is complete, an invoice will be sent to the email provided. From the date of the invoice, the customer will have 10 business days to pay 50% of the quoted amount for any work on their custom project to begin, this includes any sketches.
Once the sketches are reviewed by the client and approved, our jeweler will begin work on crafting the clients custom project. Alterations after this point are subject to additional fees at the sole discretion of MWFJ.
The remainder of the invoice must be paid in full before the order will be shipped. Failure to pay the invoice balance in full upon completion grants MWFJ the right to withhold the custom piece. The item will not be released or delivered to the client until the remainder of the invoice is paid in full. Invoices must be paid within 30 days of the date stated on the invoice.
Failure to remit the full balance within 30 days of the invoice date will result in the immediate forfeiture of the custom item. Ownership will automatically revert to MWFJ, which retains absolute discretion to sell, alter, or liquidate the custom work.
Can I get a refund on my deposit?
Partial refunds are considered on a case by case basis and will never exceed 25% of the total quoted amount. This is because materials ordered for any project cannot be returned to vendors in any case. We recommend canceling the order before the materials are purchased for the requested project to ensure a maximum refund. Full refunds will not be given in any circumstance as the 25% covers the labor cost of the design work.
By remitting payment and signing the invoice, the client expressly agrees to adhere to all terms, conditions, and policies set forth in the MWFJ Custom Work Inquiries page.
Do I own the design of the custom piece I buy?
MWFJ retains all right to intellectual property created for custom clients. The requested design will never be directly copied for production sale at MWFJ, however elements may be used from the design of custom works in future MWFJ productions.
Can you use my stones or alternative material?
We are happy to take on projects with a clients materials. All materials must be shipped to MWFJ prior to signing the proposed invoice for inspection. By shipping the material, the client agrees to the inspection, appraisal, and all cost associated with shipping and appraisal. MWFJ reserves the right to decline the proposed project if problems in the material indicate a high risk, and will inform the client prior to signing the proposed invoice. Additionally, any information discovered during inspection may conflict with the information known by the client about the material. MWFJ is not responsible to replace, refund, or rectify any circumstance where a gemstone or material is found to be something other than what the client believed it to be.
Appraisal is not optional. Any clients requesting to opt out of appraisal will be rejected. This is to ensure the safety of staff at MWFJ and to ensure the safety of the material during production.
MWFJ values integrity and will never replace or switch a gemstone or material without expressed permission from the client and only the client stated on the invoice.
MWFJ will notify the client of the condition of the material and/or any deficits in the material at time of inspection prior to the start of the project.
If the project is rejected, MWFJ will not offer refunds for the services related to determining the value and authenticity of the material, including but not limited to appraisal, shipping, and testing. At rejection of the project, the material will therein be shipped back to the client at the cost of the client. An invoice will be sent to the client for the all shipping and appraisal costs incurred during testing, and must be paid within 60 days of the date stated on the invoice. If the client fails to pay the return shipping/appraisal costs, the material may be considered abandoned after 60 days of no contact and will therein become property of MWFJ to repurpose, sell, or liquidate, solely at the discretion of MWFJ. The gemstone or material will not be returned until the above mentioned invoice is paid in full. All information gathered concerning the material will be remitted to the customer regardless of whether or not MWFJ undertakes the project.
In the event the material or gemstone is damaged during production, MWFJ will replace the gemstone or material with a material of equal value at the clients request. If the client requests a replacement higher than the value of the original material, the client will be responsible for the difference in cost.
Review our Policies
What is your shipping policy?
We offer shipping with USPS and FedEx. Each order requires a signature to be delivered. If you are unavailable at the time of delivery, the courier will leave an attempted delivery note and it will be held at your local USPS or FedEx pickup facility and another attempt to deliver will be made a day or two later. Multiple delivery attempts may result in your package being held at your local couriers facility.
Alternatively, you can typically pick-up your item from your courier if too many delievery attempts have been made and they are unable to reach you. If the package is not delivered or picked up it will be sent back to MWFJ. If this occurs a new shipping label will be created and the customer will be responsible for the additional shipping charges.
Pieces will ship as soon as they are finished and inspected for quality. If you ordered multiple pieces, they will be held until all pieces are finished and inspected unless the customer reaches out requesting otherwise. Please note shipping items separately will result in separate shipping fees for each package.
All pieces are insured through the chosen courier. If a package is lost or stolen, please reach out to MWFJ so we may initiate an investigation with the courier. It is outside the discretion of MWFJ to determine fault to lost packages. We will work with you to find a reasonable solution to rectify the lost or stolen package.
If our above shipping policy is burdensome to your lifestyle, please reach out to MWFJ at maywestfinejewelry@gmail.com to request a no signature delivery. MWFJ is not responsible for stolen packages if you opt out of a signed delivery.
Do you take repairs?
Repairs will be accepted free of charge on any piece damaged due to a manufacturing error made at MWFJ.
Failure to follow our care guidelines will not be accepted for refund, replacement, or free repair. It is the responsibility of the customer to read the care instructions provided and follow them accurately to ensure the longevity of their jewelry.
Pieces needing elective repairs such as changing a design element (clasp, length, ring size, etc.) or needing repair due to damage not caused by a manufacturing issue are accepted on a case by case basis.
Any material, labor, and shipping costs will be quoted to the customer prior to the receipt of the work. Once the work is received and the invoice has been paid, work to repair the customers piece will begin. Please allow 1-2 weeks for repair of your piece (not including shipping times).
We reserve the right to change our repair policies or discontinue repair services at any time without notice. This version stated above replaces all prior policies. Please check this page periodically for updates.
To request a repair, fill out our contact form with a description of the repair needed.
What is your refund policy?
We make every effort to deliver exceptional jewelry for all our customers. If a piece arrives to your doorstep and it does not meet your expectations or is damaged, please reach out through our contact form to initiate a return for store credit or exchange. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds at this time.
Exchanges and store credit requests must be submitted within 10 days of delivery date. Once submitted, the piece must be returned in its original condition and have never been worn. MWFJ will inspect the item to confirm its condition and if the item is found to be in its original condition, a representative will reach out to offer store credit or initiate an exchange.
Are there any age restrictions to order from MWFJ?
We do not authorize persons under the age of 18 to purchase from our stores without expressed permission from an adult. However, deceit of this rule is not the responsibility of MWFJ, and lies solely with the guardian or adult responsible for the care of the minor. We recommend reaching out before the item is shipped if a refund is desired. Refunds will not be issued after the item is shipped.