PRODUCT INFO:
What type of precious metal is used in the Jewellery design?
All
Silver used is Hallmarked 925 Polished Sterling Silver.
All
Gold used is 9 carat Gold unless otherwise stated, as in Rose Gold used in the Cuillin Range.
What is 925 Sterling Silver?
Silver
in Britain, known as sterling silver, is one of the purest in the world with 925 parts pure out of 1000.
Before we look at what 925 silver is we must first consider the properties of this fascinating
metal. Pure silver is extremely malleable and therefore can easily damage. It also softens over time, even at room temperature.
Obviously, in this state silver is
useless for jewellery purposes. To avoid the problems of malleability and softening, and thus to increase the life-span of
your silver jewellery, other metals are added to the pure silver. The result of this blending process with alloys is a combined
silver and alloy substance which is far more resistant to scratching and damage. 925 sterling silver jewellery is actually
a combination of 92.5% silver and usually 7.5% copper. Sometimes the craftsman replaces copper with another material, or even
a combination of materials.
Over
the last decade lower copper prices and an abundance of copper, due to improved refining techniques, have made it the first
choice of many designers and jewellery stylists. The beneficial properties gained by adding the copper to the pure silver
have made the resulting product extremely popular with a host of silver craftsmen. Earrings, rings, bracelets and all other
forms of jewellery can be carefully designed with the assurance that each intricate bend and turn will remain firmly in place.
What is the
History of Gold?
Gold is the one of
the oldest Metals on the earth. Historians say that Gold is known to Man even before 3600 BC. Since that time mankind has
been obsessed with the lustre of Gold. Men small and big have lost their minds on the glitter of Gold and mesmerized by its
yellow beauty.
Egyptians seems to
be the earliest to have used Gold as can be seen from their rock carvings. They have mastered the art of excavating Gold and
purifying it to highest degrees. The use of gold for making Ornaments and Jewellery must have been mastered by the early Egyptians
as the Gold Jewellery and other Ornaments find a very predominant place among their robes from the mighty Kings to common
People.
History also refers
to Gold in various Epics and Religious inscriptions like the Book of Genesis, Exodus XXV, and writings of Homer, Sophocles,
Herodotus, Pliny and others. This shows that Gold has a History of more than 5000 years in this World.
.Gold as an Ore is
very widely distributed in nature irrespective of Seas, lakes, Mountains, plains and deserts. In some places it is found as
unique and separate deposits with higher Purity. But in other places it is found with other elements like Silver, Copper etc
where its purity is relatively low. The Purest form of Gold deposits has yielded Gold Purity of more than 92%. This Gold is
used extensively for making Gold Jewellery and Ornaments of high Carat Value.
Gold has become one
of the indicators of one’s Wealth and the status of a Person and his family increases with the show of possession of
large quantities of the Gold. Though the Gold is used in the form of Ingots, bars, and Coins when it is used as a medium of
Exchange. But bulk of the Gold is used for making Gold Jewellery extensively used throughout the World.
Gold jewellery is used
so universally mainly due to its beauty, grandeur, colour and Lustre. The Properties of Gold itself make it the best metal
for making extremely intricate and elaborate designs to make it more attractive.
Though Pure Gold is very soft it cannot be used as such for making Gold
Jewellery and Ornaments. To make it stronger and withstand the imposition of intricate designs on it various other metals
like Silver, Copper, bronze and even Iron are added to it in small quantities.
What does 9 Carat
Gold mean?
The quality of Gold
Jewellery is measured in Carats which is determined by the purity of the Gold in the Jewellery.
9ct gold contains 37.5% pure
gold (375 parts per thousand parts).
14ct gold contains 58.5%
pre gold (585 parts per thousand parts).
18ct gold contains 75% pure
gold (750 parts per thousand parts).
The remainder of the metals
is made up of a combination of alloys, different metals which can help to give the metal its unique appearance, such as a
different colour.
How are the different
Gold colours made?
Gold is available in several different colours. The
most popular is yellow gold, followed by white gold and rose gold, though other gold colours are sometimes also available
such as bronze, red and lime gold.
Jewellery can also be made
using a combination of different gold colours. These jewellery items are sometimes called two-tone, three-tone or multi-coloured
gold.
The gold content of yellow gold is measured in the same
way it is measured in for example white gold. So an 18ct white gold ring contains 75% pure gold, just as 18ct yellow gold
contains 75% pure gold.
The difference in colour
between yellow, white and rose is determined by the metals used in the alloy mix.
As the colour difference
is due to the metal components in the alloy mix, the colour of yellow gold and rose gold will not chip, fade or wear off with
age.
Yellow gold is made by mixing
pure gold with alloy metals such as copper and zinc.
Rose gold is made using a
mix of pure gold with alloys including copper. The copper provides the rose-reddish colour.
White gold is an alloy of
gold and some white metals such as silver and palladium.
What guarantees come with my Jewellery Purchase?
All
the Ortak jewellery is designed and manufactured by them and carries a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. Which
means peace of mind for you when making your purchases.
What size are the pieces of jewellery?
All
items are measured in millimetres (MM) their dimensions are stated underneath the product description on the Product Details
Page. For pendants and necklaces the length of the chain is in brackets after the dimensions.
PLACING AN ORDER:
How
do I put an item into my Shopping Basket?
Underneath each photo you will find a simple "Add to
Cart" button. Click that button, which takes you to the shopping basket summary. If you want to add more items just enter
the new quantity in the box and click the update button at the bottom of the page. If you wish to continue browsing the online
shop click "continue to shop" button. If you do not wish to order any more items from the shop, simply go to the top of the
page and click on "view Basket" button, which will take you to the shopping cart summary box.
Are
the prices in Australian Dollars?
Yes, they are for your convenience, this is an all
Austalian site. All
billing and invoicing is done in Australian Dollars.
How
do I complete my purchases?
Once in the view basket page you can see a summary
of your purchases and either add or delete items from your summary. You can then continue shopping again or click the button
marked "proceed to checkout" and follow the instructions for shipping details and payment on the secure paypal service.
What Payment methods can I use ?
If you are
interested in purchasing anything on this site, you may do so by adding the item to your shopping cart. For your security
and payment protection we use the services of Pay Pal for online financial transactions. You can pay by paypal if you have
an account, or to pay by Visa and Mastercard just click on the continue button next to the Don't
have a Paypal account? text on the middle left hand side of the screen. This will take you to the
screen to input your credit card details.
If you pay by personal check, your order will be processed once the payment
has cleared through the Banking system.
What
is my Card Security Code?
Your card security code is a 3 digit number that is
an important security feature for all credit card transactions.
You can find your card security code on the back of
your card, along the signature strip. It is always the last 3 digits of the numbers printed there.
The Card Security Code is also known as "CVV2" (Card Verification Value), "CVC" (card validation code),
"CVV" (card verification value) or "Cardmember ID".
How
is the rate of Exchange worked out?
Due
to constant fluctuations in the foreign currency markets we have taken the average rate over a 12 month period to use for
the conversion of UK Pounds to Australian Dollars.
What is your company's Privacy Policy?
Contact
information including email address, telephone number, address, etc. which are provided by the user are used solely for the
purpose of completing the order. Financial information is held by Paypal and not disclosed to us or anyone outside Paypal.
See
our Full Terms and Conditions for more details.
DISPATCH AND DELIVERY:
How
long does custom made Jewellery take?
Generally
custom made jewellery, such as the current range produced in Gold, takes 2-3 weeks from receiving your order to
having it ready to ship from Orkney.
How will my goods be prepared for shipping?
Once
your order is ready for dispatch we will package your jewellery in the presentation boxes and then parcel these carefully
to ensure they arrive at your delivery address in perfect condition.
What does 'Free Shipping'
mean?
When we run Free Shipping promotions,
this means that if your purchases come to $200 or more we will ship the goods to you Free of Charge using a standard uninsured
shipping method. If your order total is less than $200 a flat rate shipping charge of $15.00 applies and we will ship
the goods to you using a standard uninsured shipping method. Calculation of shipping cost is done automatically at checkout.
You may upgrade to a premium delivery carrier, for
greater speed, insured delivery, or order tracking (where available). We recommend this for peace of mind, especially with
higher value orders, as for example it means we can replace items much more quickly if they go astray after dispatch. And
we reserve the right to upgrade certain orders to a faster courier at our own expense, at our discretion. Please note that
very rarely we may have to withdraw the offer of free shipping, such as with an exceptionally heavy or bulky low value order;
in this event we will offer you the option to upgrade to standard shipping or cancel the order, before charging.
What if my order is urgent?
If you require your order quicker than our free standard shipping time we can provide an individual
price to have your order express shipped direct to your delivery address. Please ask for express service at time of ordering
items, so we can quote an exact carriage price to you.
When will I know they are in transit?
We
will email you with the shipping information and advise you of its expected delivery date. Some Delivery companies such
as TNT, FEDEX, offer online order tracking, however this is not available with our free or lower priced shipping methods.
If
you select such a service and pay the additional shipping costs we will email you the tracking number at the time of dispatch
along with the web site to track it yourself.
If
you have any queries regarding the shipment please email using the form at the top of this page and we will be glad to help.
CUSTOMER CARE:
How can I get in touch with Stirling Silver to ask a Question?
The quickest method for you to get in touch with us is by email.
This means for you an answer in your inbox which can be read at a time
convenient to you, as we can answer your enquiries by email at all times of the day, whereas by phone we may be on other calls
or when we call you back it may not be at a convenient time for you.
Please use the contact form at the top of the page and we will do
everything we can to get back to you within 12 hours.
We look forward to hearing from you with any enquiries or questions on
our site that you cannot find the answer to in this FAQ page.
What if the goods arrived damaged?
In
the unlikely event that your items arrived damaged please contact us, using the contact form at the top of this page, within
48 hours stating your order number and tracking number (if applicable) and item you want to return as well as a
photo of the damaged item and packaging. Please specify if you require a refund or replacement item.
We
will then promptly send you a replacement or issue you a full refund after you have returned the damaged item.
You
will not be charged for any additional shipping or handling fees for replacement shipments to you.
What if I want to return the goods?
If
the goods are not required and are still unused and in the original packaging, then email us first to explain why and then
we will supply a goods return number. Please do not ship items back unless you have a goods return number as you will not
receive a full credit. Once the order has been received by us we will check that they are in as new condition and arrange
for a full refund to you less any postage costs within 14 days.
Can I return all items purchased?
Unfortunately, due to hygiene reasons
we are unable to accept the return of earrings in our range. Everything else can be returned, as stated before, as long it
is in its original packaging and unused.
We hope you can understand this
policy.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
How to take care of my jewellery?
With proper care,
precious jewellery should last for decades and bring you years of pleasure. These tips are designed to show you how you will
get lasting pleasure from your purchases. By taking a few extra minutes of care or adapting practical advice you can safe
guard them for longer.
General help on Jewellery:
- Beauty products can affect
jewellery. That little spray of perfume or hairspray can discolour gold or make pearls turn yellow. Put jewellery on after
you have used your cosmetics and sprays.
- Take off your jewellery
especially rings when doing household chores or gardening. They could become damaged by knocking out stones or coming into
contact with abrasive materials, which discolour metal.
- Settings can get clogged
up with soap and hand cream. Take them off before washing hands and using cream.
- Heat and hot water can loosen
settings where an adhesive has been used. Pearl rings, earrings and pendants have this type of setting be careful with them.
- Don't wear too many chains
at any one time, they will tangle and rub off one another causing damage.
- Strong smelling foods e.g.
fish & onions can tarnish gold and silver.
- Wear jewellery as much as
possible as this keeps the metals bright.
- Clean your jewellery periodically. An old soft toothbrush
is ideal to get into any difficult nooks and crannies with warm soapy water or purchase jewellery cleaning fluid from your
jeweller.
Storage:
To
minimise jewellery rubbing together use a jewellery box with different compartments, which are well padded or better still,
keep them in their individual boxes. Diamonds scratch other jewellery, keep them wrapped up or separate them. Chains constantly
knot together but don't tug them. The best way to detangle them is to use a pin and be gentle when separating them.
Regular Cleaning:
Regularly clean your jewellery to
keep it in tiptop condition, at least once a month. Brown tinting can come off on clothes and skin and is difficult to get
off. When cleaning jewellery use the proper manufactured solution which can be brought from most jewellery outlets or dip
them in a bowl with warm soapy water giving them a gentle stir and finishing off with an old soft toothbrush. Dry them with
a soft cloth. Do not poke about under stones as this can dislodge them from settings. Hard stones (diamond, garnets, sapphires,
rubies & amethysts) can be dipped and scrubbed with a toothbrush. Amber can be cleaned as long as it is dried straight
away. Pearls, jade, jet, lapis, emeralds, opals & turquoise soak up liquid so they should not be dipped. Emeralds, coral
& jade can be oiled treated and dipping strips the stone of oils. These stones are classed as porous.
Professional Cleaning:
Many
jewellers offer cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaner - a metal tank containing cleaning liquid with an electric charge passed
through it, vibrating the trunk, thus shaking out dirt and debris.
