Packaging cow jewelry orders

Wonder what happens when you place an order for cow jewelry? See how it is carefully packaged and shipped to customers in a timely fashion in this 2 minute video.

Friday's art themed article of interest: JEWELRY APPRAISALS

*For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Friday, veterinarian, jewelry artist, and gallery owner Kathy Swift shares an art themed website with readers.*

With spring cleaning on everyone's mind, cleaning out a jewelry box might fall somewhere on your list. Did you know that many homeowner's insurance policies will not cover the full value of your jewelry if it's lost or stolen? Today's article, Appraising Fine Jewelry, covers the basic details of what you should have appraised, who you should get to do it, and what you can expect it to cost.

How to buy a bracelet for a gift

Today's art themed article to share with the group is some of my (Kathy McComb Swift) experience with helping customers buy cow jewelry charm bracelets for gifts.

1. Find out all you can about the gift recipient before you start.

• Is she allergic to any metals? Some women have issues when wearing silver.
• Does she have a metal preference? Look at the jewelry she has already. Is it mostly gold or silver?
• Does she have a charm bracelet already? Don't get her a second one unless it's a style different that what's she's got and something she's asked for. Women generally don't have multiple charm bracelets.

2. Size the bracelets she's got if you can.

• When measuring bracelets, stretch the bracelet out and measure from end to end, including the clasp.

3. Try to ascertain the style of bracelets she likes

• Does she like a nice heavy style or something lighter? I sell two different kinds on Cow Art and More to give customers good options on what to choose.

4. Don't know much about your recipient? Always order the bracelet a little larger rather than a little smaller!

• This is the most important of advice I can give. Wrist size has NOTHING to do with body weight! People think that since someone is petite, they need the smaller bracelet.
• Another way to tell what size a woman might need is to pay attention to her shoe size. Women with larger feet generally need the larger bracelet.
• In the end, it is usually easier for the gift recipient to have a couple of links snipped off at a jewelry repair shop rather than to have more soldered on.

5. Still not sure you got the right bracelet? Always ask about the return and exchange policy.

• Cow Art and More has a seven day return policy on purchases and items can be exchanged between seven and thirty days.
• I am also happy to work with customers in having them return bracelets to me to exchange for a larger size and reattach charms to that size.

6. One last piece of advice to share:

• I, personally, love wearing bracelets and am grateful that I can get them on and off by myself. If you're giving this to someone who may have difficulty navigating a clasp by herself, you might consider giving a bracelet helper as a gift.

Friday's article of interest to art enthusiasts: HOW TO BUY JEWELRY FOR A GIFT

With the holidays upon us, I know people are considering buying jewelry for a gift. I am happy to say that a lot of my jewelry gets bought for gifts. I wanted to share some of my thoughts and experiences with the blog readers to help them make the best decisions for purchasing jewelry for someone else.

1. Get to know as much about your recipient as possible (discreetly if you can).

• Does the wearer have any allergies? The one I see most often is to "nickel silver" (which isn't really silver at all).
• What does your gift recipient normally wear? If she normally only wears earrings, now is not the time to get her a bracelet.
• Can you find out appropriate sizes of her current jewelry collection? Is there a particular chain length she likes? Find a ruler and measure the length of her pieces in her jewelry box.
• Does she actually have pierced ears? I've seen people get wire/post earrings for women that they're not even sure have pierced ears!
  

2. Earrings and necklaces are generally better choices than rings and bracelets if you don't much about your recipient.

• Earrings and necklaces are generally closer to a "one size fits all" types of pieces. Bracelets and rings require knowing more about the recipient's exact size.

3. What color (if applicable) would the recipient like?

• People make the mistake of "Well, she always wears blue, so I'm going to get her something red." Wrong! She wears blue because she LIKES blue. It's always a good choice to get someone more of what they like.

4. Is my recipient going to care for her jewelry completely or would something easier to care for be in order?

• Does your jewelry gift recipient have the time and knowledge on how to care for their jewelry?
  
• Can she keep the piece clean and maintained properly? Sterling silver pieces in humid climates (Florida especially!) will tarnish very quickly if not cared for and stored properly.
  
• Are you considering an "everyday wear" type piece or is this something that is considered a "special occasion" piece?
  

5. Always ask the person or store you are buying from what their return and exchange policy is.

• Can the recipient return or exchange the piece if she doesn't like it? I typically offer a 7 day return policy and a 30 day exchange policy on my pieces.
  
• Can you get a gift receipt? I am happy to offer a gift receipt. This is important in cases such as Christmas where the purchaser may be buying the piece several weeks in advance of the holiday.
• If you have questions or concerns about the returns or exchange policy, always ask! I am always happy to work with customers if they let me know up front what the concerns are. For example, if some is buying a Valentine's Day gift in mid January, I am happy to extend the return period until after February 14 to let the recipient have time to decide if she likes the piece.
  

6. Ask what the warranty is on the jewelry considered for purchase.

• Ask for instructions on how to care for the piece. I cannot stress how important this is! Unfortunately, I have had to repair several pieces I have made for customers because they weren't careful with wearing and cleaning the piece. If you aren't sure about your piece, have a professional give advice on how to clean and care for your jewelry.
  
• Ask for directions on how to return the piece to the artist/store for repair if necessary. Any good store should have the ability to repair your jewelry or recommend you to a reliable person for repair.

I hope this helps everyone this month. I will be posting more information over the next couple of weeks on how to purchase individual styles of pieces and such. Happy shopping!