Shopping for personalized, hand-stamped, engraved, or etched jewelry can be a lot of fun. But there are a few things you should be aware of before you make your purchase. Before you put your trust in someone to create your very special and unique piece of hand stamped jewelry, make sure you have asked the following questions.
10 Tips for Buying Hand-Stamped and Handwriting Jewelry
1Is the company well established?
Have they been in business for a while, and will they be there for you in the future if you want to add to your hand stamped jewelry or ever have a problem with it? Dealing only with established businesses also increases the chances that their product and service is of higher quality. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to survive very long.
2Can you contact them if you need to?
Does the company have an About Page and an easy way to contact them? If a company does not tell you about themselves or makes it hard to contact them, there must be a reason. Shopping for personalized jewelry with someone you can talk to will ensure you get what you want, and that they will stand behind their product.
3What kind of products do they have, and can you customize them?
Can you add a stamped name charm, a birthstone or a chain to a necklace? Can you get stamped charms personalized on the back as well as the front? Are they willing to work with you to customize something without charging you an arm and a leg? This is a personal and unique piece of jewelry, so make sure you get what you envision.
4How creative can you get with your customization?
Do they carry lots of unique symbols that you can add to your name charms and pendants? Can you truly create something that is unique to you?
5Are the products high quality?
Have they been doing this for a while, or are they learning how to stamp on silver on your piece? Do they use high quality metals in their personalized jewelry designs? Metals like gold, gold-filled, copper, sterling silver and fine silver are all optimal choices for creating name jewelry and will withstand to a lot of abuse. Lead-free pewter is also a nice option for custom name tag jewelry, as it is easy to work with and less expensive than other metals.
6What is their return policy?
Do they care if you are unhappy with what you get? Will they fix mistakes immediately? Do they realize that YOU are the most important part of their entire business?
7What do others think of their custom jewelry?
Can you find their Facebook page, product reviews, and testimonials? Do you see negative comments from customers or questions that go unanswered? Do they answer in a timely manner? It can be very clear how a company treats their customers when you see how they treat questions and issues that have come up.
7How much do they charge for shipping?
Don't be fooled by low product prices with high shipping costs.
7What chain options do they have?
Can you select a chain that fits your style? Or are there only one or two choices?
7Are they safe to do business with?
Is their site secure and are they accredited with the Better Business Bureau?
Most of all, do you get the feeling that the company cares about you? Browse their site for signs that they care about their customers, that they will treat you well and that you can trust them.