FAQs
1. What's made to order?
Once you order, your piece will be made. Please allow the time described in the product description. This will normally take between 1-3 weeks depending on the type of item, materials, process, techniques etc. We will email you if any extra time is required. This is a small business that creates handmade pieces of jewellery one by one and supports no overproduction and slow fashion.
2. What's pre-order?
SIDIMO collections might have some pieces in pre-order, where some of the designs are still under the making process to stock in small batches as limited editions. So as soon as you make your order, you will be part of the pre-order list and your piece of jewellery will be saved and dispatched for you as soon as the piece is ready.
3. Can I get my piece of jewellery before 3 weeks?
It depends on the piece that you have ordered. Some pieces might be in stock in small batches and others will be made to order. The maker will always work to dispatch the order as quickly as possible and within the timeframe described on the listing/product description. Pieces in stock will naturally take a shorter time to be dispatched, but pieces made to order or on pre-order can take a bit longer; it will always depend on the materials, supplies and type of pieces. Also, if the pieces need hallmarking, the time is needed to complete the process. However, if any piece needs some extra time, we will email you to confirm (and if this timeframe doesn't work for you, we can proceed with a refund).
4. Do I have to pay shipping?
Orders in the UK over £50 are free shipping. Worldwide shipping is available and fees are applied depending on the destination country. With worldwide orders, the customer is responsible for shipping and any customs (please see shipping policies).
5. Do you do gift vouchers?
Yes. There is a gift voucher listed as a website product, or you can contact us directly for any questions or bespoke amounts. Gift vouchers cannot be refunded.
6. What's the difference between fine silver and sterling silver.
Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver. In this form the metal is beautiful and suffers from minimal tarnish, but it's generally too soft and malleable for many uses, including making most silver jewellery. Instead fine silver is alloyed with copper to create sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper.
7. Can silver tarnish?
Yes. Silver tarnishes faster the longer it is exposed to the air, humidity, pollution, and chemical substances. Also, the speed in which silver tarnishes depends on how much sulfur-containing gases are in the air.
Acidity levels of a person's skin can also cause tarnish. Some people report silver blackening on them overnight, whereas others can wear it for years without a reaction.
Different skin PH levels will result in different rates of tarnish. High acidity levels in your skin may cause your skin to react with bronze, brass or silver jewellery, this is due to the presence of sulfur/sulfides and amino acids in perspiration. The acidic nature of your sweat can cause discolouration to your skin and/to your jewellery.
Good news: as silver is a noble metal, the tarnish is not permanent, so cleaning your jewellery as per our instructions ( please see our guide page for Jewellery care), the piece of jewellery will become beautifully shine.
Also for other materials such as bronze, brass or gold plated, please see our guide page to clean and care your jewellery: "Jewellery care".
8. What does 'supporting no overproduction' mean?
SIDIMO is a small business brand founded by the designer and maker that creates small batches and limited collections but mainly pieces made to order. This is a conscious way to not waste materials and to and to have minimal impact on the environment.
9. What does eco-friendly mean?
Living in a way that is not harmful to the environment. This way of life is becoming increasingly important, as we need to protect our planet from human-made damage. SIDIMO works with eco-friendly materials, searching supplies that are certified or guarantee the source of the materials and using recycled materials wherever possible. Supporting no overproduction and making limited collections in small batches or pieces made to order means less waste and helps minimise harm to the environment.
10. Is SIDIMO an ethical creator?
We carefully search and only work with supplies that guarantee and certify that the materials - such as precious metals or gemstones - are produced by employers that have safe conditions at the workplace, respect human rights with no exploitation of children or vulnerable people and employees are fairly paid.
11. Can I return or exchange my product?
If you would like to return an item, we are happy to discuss an exchange up to 15 days from receipt of your order provided the item is unworn, in perfect condition and in the original packaging.
Please read conditions and terms for return items and refunds on our website page with these instructions. Under no circumstances can we return earrings or piercings due to legal regulations and hygienic reasons.
12. What is brass?
Although is not a noble-precious metal, brass is commonly used in jewellery-making. Jewellers can create beautiful pieces in brass with a gold appearance and the metal is durable and affordable. It's an alloy of zinc and copper. The zinc gives the yellowish tint and increases the strength of the metal and copper produces a deeper colour and elasticity to the alloy.
It is corrosion-resistant and a non-toxic metal. Its natural tarnish creates a protective patina that prevents rusting but can be polished away if desired.
However, brass is not hypoallergenic, so bear in mind that it could cause skin reactions (particularly with earrings or piercings). If you suffer from these reactions, we'd recommend that the material is plated in gold or silver.
This material is however easily enamelled and plated, so is an affordable alternative to solid gold.
SIDIMO collections introduces pieces handmade in brass and brass 18K gold plated. Gold plating increases the aesthetic and overall quality, as well as avoid potential skin reactions due to the gold plating process. Brass is also more affordable and an alternative way to wear a special and unique design.
13. What are hypoallergenic metals?
Common hypoallergenic metals consist of stainless steel, gold, and sterling silver.
Sterling silver is hypoallergenic making it perfect for jewellery. Plated silver on the other hand is often created using nickel which can irritate skin easily, coated by a layer of pure silver. This means that silver plated pieces are not as hypoallergenic as the other kinds of silver.
SIDIMO jewellery only uses sterling silver or pure silver. We also use brass that can be gold plated to elevate the aesthetic, quality and avoid reactions. For more affordable pieces, brass is the option to buy unique designs but please check on yourself if you might have skin reactions to brass.
If you ever have symptoms of red, itchy, bumpy rashes wearing your jewellery, that may be a signal of skin metal reactions, so solid gold might be the best alternative.
Any piece in our collections can be ordered in 9k-18k solid gold. You just need to email us at silvia@sidimojewellery.com for consultation in order to provide you with the info and instructions, so we can make the piece of jewellery for you.
14. Is brass sustainable?
It is highly dependent on the recycling of scrap brass and copper. This makes brass one of the most recycled metals in the world. In addition the recycling process is more energy efficient compared with other recycled metal such aluminium or steel. Also, brass can be recycled many times, therefore making the metal highly sustainable.
15. What is gold plate?
It's the process that creates a thin coat layer of gold on the piece of silver or brass to create its finished look. It's a cheaper alternative to solid gold which is much more expensive but maintains high quality and the chance to wear a piece coated in gold which is a precious metal.
16. What is hallmarking?
There is a legal requirement in the UK for hallmarking: silver items over 7.78 grams, gold over 1 gram, platinum or other precious metal jewellery.
A hallmark is a series of stamps that are put on your jewellery by one of the assay offices to prove that it is real silver or gold. It is the mark of an independent valuation to clarify that the metal it is made from is genuine and that you are not simply claiming that it is silver when it is not ( please read our section page related to hallmarking for more info).