Everything, plainly
Shipping, returns
and looking after it
Made by hand in California, USA, one at a time, after you order. Here is what that means for the wait, the post and what happens if something goes wrong.
Making and shipping
- How long will my order take?
- Nothing is made in advance, so the clock starts when you order. A bead pack goes out in 2–5 days. A mini takes 6–7 weeks, and the large ceramic 6–7 weeks because every one of those 720 beads is threaded, positioned and secured by hand. On slow days a piece takes 5–7 business days, and it varies heavily with demand — one person makes every one, and an order joins whatever queue is already in front of it. The number quoted here moves with that queue rather than a promised date quietly slipping. If you need something for a particular date, message me first and I will tell you honestly whether it can be done.
- Where does it ship from?
- Everything is made and mailed from Cerritos, California. For US orders that means no customs form, no import duty and nothing extra to pay on delivery.
- What does shipping cost?
- Calculated at checkout by destination — USPS Ground Advantage in the US, USPS Priority Mail International elsewhere. There is no free shipping: postage on a hand-strung piece is real money, and folding it into the price would charge it to everyone, including the buyer who lives down the road.
- I am outside the US. What will I pay?
- Prices switch to your own currency using the selector at the bottom of any page, and checkout settles in that currency. Customs duty and import VAT are set by your country, not by us, and are not included — you may be billed by the carrier on delivery. We do not mark parcels as gifts or understate their value.
- How is it packaged?
- Suncatchers are delicate, so each one is wrapped in protective bubble wrap and sent in a sturdy box marked Fragile.
- What if my parcel arrives damaged, or never arrives?
- Get in touch through the contact page with your order number and, if it is damage, a photo of the parcel as it arrived. Once a parcel is with the carrier the transit itself is out of our hands, but the claim is not — we file it and we make it right.
Returns and exchanges
- Can I return it?
- Because every suncatcher is made to order, sales are final. Returns and exchanges are accepted where an incorrect item was sent — that is our mistake and we fix it at our cost.
- I am in the EU or the UK.
- You have a statutory right to withdraw within 14 days of delivery, for any reason, and that applies regardless of the policy above. Return shipping is the buyer’s responsibility, as it is for any other return we authorise.
- Something is wrong with my piece.
- Message us. A piece that arrived faulty or not as described is not a return question, it is ours to put right.
Looking after it
- Can I hang it outside?
- No — indoors only. Sun, rain and temperature swings degrade the wire, the plating and the coating on the beads over time. A window is the right home for it; the other side of that window is not.
- How do I clean it?
- Dust the strands gently with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. To bring the sparkle back, glass cleaner on the beads is fine.
- What should I keep cleaning products away from?
- The chain, the pot and the wire. Those chemicals stain and tarnish metal, so keep them on the glass and off everything else.
- Will the colours fade?
- Not indoors. The colour is not a dye or a paint — it is a vapour-deposited coating on the glass and the way light bends through the facets, so there is no pigment to fade. Keeping it out of direct outdoor weather is what protects the metal parts.
The pieces themselves
- What size is it?
- Exact dimensions are listed in the description of each piece, along with the bead count and the number of strands.
- Is every one identical?
- No. They are strung by hand, one bead at a time, so strand fall and bead placement vary slightly between pieces. That is the nature of the thing rather than a flaw in it.
- Gold or silver chain?
- Both, on most pieces — choose at checkout. Around 88% of buyers pick gold.
Anything not answered here — ask. I answer my own messages.