Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated 23 July 2019

The questions we are asked most, grouped so you can find yours. Where a question has a page of its own (shipping, returns, warranty, sizing), the short answer is here and the link takes you to the full detail.

If yours is not here, email info@whitenovember.com.au. We would always rather answer a question before you order than after.

The studio and how we work

Melbourne, Australia. Everything we make is made here, in our studio at Level 7, 220 Collins Street.

The studio is by appointment only, so please email us to arrange a time rather than dropping in. You are very welcome to come and see pieces in person before you buy anything.

Yes. If you cannot find what you are after in our collections, we will design and make it for you.

Bespoke means a piece made for you rather than chosen from a range. You might arrive with a finished sketch or with nothing more than a feeling, and either is a fine place to start. You choose the stones, the metal and the details, and you approve a design and a quote before anything is made.

The bespoke process page walks through each stage, or you can start an enquiry.

We love remodelling old jewels, and it is some of our favourite work. You can either recycle the metal into the new piece or sell it back to us.

Remodels start from $10,000. If that fits what you had in mind, see Remodelling & Heirlooms for before-and-afters, or start an enquiry to talk it through.

Yes, and we work with stones of significance often. Bring us the piece or the loose stone and we will tell you honestly what is possible with it.

If you want a particular stone we do not already hold, email info@whitenovember.com.au and we will look into sourcing it from one of our suppliers.

Stones and sourcing

Yes. We work with both lab-grown and natural stones, and we will always tell you which one you are looking at.

Which is right for you depends on what you want the money to do, and the price difference is substantial. Our guide to lab-grown versus natural diamonds sets out the difference even-handedly, including real prices from our own rings.

Yes. Our natural diamonds are conflict free and comply with the Kimberley Process, and they are GIA certified. Our lab-grown diamonds are IGI certified.

Certification matters more than it sounds, and the two laboratories now grade differently. There is more on that in our lab-grown versus natural guide.

We use recycled gold and silver wherever possible, and we focus hard on ethically mined coloured stones, many of them Australian.

We try not to overclaim here, because the industry does a lot of that. If environmental impact is your deciding factor, the lowest-impact option is not buying a new stone at all: it is remodelling something you already have.

Ordering, payment and timing

If it is in stock it is ready to ship, because the piece already exists and nothing has to be made first. Most of our fine jewellery is made to order, and for that you should allow 4 to 6 weeks for production before adding delivery time.

Your order confirmation will tell you which applies. Full detail on shipping and delivery.

Often, yes, but tell us before you order, not after. Email info@whitenovember.com.au and we will tell you honestly whether your date is achievable.

Afterpay and Zip are both available at checkout, subject to each provider's own approval limit.

For bespoke work, a 50% deposit secures your place and starts production, with the balance invoiced when the piece is finished. For other purchases over $5,000 we can usually arrange a partial payment. Email info@whitenovember.com.au and we will sort something out.

Yes, particularly anything you wear daily. We do not offer insurance ourselves, so we have no stake in this, but we recommend Q Report.

Home and contents policies often will not cover jewellery away from the house, which is exactly where it usually goes missing. A specialist policy covers everyday wear and travel.

Sizing, delivery, returns and warranty

Short answers here. Each one links to the page that covers it properly.

The reliable way is to use a physical sizer on the actual finger. Ours is $10, posted free within Australia. Order a ring sizer.

You can also measure a ring that already fits, or get sized by any jeweller. Our ring sizing guide has a full conversion chart and covers buying as a surprise.

Resizing is free within 60 days of purchase, and $110 after that. Most designs move up to three sizes either way, and it takes one to two weeks.

Please come back to us rather than another jeweller: work done elsewhere voids the warranty. See ring sizing and resizing.

Free within Australia, always, whatever the order is worth. International is $35 flat to anywhere in the world, and it is the same $35 whether you are buying a pair of studs or a ten thousand dollar ring.

Everything is insured, tracked and signed for. Import duties, customs charges and local taxes are set by your government, are not included in our prices, and are payable at or after delivery. Full detail on shipping and delivery.

We email you a tracking number the moment your parcel leaves us. If it has not arrived, check your junk folder, then email info@whitenovember.com.au and we will resend it.

If you are ordering from outside Australia, yes. Import duties, customs charges and local taxes are set by your government, are not included in our prices, and are payable at or after delivery.

We cannot tell you what they will be, but your local customs office can. See shipping and delivery.

Any piece made from one of our existing designs can be returned within 7 days of delivery if you change your mind, unworn and in its original packaging.

Bespoke commissions, remodels, custom-measurement pieces and earrings are the exceptions. If a piece is faulty, your rights under Australian Consumer Law apply regardless. See returns and exchanges.

Gold and platinum pieces, including every bespoke commission and remodel, carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing faults, for as long as you bring the piece back to us for a service every 12 months. The service is $150. Sterling silver and gold-plated pieces are covered for 12 months from purchase.

That covers faults in how a piece was made, not wear, knocks or chipped stones, which we quote for. Separately, you are welcome to bring any piece in for a complimentary ultrasonic clean once a year, which is not the same thing as the service.

Your rights under Australian Consumer Law sit on top of all of this, are not limited to 12 months, and do not depend on servicing. See warranty and repairs.