-I have completed hundreds Custom Orders since Joining Etsy! Feel free to contact me with any questions about custom items at any time, I welcome it!



-I collect Sales tax for sales in California as I am required by law to pay these taxes for all Statewide sales.



-I guarantee all of my work from defects, but not from flaws (in other words I ensure that earrings will work and clasps will open and close but these are hand made and will bear marks that deem it as such).



-I offer no guarantee for any of the chains or chords that i provide as they are included with the items for free, unless otherwise noted.



GREEN OR BLACK SKIN:



First of all: Don't Worry! Your ring is real sterling silver. I test all of my alloys to ensure that everything I sell is up to standard. Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper. When I work the silver with heat, via either casting or soldering, a fine layer of copper will rise to the surface. I then clean the rings in a mild acid which removes only the copper from the surface. This usually means that the ring will have a total silver content of more than 92.5%. Next, if called for, I'll oxidize the ring to turn it completely black. After this step, the ring is sanded and polished to remove the black surface coating from all the high parts of the ring. My tire rings are a good example of this. After the final polish, the rings are steam cleaned to remove any polishing residue from the ring, and then get a final wash in soap and warm water. They are air dried and then inspected, packed and shipped.



If your ring turns your finger green or black, most people assume it is not real silver, and they would be wrong. Your friends or family may tell you that It is fake, but I assure you, that they too are wrong. As a jeweler who works every day with these metals, I am pretty sure I know the facts. Here are several possible reasons why a ring may turn your skin green or black:



The most common reason is that a small amount of copper remains in the surface of the alloy. As most of people know, copper DOES react to turn your skin green. Some people have this problem more than others. The acids and oils in your skin will react with the tiny particles of copper in the ring and leave a green residue. The solution: Wash the ring and your hands. I can also acid wash the ring again for you if needed. There is no charge for this. Often times simply by wearing the ring for a few days, and washing the ring and your hands between each wear, the problem will correct itself.



Another possibility is that the ring is reacting with soaps, lotion, oils or other foreign substances on your skin. These will have a similar effect on the ring as mentioned above.



Other possible explanations:



Many of my rings are oxidized. This is what turns the metal black. After oxidizing, I polish the ring heavily to remove the black parts from where I don't want them. The oxidization particles can re-activate when they come into contact with sweat, lotion, hot water or other activators which will cause the ring to turn black again. This in turn can turn your finger black or green. The remedy, simply re-polish the ring. After one or two cycles of this, it should stop.



Garlic: Eating garlic can also cause your skin to secrete oils which will cause your skin to turn black when in contact with the silver ring.



As long as the fingers are not getting itchy, or swollen, then this is no need to worry. You are not allergic to silver unless you get a red rash on your finger, and this is rare.



So why might one ring cause this problem, and another ring be problem free? The main reason has to do with how the rings are made. Hand made rings do have some human interaction and while I, and my fellow jewelers certainly try to make each and everything we make, as perfect as possible, not everything is going to be perfect. many commercially made rings will be plated in pure silver or rhodium after they are finished. This way the ring looks bright and shiny, and is less likely to have oxidization issues in the short term, but after a few years or so of regular use, the plating will wear off.



TESTING:



I use a GXL-NEXT TESTER SET to test all of my silver and gold supplies to ensure quality. I can assure you, everything is as I say it is. Guaranteed.



Returns:



If you experience a problem with a ring like advanced aging, or skin issues, and would prefer to return the ring rather than try to fix the problem, you may return it for a refund. You are responsible for returning the ring, including the ring box that came with it, and paying for the shipping. Once the ring arrives here, I will post a refund. Please enclose a note with your name, and a brief explanation of the problem, and where you ordered the ring from: Website, etsy, phone order etc... and how you paid, and I will send a refund for the ring(s) minus the original shipping cost.