How do I contact you directly?
Please use the contact page on this website for all inquiries. Wholesale: If you are interested in purchasing Teresa Harris Designs jewelry for resale in your store, please include your business name and location with your email, and we will be happy to provide you with a current line sheet.
Do you accept credit cards?
Yes! We are happy to accept your Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express card for payment. As a Paypal merchant, we are able to offer the safest way to order online. For more information on Paypal, please visit them directly at www.paypal.com. At this time we only ship to addresses in the United States and Canada.
What other forms of payment do you accept?
Personal checks, cashier's checks and money orders are also happily accepted. Items purchased with personal checks will not be shipped until the check has cleared, so please keep this in mind when ordering. We are only able to accept U.S. currency at this time.
I would like an item that is out of stock. Will you have more?
Most of the items that we create are one-of-a-kind or limited edition pieces, ensuring that your piece will be a unique piece of wearable art not available anywhere else. However, sometimes we are simply out of materials. Please use the contact us page to inquire about the status of a particular piece, and be sure to ask about custom work - we are often able to make similar pieces that incorporate your personal taste, and many of them end up even more special as a result!
Will my piece look exactly like the one on the website?
One of the best things about hand-crafted art is that each piece has subtle, but unique and interesting qualities that make it beautiful. Each piece in the Teresa Harris Designs collection is created by hand with the finest quality silver and gemstones. Slight variations in the silversmith work are part of the handcrafted tradition, and differences in colors and details of the stones are what make them so fascinating and enticing. In choosing photos for the website we make every effort to represent the items well, but please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or questions. We want you to be happy!
Do you have any gift-packaging options?
We carefully package each piece for shipping and are happy to include gift-packaging and/or information about the gemstones in the piece you've chosen - simply let us know.
Is all of your jewelry on this website?
Absolutely not! We hope that pieces you see here represent the style and feel of the collection, but there is so much more. We are always working on fresh ideas, being inspired by custom orders, and discovering new gems and designs as each season unfolds. Be sure to register for the newsletter to be updated on the latest creations and events at Teresa Harris Designs.
Do you do custom work?
Absolutely! Some of our favorite pieces have been inspired by stones that a customer has chosen, or birthstones that we may never have worked with otherwise. We encourage you to be an active part of the design process and are happy to talk with you about the perfect piece for yourself, a gift for someone special, bridesmaid's jewelry, and more. Please use the contact us page to get started.
How do I care for my piece and keep it clean?
The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear your silver often!
However, you should avoid wearing your piece in the shower, pool or hot-tub where the strong chemicals can dull the finish over time. When storing your sterling or fine silver pieces, using a re-sealable plastic bag will prevent most tarnish and damage issues.
Add an anti-tarnish strip, or use bags or cloth treated with anti-tarnish, and they will last even longer. The treated materials slow down the tarnishing process but should be replaced every 3-4 months.
Humidity also speeds up the tarnish process, so a cool, dry place is best.
Regular cleaning and polishing with a treated cloth is reccomended.
Please remember that even the cloths can dull or damage soft or porous gemstones or treated crystals, so use them with care.
Use chemical or commercial cleaners only with extreme caution and when absolutely necessary, as they will ruin many materials such as pearls, lapis, coral, turquoise, opals, etc.
It is always easier to keep silver clean through regular use, polishing and proper storage.
What are the different kinds of silver you use?
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5%other metals, usually copper, which is added to strengthen it.
Light and air react to the copper in the sterling and cause it to tarnish—it will first yellow, and then blacken over time.
Fine Silver is 99.9% silver or better.
This grade of silver is softer than sterling and bends and scratches more easily. Because of it’s malleability, it is not always ideal for jewelry.
Although it doesn’t tarnish as easily or as quickly as sterling,
pure silver is blackened over time by natural oxidation.
Hill Tribe Silver
is a higher purity than sterling, but lower than fine silver (95-99%).
It’s softer quality enables the people of the hill tribes in northern Thailand to shape and stamp it, and it has a greater resistance to tarnish than sterling.
It’s distinctive patina look gives it a more natural feel.
Bali Silver
is hand-crafted by artisans in Bali,
Indonesia using fine silver (or nearly fine—95-99%).
The intricacies of these beads can be amazing, and they tend to be more ornate and complex than the cast beads that are often referred to as “Bali-style”.
Silver Plate
is a process that coats any number of base-metals (often the inexpensive and highly allergenic nickel) with a thin silver layer. Most costume jewelry uses base metal, and they are much more likely to cause irritation of sensitive skin.
Base metals will tarnish and discolor quickly, and once the finish wears off you cannot “polish” it back to life.
I do not use any silver plate in my work.
What about returns and exchanges?
It is very important to us that you are delighted with your jewelry. Returns and exchanges are addressed on an individual basis. If you are unhappy with your order for any reason, please let us know via the contact page and we will do the very best we can to make it right.
Do you do repairs?
We hold great pride in our work and will gladly repair any items that break. All of our work is made with the highest quality materials and each piece is carefully inspected prior to sale. Repair costs vary and are addressed on an individual basis. We want you to be happy! However, please
keep in mind that the nature of beaded jewelry is that it is strung onto strands of woven metal. Gemstones and artisan glass beads are sturdy, but may chip or break if they fall on the floor. Bracelets that get tugged, pulled, caught on clothing or doorknobs may loosen or break. Using care with your jewelry will limit the wear and tear - but we understand that sometimes accidents just happen. Please contact us directly and we will work with you on a quote for your repair.
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