FAQ 

Q: Do you ship outside of the US? How much does it cost?
A: Yes. I Ship using the United States Post Office. I charge by weight. Most overseas shipments will be less than $15.00 USD.
I will email before shipment to let you know.

Q: Do you sell to the general public? 
A: Yes

Q: What payment methods do you Accept?
A: I accept American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Visa Check Cards, I am try to work out a way to accept paypal

Q: How safe is to use my credit card on the Internet?
A: Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your bank cannot hold you liable for more than $50 of fraudulent charges. In the event of unauthorized use of your credit card, you must notify your credit card provider in accordance with its reporting rules and procedures. 

Q: I do not feel safe giving my credit card over the internet. Can I place my order on hold and send you my credit card information by phone or fax? 
A: My website uses the highest standards of encryption software for internet security. If you still do not wish to submit your credit card information through our secure site, please e-mail your order to us with a list of item numbers, description and prices. In your e-mail, please let us know how you would like us to obtain your payment information. 

Q: Is Jerry Smith, Beads wholesale or retail?
A: While no company can be the lowest on everything they offer, I am lower than the vast majority of companies that I have compared. This includes companies that sell "wholesale" and companies that have "retail/wholesale/distributor" pricing. I invite you to compare prices and quality. I feel that you will find me on the top of your list for companies you want to do business with.

Q: Do you sell cabochons? 
A: No, I do not sell cabochons. 

Q: Do you sell half-drilled beads? 
A: No, I do not sell half-drilled beads. 

Q: Do you sell single gemstone beads? 
A: No, we don't sell single gemstone beads. All the beads I sell are sold by the unit indicated in the description. If you are looking for just a few loose beads, please contact your local bead shop for help. 

Q: Do you issue credit for unusable beads? 
A: It is common to have some beads or pearls in a strand not suitable for your use for various reasons. We do NOT issue credit for those beads or pearls because the sale price always reflects the general quality of the all of the beads, not every single piece. Therefore, if the overall quality of the entire strand doesn't meet your requirements, you can return the whole strand in its original condition for a full refund. I do not issue refunds for returns of partial strands or used strands. 

Tip: If you need every single bead or pearl to be perfect for your use, your local retail bead shops can probably supply what you need because retail bead shops usually allow you to select a few perfect pieces from a lot of loose ones. 

Q: Why I can't find an item that I had seen before?
A: If you can't find a particular item that you had seen before in this website, that means it is either temporarily out of stock or discontinued. Please try to find a substitute that match the best. 

Q: Do you have print catalog and price list? 
A: No, I do not. I no longer publish any print catalog and price list. Please browse through this website for all information. 

Q: Are your beads treated?
A: Yes, with close to 99% of the more popular gem types treated. As the majority of gemstones traded internationally have undergone some form of treatment, always assume treatment when purchasing gemstones. In fact, some techniques such as heating are centuries old - in all likelihood your grandmother’s ruby ring has been heat-treated! 

Q: Why are gemstone treated? 
A: Most commonly to improve the color or appearance of the finished product, some gemstones simply would not exist in salable quantities without treatment. For example, heating greenish brown Zoisite to 600 degrees Celsius produces the currently popular vibrant violet-blue Tanzanite. No heating, no Tanzanite! 

Q: What grade are your beads?
A: Although I see beads graded A/B/C etc. I can find no common method for doing this. If the wholesaler gives me a grade I use it, otherwise I try to let the Image speak for itself.

Q: You don't give the weight of your bali pieces. How much is your bali by the gram? 
A: The reason I don't give weights, is because I sell them by the piece. Each piece is hand made, depending on who makes them the weight changes, sometimes a lot. I don't pay a fixed price, by the gram. So I find it easier to sell them by the piece price.

Q: I just received my order. is everything sterling silver? I thought it was but the earring posts don't look it and I don't see the sterling stamp on them anywhere.
A: In the USA, The National Gold and Silver Marketing Act does NOT require precious metals to be marked with quality. However, if a quality mark is used, the mark must be accompanied by a manufacturer's hallmark that is a registered trademark. 

For many reasons, not all silver jewelry is marked. Registering a trademark costs over $1000. The maker may not spend the money to have a legal hallmark. Small time artists and Native American silversmiths rarely trademark their work. The sizes or designs of some pieces do not lend themselves to quality marking.

Q: Do you have gold filled alphabet Beads?
A: I can special order a 14k gold bead alphabet bead. They run about $10.00/15.00 each.

Jerry Smith, Owner