Frequently Asked Questions

Please read the Q&A below and if your question isn't answered, get in touch!

Do you accept international orders?
YES! We absolutely accept international orders. The only condition is that you are responsible for any duty or taxes that your country may impose. We recommend that international orders (anything outside of Canada or the USA) are shipped with tracking and insurance.
 
What are my shipping options?
To offer free shipping across North America, standard shipping is Canada Post's least expensive option. This does not include delivery tracking or insurance.  If you require delivery tracking and insurance up to $100, please select the tracked option.  If your order exceeds $100 and you would like to insure the full value of the package, please contact us for rates. Please visit our Shipping Policy page for full information.
 
What is your return policy?
Please visit our Return Policy page for full information on how to hand a return or exchange.
 
My order hasn’t arrived yet.  How can I get assistance?
We’re a very small company and about 1.5 people do all the work that needs doing. Typically orders ship within 7 business days if the product is in stock. If an item is out of stock and/or Rachael is away from the studio, they will take longer to ship.

Items ship out of Alberta, Canada, and sometimes packages may be held up at international borders.
 
If you have received a confirmation email that your order has shipped, and you think it should have arrived by now, wait one more day. We know this sounds silly, but it’s the classic dilemma – you email us, and it shows up within 24 hours! If you’ve waited a day, go ahead and email us laughingsparrow.info@gmail.com and we’ll help you out.
 
Do you do custom orders?
The short answer – yes.
 
The slightly longer answer – it depends. If it is something within our skillset, and we have the time and capacity to make you a stunning piece of jewelry, yes.  We love creating custom jewelry like engagement rings, wedding bands, and heirloom jewelry! If you have an idea for a piece, please don’t hesitate to reach out on our Custom Order page. If you have a deadline for your custom project, please get in touch early. Custom work can take anywhere from 6-14 weeks depending on our schedule and workload. When you get in touch we'll give you a better idea of how long your project will take and what the cost would be. 
 
Do you have more items in gold?
What is listed on the website is what we stock in gold filled jewelry. This is typically our stacking rings – round and square, and some styles of tiny studs.
 
Anything you see on the site can be made in solid 14k gold. Please note that the cost of items made in solid gold can be 5-10x the price of sterling silver. If you’d like a custom gold item, please fill out the Custom Order form for a quote.
 
Do you do jewelry repairs?
No. While we guarantee the workmanship of all Laughing Sparrow pieces & will fix or replace any defective items, we do not repair jewelry made by others.
 
Square rings are so cool! Are they comfy and how do they fit?
Square rings are incredibly comfortable! They don’t fit the same as round rings, and so we generally recommend buying them at a market or making an appointment to come to the studio where you can try them on in person. 

Below is a rough conversion chart – note that the sizes cover a range of round sizes. This is because with the corners of the rings, there’s a little bit of wiggle room, and the fit will depend on your fingers & knuckles!
SQ 8 - size 3-4
SQ 9 - size 4-5
SQ 10 - size 5-6
SQ 11 - size 6-7
SQ 12 - size 7-8
SQ 13 - size 8-9
SQ 14 - size 9-10
SQ 15 - size 10-11
 
I have large fingers, will your rings fit me?
We make round rings from a size 2 up to a size 15. If you don’t see your size available, we can likely make it for you - head over to the Custom Order page! If you’re looking for square rings, right now our sizing only goes from about size 3 to size 11 because we’re restricted by the tools available - BUT we’re working on getting a custom tool to make larger square rings!

What length of necklace should I get?
Ultimately that is up to you. Our 18" chain is the most common length, and fits most people well. If you're buying a gift, 18" is usually a safe choice. 

Necklaces will sit slightly differently on each person due to your neck size. However, the photo below gives you an idea of the lengths relative to each other. These necklaces are 16", 18", 20" and 24" long. 

necklace lengths

Will my jewelry tarnish?
Gold does not tarnish. Sterling Silver is subject to tarnishing.
 
The first step is to prevent tarnishing. The best way to do this is to wear your jewelry often. The next steps are to keep it out of humid environments when you’re not wearing it, and ideally in the plastic baggie we pack it in. So, while we do create high quality pieces that you can wear the heck out of, you still shouldn’t leave it sitting out on the bathroom counter all the time.
 
We make as many of our pieces as we can from a type of silver called Argentium silver. This type of silver is tarnish resistant. Instead of the typical sterling silver mixture of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, some of the copper is replaced with a metalloid germanium, and contains a higher percentage of silver (93.5% or 96%). 
 
How should I clean my jewelry if it has tarnished?
All you need to do is give it a little polish with some regular old Crest toothpaste.
 
Yes you read that right, Crest toothpaste is a great silver polish. It will not harm your jewellery in any way, and is a great chemical-free way to make your silver sparkle again. Just put a little bit on your fingers and rub over the tarnished area. Then give it a really good rinse, dry thoroughly, and voila...good as gold! I mean silver!
 
Will your gold turn me green?
No. The reason some cheap gold jewelry turns you green is because it’s gold plated. This is a very thin layer of gold overtop of a core of brass. The gold then wears or washes off quickly, and the brass rubs against your skin turning your green.
 
Laughing Sparrow does NOT use any gold plating for our jewelry. We make affordable pieces that are gold FILLED. Gold filled products have a layer of gold bonded to core of brass that is 100x thicker than the gold for plating and it’s rated for 25 years of everyday wear before that gold will come off! It's Champagne taste on a beer budget!
 
Where is your shop?
While we’re flattered that you think we’re a big enough deal to have a dedicated brick and mortar store, we’re really just a 1.5 woman show at the moment and a store just isn’t part of the plan right now. Our studio where we create all our jewelry is in Calgary, AB. We sell at markets, online, and are in a ton of stores across North America. For more info on all these things, check out our Visit page.
 
I know a great little store that should carry your jewelry.
Ummm, that’s not a question. But, Sweet!
 
We’re always looking to new stores to carry Laughing Sparrow. If you know the shop owners, tell them about us, and direct them to the Wholesale page of our website.

If you don’t know them, send us an email laughingsparrow.info@gmail.com and tell us all about them – please include the store name, contact name (if you know it), email address, phone number, website, social media links, and why you think we’d be a great fit there!
 
If you’re a shop who wants to carry our jewelry, get in touch through our Wholesale page.