bentwarpedandtwisted web store FAQ section

The prices on our items reflect not only the style and length of a piece but also the materials used. Some components are more expensive than others; for example, natural gemstones, pearls, complete matched sets of art glass beads, karat gold and .999 fine silver are more expensive than man-made stones (i.e., goldstone, fiber-optic beads and nuggets) and gold-filled or gold-plated beads. We also have to take into consideration the fluctuating prices of gold and silver since this affects the prices we pay to our suppliers. The final factor in our pricing is the amount of work that goes into each individual piece - some pieces are much more labor-intensive and as artists it is important to remember that our time is what really makes the items.

Due to the prohibitions and restrictions of the shipment of fine jewelry, precious metals and gemstones to many countries from the US we do not ship internationally. The major shipping carriers also prohibit the shipment of gemstones and precious metals using their services over certain dollar values so there is no way to properly insure international shipments.

I use USPS flat-rate box Priority Mail for a number of reasons, primarily so that I can eliminate handling charges, alternative packaging costs (USPS Priority flat-rate boxes are free!) and excess shipping times and be able to ship as many items as will fit into a box for a single charge. This also makes it easy to NOT pad my prices or hide extra fees in them. I don't believe in charging buyers a penny more for shipping than I actually pay, which is actual cost plus the cost of insurance, which is mandatory to protect us both against any unforeseen occurrences. (Even the USPS has its off-days!)