Unless otherwise noted, all pieces are ready to ship and ship via USPS within 1-3 days unless otherwise noted. If you are in a super hurry please note that during checkout and I will do my best to get it out the door ASAP!

Items ship standard with USPS unless otherwise chosen and typically arrive within 2-3 days.

If you entered your email during checkout you will receive shipping updates to email given.

As soon as you notice the piece arrived broken, please take a picture and reach me at sara@tamestrebel.com so I can work on replacing the item. Item replacement only covers items broken during shipping

Cleaning recommendations depends on what your piece is made of.

Cleaning stones/beads/pearls:
Cleaning around a stone should always be done with a soft-bristle toothbrush and mild detergent like Dr. Bronners soap.

Sterling silver:
Tarnish on sterling silver jewelry can be removed using the cleaning cloth sample provided, or a new one can be purchased for future use - I use the yellow Sunshine polishing cloths.

Gold-fill/gold-plate:
In my opinion polishing cloths are too abrasive for gold plated and filled jewelry and instead can remove or discolor the layer of gold. Instead please use a soft cloth like ones used for cleaning glasses to bring your gold jewelry back to a shine.

Your jewelry can definitely get wet and will be fine, but! For gold-filled and plated jewelry, it may shorten the wear you get out of the piece in the long run. If you do get your piece wet, please dry it off ASAP. What happens with non-solid gold is that water will eventually permeate the layer of gold and reach the base metal underneath. That base metal then starts to leach the metals that patina and change color when exposed to water like copper or brass. This color change in turn is what can cause your gold-filled or plated jewelry to prematurely start to turn colors.

Do your best to store all jewelry in a soft dry place.

Handmade means that all my jewelry has passed through these mitts! I try hard to mix up production and creation methods to make sure I am not getting burnt out on any one technique, but every piece is made in my studio. Some pieces are hand fabricated from scratch (ie. starting with wire and sheet metal), some are hand fabricated with a cast element, some are hand fabricated with beaded elements, and some are made using cast elements with other materials purchased from another small business, etc. Either way, save for earring posts, chain, and other small findings, all pieces are completely handmade!

Small-batch means that everything I offer will be made in limited quantities. This depends on several factors such as material availability and cost, but the most important one, is me! I want to make sure that I remain free to explore new designs and materials. As a person with ADHD it also is my personal nightmare to have to create the same thing over and over and over again. I started making jewelry because at heart I'm an artist, and keeping my work small-batch is my way of making that work.

Gold-fill jewelry has a very thick layer of gold that is mechanically bonded to the base metal beneath it. If the layer has not been worn away or disturbed it will not tarnish. Please keep in mind that a "very thick" layer is relative to the size of the piece! The layer of gold on a delicate chain will likely not last as long as say, a heavy plating on a thicker chain.

As long as the gold plating is in tact the base metal will not turn your skin green.

Plate longevity depends on the plate thickness, care and wear of the piece. I determine plate thickness by taking these three factors into consideration with the goal being for the plating to last at least a year. Rings and everyday earrings have the thickest plating and would be considered "vermeil" if the base metal were sterling silver. Statement earrings that have little wear and contact with skin have the lightest plating but are still 20x thicker than mass produced pieces and will easily last a year as well.

Again though, if you are super hard on jewelry or wear things constantly, your gold plate will wear more quickly on the areas that have the most contact with things, like the inside of your ring band!

The only broken jewelry I repair is my own, and that is considered on a case by case basis.

Scale of production is important to consider when talking about sustainability, and while Tamest Rebel couldn't hold a flame to the production levels of fast fashion big box stores, it is still one of my guiding principles. Everything is considered, from chemicals and compounds used within the studio to components used within each design and packaging.

Every stage of jewelry production has a history of being deeply environmentally destructive and socially irresponsible, so it is up to the makers and consumers to demand more responsible production going forward. Please be assured that Tamest Rebel does everything we can to be as Earth conscious as possible as a small business. This means that I am taking into consideration not only the physical impact that certain metals and gemstones have on the Earth but the human impact as well. I work hard to source gemstones and metals that are not contributing to the exploitation of human labor as well as scorched Earth mining practices.

As someone with a nickel allergy, nickel is avoided unless absolutely necessary during the gold-plating process. Currently the only item that contains nickel is the gold alien pendant.

Gold-fill and gold plating are both methods of adding a layer of gold to a base metal, but they differ in the ways they are bonded as well as durability.

Gold-fill, also known as gold-filled or rolled gold, is made by bonding a layer of solid gold to a base metal using heat and pressure. The gold layer must be at least 5% of the total weight of the item, and is typically 12k or 14k gold. Gold-fill jewelry can last for decades or even a lifetime with proper care.

Gold plating, on the other hand, involves using an electrochemical process to coat a base metal with a thin layer of gold. Quality of gold plating is dependent on the thickness of the plating.

Overall, gold-fill is a more durable and long-lasting option than gold plating, but it is also more expensive. Gold plating is a more affordable option and offers a far wider range of designs!

Gold-fill jewelry has a very thick layer of gold that is mechanically bonded to the base metal beneath it. If the layer has not been worn away or disturbed it will not tarnish.

Please keep in mind that a "very thick" layer is relative to the size of the piece! While gold-fill is by definition more durable than gold plating, the layer of gold on a delicate gold-fill chain will likely not last as long as say, a heavy gold plating on a thicker chain simply because of its relative size.