Frequently Asked Questions

Ordering & Shipping Info

Everything is handmade to order and due to the natural qualities of gemstones, pearls, and hammered wire, what you receive will not look exactly like the picture. In addition, not all colors appear the same on all monitors. If this sounds horrifying to you, please email me before you order!

Items are usually shipped within 2-4 business days. Occasionally this shipping time will be extended for various reasons, and if that is the case the updated shipping schedule will be posted on the home page.

Each item you order will come in its own chocolate brown Freshie & Zero gift box with an anti-tarnish pad inside (see photo below) via USPS Priority Mail (from Nashville, TN) which takes 2-3 days on average. Shipping on all U.S. orders is a flat $5.00 fee unless you spend over $70 - then the shipping is free! Upon shipment, you will receive a delivery confirmation number.

If you are outside the U.S., your order will ship via First Class Air Mail for $5 (untrackable) and may take up to 3 weeks to arrive, depending on your destination. Expedited or trackable international shipping is available for an additional charge - please contact me to discuss.

One more thing - if you need a gift receipt, a gift card, or a little ribbon tied around the box, that's no problem! It's totally free - just let me know what you need in the order notes when you checkout.

freshie and zero gift box

Do you accept custom orders?

Not really. I can easily make a chain longer or shorter, and I can take a stone from one item and then put it on another item. However, if you don't see a stone you like on my website, it is unlikely that I will successfully hunt down the exact color you want. I also will not use your existing gemstones and incorporate them into my work. I don't mean to sound inflexible, but I'm really just not a good source for custom work. I just hope that you love something in my existing collection and don't want to change a thing!

Having said that, if you have a question about customizing, please contact me at freshie[at]freshieandzero[dot]com and be as specific as possible. Thanks!

I live in Nashville, too! Can I come over and see your jewelry in person? Can I pick my order up instead of shipping it?

No. My studio is inside my house and it is not set up as a shop. I'm also not comfortable giving out my home address to total strangers - no matter how cute you are! And since my studio is a workshop/office/shipping center, the jewelry is not on display - it's pretty much made to order and I don't have a lot of stock on hand. If you want to see my jewelry in person, please visit my stockists page or my events page. Thank you for understanding!

Do you sell pendants without the chains?

No. Necklaces are only sold as a whole and not as separate pieces. I prefer to sell my work as an entire creation - from the pendants down to the chains.

Jewelry Info and Care:

How do I care for the jewelry?
Handmade jewelry is more delicate than mass-manufactured jewelry, but with proper care it should last a lifetime. Much like anything else, if you do not take good care of it, it will show signs of wear and tear. The fundamentals of good jewelry care are: make sure it is the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. Always store it out of the open air and keep it away from chemicals such as sunscreen, hairspray, perfume, etc. It is also not recommended to exercise in your handmade jewelry, as it can cause unnecessary stress on the piece, and the salt from sweating does not react well with the metals. Sorry Southern gals but if you're going to spend a lot of time outside in the humid days of summer, it's probably better to leave your Freshie & Zero necklace at home, but you can wear your Freshie & Zero earrings on a hot summer day instead!

What is gold-filled?
Gold-filled materials are much more economical and practical than solid 14K gold, and display the rich look of gold at a fraction of the cost. They are not filled with gold as the name suggests, but rather a thick layer of gold is permanently bonded to an underlying metal, such as brass or sterling silver. They should not be mistaken for gold-plated since they have 100 times more gold than plate - in fact; they are 5% 14K gold by weight. Under normal wear, gold-filled materials will never peel, flake, or wear off and can be treasured for generations.

Does sterling silver tarnish?

Yes, it does over time. You can try and prevent it by storing your jewelry in an airtight container such as a jewelry box or ziploc baggie. However, sterling is super easy to clean! Silver polishing cloths will do the trick but they can take a lot of time & elbow grease so I prefer an actual liquid cleaner. You can pick up silver jewelry cleaner at any CVS/Walgreens/Bed Bath & Beyond type store and simply dip, rinse well, and dry! Just make sure you don't dip any of the stones or pearls in the cleaner - it will dissolve their luster. Even easier than that is cleaning them with toothpaste and a toothbrush (that you no longer use, of course!). Clean, rinse, and dry and it's good as new!

Can I go swimming in your jewelry?

I definitely recommend not wearing any jewelry in a treated swimming environment (unlike a natural environment like a lake or ocean). I learned this by mistake - I was wearing a silver necklace and got in a hot tub and it's never been the same since. Any sort of pool or hot tub has chemicals that the jewelry does not like, so play it safe and take them off before swimming. In addition, perfumes, hair sprays, profuse sweating, really humid climates, etc. are all elements prone to make the sterling tarnish quickly.

I wanna do what you do! How did you get started? Where do you buy your supplies? What kind of wire do you use?

Awesome! I am very flattered when people ask me for business advice, but honestly I don't have the time to answer these kinds of emails, since a simple "How did you get started" question could take me pages to answer, so I wrote a nifty little blog about getting started in the craft & craft show scene, notes about being an entrepreneur, and also about photographing jewelry. I hope this will be a great jumping point for aspiring designers. Another great source of info is The Switchboards - a message board & forum for crafty business ladies. I really don't feel comfortable answering technical questions (nobody wants to be copied) or information about my sources, though, so please don't ask me where I buy my gemstones or chains, etc. However, I love networking with other crafters - if you want to swap stories about craft shows, drop me a line!

Who designed your website and did your photography?

Me - completely self taught and learning as I go. I have had a couple of friends do logo work for me, though, including Beth Snyder who designed the fun wavy one.

Policies

Return & Exchange Policy: Freshie & Zero jewelry items are crafted carefully by hand with high-quality materials and inspected scrupulously before shipping. However, if you are unhappy with your purchase, we are always glad to accept it for return or exchange in it's original, unused condition, less the cost of shipping.

If you would like to return or exchange an item, you must email freshie[at]freshieandzero[dot]com to obtain a return/exchange form. Please include your order number and reason for return in the email. Returns & exchanges are not accepted without prior approval by email.

Returns are accepted within 10 days of the delivery date. Buyer is responsible for the cost of return shipping, and the returned item must be received within 10 days of return request. Returns will receive a refund for the full cost of the item, not including shipping charges. After 10 days, but before 30 days, you may exchange your item only for another item or for store credit. Exchanges must be received within 37 days of original delivery date. When exchanging, a store credit will be given in the event that there is a credit due. After 30 days, exchanges are not accepted. Gift certificates are non-returnable.

Repairs: In the unlikely event your piece breaks, I will repair it free of charge (less shipping costs) within three months of date of purchase. After that time, I may have to charge a small fee. All jewelry is guaranteed under normal wear and usage for 3 months from date of purchase. We reserve the right to determine normal wear and usage. If your jewelry is in need of repair after 3 months, we are happy to take care of it for a minimal charge plus shipping and handling. Please email me first to discuss the nature of the repair required. For your protection, please send all repairs insured in a well-padded envelope or box. We cannot be responsible for items lost, stolen or damaged during shipment.

Privacy: Freshie & Zero respects your concerns about privacy. When a visitor requests pages from the freshieandzero.com site, our servers automatically log the browser's domain name, and IP address. This information is solely collected for statistical purposes and is not used to identify individuals. In order to track unique visitors, a cookie is sent to the visitor's computer. This information is collected solely to improve the services offered and statistical purpsoses and is not used to identify individuals.

Transactions: The services of Cart Manager and Virtual Merchant, a subsidiary of NOVA Information Systems are used to process transactions on this site. You may pay with your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover - debit cards are not recommended. Residents of Tennessee will be charged the 9.25% state sales tax. Your sensitive credit card information is not stored on my server. You may view their terms of service before placing an order if you wish.

Mailing List: When you sign up for our e-newsletter or make a purchase, you will be added to our email list and we will occasionally send you information about special offers and new products. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, simply click on the unsubscribe link at the top of any email and you will no longer receive our updates. Your email address is secure and we would never share, rent, or sell it with any other third party.