In today’s day and age, many of us enjoy shopping and purchasing online for its convenience, and for that reason, with the launch of our new website, we wanted to offer that as an option.
But – you don’t HAVE to do it that way. Up until March 14 of this year (2020), we have always enjoyed the person to person interactions that we experience at one of the Fine Art and Craft shows in which we exhibit and sell Patricio’s work. We enjoy talking with you, listening to you, hearing your stories, offering our advice about which piece might best suit your purposes, etc. etc. Many customers have become friends we look forward to catching up with each year.
So, while we are happy to offer you the option of a contactless purchase, we want you to know that we are still right here – very happy to talk with you about any questions you may have, or even to just touch base. So please, don’t hesitate to call, email or text – we look forward to it!
Over the years, we have been honored to be chosen to create many, many special, custom pieces of jewelry using gemstones given to us by our customers. Sometimes it is a stone of great sentimental value, sometimes it’s a stone purchased on a special vacation, or maybe a find at a gem show or online, and sometimes it’s a combination of stones from jewelry a customer just doesn’t wear anymore.
Whatever the case, we do not take this honor lightly, and every gemstone is handled with the utmost of care. Our company insurance provided by Jeweler’s Mutual insures your gemstone(s) while in our possession as long as we have proper documentation. While that knowledge is added peace of mind, I think it’s nice to know that in all of Patricio’s years of taking custom orders, we have never had to use it and hopefully never will!
So, if you have a stone, or stones, for which you are thinking about having a special piece of jewelry created, give us a call and we can talk about ways to make that happen.
Other examples of custom orders might start with a piece you see pictured on our website — maybe you love the piece, but wonder if it could be made with a different color stone? Or in a smaller or larger version? With more diamonds or fewer diamonds? Or with some other modification? Again, just call us so we can talk about it. Keep in mind that Patricio does not use molds of any kind – he starts from scratch on every piece so, in essence, EVERY piece is a custom piece.
Our payment procedure for custom pieces is a little different from that of a piece you purchase outright. We ask for a 50% non-refundable deposit to start the work, and the other 50% when the piece is finished, before shipping it.
All sales are final for custom orders, so we will do our best to let you know what the final piece will look like, but Patricio does NOT use a CAD machine which gives a computer-generated rendering. Rather, he does loose sketches and we try to show you other pieces of jewelry that have one or more of the elements he is talking about incorporating. Still, any custom order requires you to take a bit of a “leap of faith” in Patricio’s ability as a designer and a craftsman to create a beautiful, balanced piece. We do have many very pleased customers who took that “leap” and would be happy to talk to you!
We understand that purchasing something from a picture online is much different than trying it on in person at one of our shows. For this reason, although our normal policy is “All Sales are Final,” we have made adjustments for internet purchases.
You may return any purchase for a full refund to your credit card within one week of delivery of the piece. You may return any purchase for an exchange within 30 days of delivery of the piece. (This refund policy excludes custom orders, which are final sales.)
In order to be eligible for return or exchange, the piece must be in its original condition with no scratches or damage of any kind and said return or exchange will be contingent upon inspection of the piece after we receive it.
We provide free shipping and insurance when we mail the piece to you, but ask that you pay for shipping and insurance for any return, with the shipper of your choice.
We will try our very best to photograph the pieces as well as we can so you can get the best idea possible of what the piece is really like, as well as provide specific information about each piece. However, as a woman, I know that sometimes we just need to see what a piece looks like “on.” If it will help you to feel more confident in your decision to purchase a piece, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to “model” it for you and email you the pictures. Obviously, our objective is to avoid the event of a return if at all possible.
I am also happy to answer any questions that occur to you that remain unanswered from the online photos or description, or even if you just want my “take” on the piece. So again, feel free to call, text, or email me anytime. Neena
We will size the ring once at no charge to you. If we need to resize it, you will need to pay for shipping both ways and there will be a minimum charge for the resizing. Some rings are quite easy to size, and some are quite complicated, and the charge will depend on the difficulty of the sizing.
When you order, if you are not sure of your size, call us and we can help you with some ways to determine your correct size. Remember that if you know your ring size from a very narrow little band, you will probably wear a slightly larger size for a ring with a wide band, usually a quarter to a half size up. Also, most people wear a different size on their right hand than on their left hand.
No ring is a perfect fit all the time. You should just expect it to be tighter on some days or times of the year, and looser on others. Patricio always jokes around and says that if he could invent elastic gold, we’d be millionaires. But until he or someone else does that, we all just have to try to get a good fit most of the time, and know that sometimes you may have to run your finger under cold water or use a little soap (or Windex) to get it on or off, and sometimes it may roll around a little bit. That’s just the way it is.
As we get older, many times our knuckles get a little larger, making it even more difficult for a ring to fit right. We have a couple of tricks, so call us if this is your case.
So again, we are happy to talk with you about the width of the particular band of the ring you are purchasing, or anything else to help you be as sure as possible that you are ordering the correct size the first time around!
As a courtesy to you, we provide free shipping and insurance when you order a piece but ask that you pay the shipping and insurance for any return, with the shipper of your choice.
Free shipping is limited to shipments within the U.S. only.
We use the U.S Post Office Priority Express Mail service to ship all of our packages because our insurance company, Jeweler’s Mutual, insures the package rather than us purchasing additional insurance through the post office as long as we ship in that manner. This is an overnight service to almost everywhere in the U.S., though rural, or very small towns, sometimes take two days. The package and its contents are insured from the point of pick-up to the point of delivery.
Shortly after we receive your order, you will receive an email from us asking you about your preferred delivery date. We can usually ship within a week, and sometimes even as soon as the next day.
Normally the Priority Express Mail service requires a signature in order for delivery to be complete, but currently, due to Covid19, that is no longer true, and insurance coverage ends at the point the package is placed in the recipient’s mailbox. Customers have told us that some mail carriers will ring their doorbell and leave the package on their porch, but it is not required of them and not all do it. For that reason, you will need to be checking your mailbox or your porch for receipt of the package on the day you choose for delivery, and we will not be responsible for any loss which occurs after the package has been delivered.
Occasionally packages are delayed beyond the expected delivery date, and although we are very sorry when this infrequent occurrence transpires, Patricio Ferreira Designs is not responsible for those delays.
Each of Patricio’s pieces is a “labor of love,” as it were, from the careful selection of a top-quality gemstone(s), to the birth of the idea for the design, to the meticulously crafted end result, and our hope is that the little blue diamond will be a reminder to you of that – that your piece is special, a work of art, and as far from a mass-produced or machine-made piece as is possible.
Many of you know that we were formerly known as Blue Sun Jewelry, so a blue diamond seemed a logical choice for a “signature.” But where did the name Blue Sun Jewelry even come from? Well, there’s a story behind that – keep reading!
As a young man, in addition to being an artisan, Patricio spent a number of years as a sailor in the Greek merchant navy. He tells of one early morning when he was up on the deck of the ship, gazing out into the immense vastness of the ocean. The sun was just making its appearance on the horizon, and it seemed to be covered in a sort of blue haze, sending streaks of blue across the sky as it rose.
That “blue” sun was both strikingly beautiful, and highly unusual – just the way Patricio strives for his jewelry to be. So when the time came to name the business, that image came to his mind, and that was the name he chose.
Over the years, we have considered changing the name for various reasons, and with the launch of our new website, we decided it was a good time to do that – BUT, the blue diamond will always remain!