Reasons for a later shipment

At DiamondsByMe, all jewelry is handcrafted to order. In most cases, everything goes as scheduled, and we can ship the order on or even before the expected shipping date. However, because everything is handmade, the expected shipping date may occasionally shift.

There can be multiple reasons for this. Here, we explain our process and the possible reasons for a delayed shipment.

DiamondsByMe's Process

You have configured the jewelry within the configurator on the product page. Once an order is received, our design department creates a custom drawing of the jewelry. There may be a choice in stone size or ring size. The designers ensure that the order is drawn completely to scale, after which a wax model is printed. This model is 'tree' mounted and then liquid plaster is added. Once hardened, the plaster model with the wax model is placed in the oven, where the wax melts to make way for the precious metal. Once a casting comes out of the oven, it is further processed by the goldsmiths. The metal is refined and polished. The stones are set, the jewelry is cleaned and, in the case of white gold, rhodium-plated. If engraving is added to the order, it is done after finishing.

This process sounds quite simple, but it is precision work that takes time. Especially the finishing of the metal and the setting of stones requires utmost concentration. DiamondsByMe offers exclusive and unique jewelry, and to perfect it, time is needed to do this carefully so that each piece of jewelry meets our quality standards.

Causes of Possible Delay

Because the creation process of jewelry consists of many steps performed in an artisanal manner, something can happen during this process that causes the expected shipping date to be postponed. Reasons can include:

• The quality of the casting is not up to our standard. This usually comes to light only when jewelry is in the finishing stage. During polishing, air bubbles, called casting porosity, appear on the surface. If this happens, our goldsmiths decide to re-cast the jewelry. The entire preceding process then starts anew.
• A center stone needed to be ordered but has not yet been delivered. When an order comes in requiring a stone to be ordered, our gemstone specialist places the order with our suppliers. In most cases, a stone is delivered within a few working days. However, because some stones must come from abroad, they can sometimes take longer to arrive.
• The jewelry is made of platinum. Platinum is a difficult precious metal to handle with a longer processing time, in which not every goldsmith specializes. When a platinum casting does not go well and has to be redone, it also takes extra time.
• A stone breaks or gets damaged during setting. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen often, but occasionally a stone breaks or gets damaged during setting. In some cases, a stone must then be reordered, which, as described earlier, takes time.
• For jewelry like earrings, where there are usually two identical stones, a new set of stones must be found because they are matched and perfectly paired. If we do not do this and replace the broken stone with another, there may be a color difference between the stones. It is therefore important that, when such a problem arises, two new stones are ordered.

Conclusion

Sometimes our goldsmiths encounter an obstacle, but they always do their utmost to have the ordered jewelry ready on time. However, each piece is handcrafted with care, and this takes time. We hope this information provides more insight into our working method and thank you for your understanding and trust in DiamondsByMe.

As soon as your order is ready and shipped, you will receive a notification with the tracking details. If you have indicated that you want to collect your order, you will receive an invitation to schedule the appointment as soon as the jewelry has passed the quality check.

We wish you much pleasure with your purchase in advance!