How do I pronounce ‘Duance’?
We get asked this a lot! It’s said like the word ‘nuance’, but with a d instead of an n.
What are your leadtimes?
Made to Order jewellery currently takes 3-4 weeks to make. Delivery times vary depending on your location.
Ready to Wear & Off the Bench Peg jewellery is already made and be sent within 2-3 working days (not including items undergoing resize).
We can often make pieces more quickly on request, however this is highly dependent on material and workshop availability.
When available, our express fee ranges from £25 - £100 per piece.
If you would like this service, please get in touch with us first to check if we can make the item in time.
How will my order arrive?
Your jewellery will arrive in plain, unmarked packaging. It doesn’t mention jewellery anywhere, and is also 100% recyclable.
Does your jewellery contain any nickel?
No, none of the metals we use in our jewellery contain any nickel. This includes our silver and white gold jewellery.
Is any of your jewellery rhodium or gold plated?
No, we don’t rhodium or gold plate any of our jewellery unless specifically requested to do so. If you would like your Justin Duance jewellery to be rhodium or gold plated just let us know. We can arrange this for you at £45 per piece.
How much does the type of sand used affect the texture of a sandcast ring?
The level of texture on a sandcast ring can never be completely predicted. Generally, very fine sands will produce a lighter texture, and very coarse sands will produce a more textured ring. We recommend staying away from very pebbly or rounded grains of sand. These tend to create little divots in the pieces cast in them rather than resulting in a sandy, organic texture. We will let you know if we are concerned that your sand or the sand you’ve chosen for casting will create an unusual result. If there is a particular texture you would like to achieve on your ring just send us a picture of the piece that has the texture you like – we will attach this to your order for our reference and do our best to achieve a similar level of texture.
The texture on our extra texture sandcast rings (SC-CM-ET) is not wholly a direct result of the sand used to cast these rings in. We carve each ring by hand from wax prior to casting; the normal sandcast rings show a texture that is entirely due to the sand they’re cast in. This is because we leave the surface of the wax model nice and smooth for these, but for the extra texture rings we carve a gnarly texture into the band as well as casting it in beach sand. Whatever sand you may choose/give us to cast your ring in, it won’t end up as textured as our extra texture bands without our help, no matter how coarse the sand is.
Can I use my own metals and gemstones?
Yes! We will need to examine and test your jewellery before we can say for sure that we can use it. The best way of using your own gold is through our sandcasting technique as we can directly re-cast your metal into a new piece.
Other options are possible though, so just let us know what you’d like and we can advise you. If you can visit our workshop to discuss your ideas that would be fantastic, but we can also arrange commissions entirely via emails too. We would recommend special delivery with the Royal Mail for sending any jewellery to us as this is fastest and safest (please make sure you include a note of your full name and contact details so we know who it’s from!). Please get in touch with us via the contact page to let us know what you have in mind or book an appointment to visit our workshop.
Can I come and see your jewellery?
Yes! Visiting the workshop is by appointment only, but we are more than happy to show you all of our lovely jewellery.
Whether you would like to discuss a unique commission, choose your wedding rings, or just see a particular piece in real life, we have our full collections here (hundreds of rings, as well as pendants, studs, cufflinks and bangles) that you can see and try on. We can also size your fingers and answer questions regarding the customisation of any of our designs. It helps that Cornwall is a really beautiful part of the UK too, so you could make a mini holiday of it at the same time – we’re well worth a visit!
Can I send you sand to cast my sandcast ring in?
Yes! We love to cast our sandcast jewellery in your own sand. To do so we need a small spice jars worth of sand sent to our Trengwainton Pumphouse address:
Trengwainton Pumphouse, Tremethick Cross, Penzance, TR20 8UF.
Please make sure your sand is clearly labelled. Please label it with both your full name and the beach and country the sand is from. We get a lot of sand sent to us, so if it’s not clearly labelled then we won’t know who it’s from!
Can I try a sample ring before ordering?
We are happy to send you sample rings if you’re not able to visit us or one of our stockists. We can only send you what we have in stock; therefore the rings we have may not always be the right size or in the correct metal combinations. Tell us which ring(s) you’re interested in and we’ll see what we have in stock for you to try. We ideally need to know your ring size to do this.
We request a deposit per sample ring we send you, the price of which will depend on the metal/gemstones the piece is made with. The deposit is fully refundable upon the safe return of the rings. Or, if you’d like to go ahead with an order after trying the sample then we’ll use your deposit towards the price of your piece and refund any difference if applicable.
Please note that we can only send sample rings within the UK.
I don’t know the ring size and it’s a surprise!
If you’d like to order a surprise and you don’t know their finger size, there a few ways to get around this.
Size an existing ring:
One option is to see if your intended recipient already owns any rings that you can borrow. If yes, take one to your nearest high street jeweller so they can tell you what size the ring is. If you’re unable to take it to a jewellery store to check the size, you can also draw (as accurately as you can) around the inside of the ring, and measure the diameter of the circle. Let us know the diameter and we can convert this into the ring size. This can be less accurate so it’s good to have the size of the ring checked on a ring stick if possible.
Bear in mind that the width of the ring affects the fit and feel. If you borrow a 6mm wide ring which is a size O but you want to buy a 2mm band, the size O will likely feel too big, (or too small, if you want to buy a wider band). This will only work if the ring your borrow already fits your intended recipient!
Additionally, try and see if you can note which finger the person wears the ring you’re borrowing on. If you know the width of the ring, the finger they wear it on and the size it is, we will try to make an educated guess of the size they’ll need for a different finger. It may not be the perfect size, but we should be able to get you to the right ball park!
Sample ring:
Alternatively, we can loan you a sample ring. Let us know which ring you’d like to order and we’ll check what we have in stock that we could send you to use as a stand in. We don’t always have every design but we should be able to give you a few options to choose from. We ask for a deposit to send the sample ring to you to use for your surprise. When you know the size you need we’ll start work on your order. Then, you can swap the specially made ring for the return of the sample, thus avoiding the resizing charge. The price of the deposit we request will depend on the metal and gemstones the sample ring is made from.
What is your cancellation and returns policy?
Please see our cancellation and returns page for more information:
How long is delivery and how is my item delivered?
All of our jewellery is hand made to order. We aim to make and send your item within 4-8 weeks from the order date. If you would like the item sooner please give us a call us 01736 367254 and we may be able to accommodate you.
Justin Duance offers free delivery worldwide for standard orders. All UK jewellery orders are sent via special delivery with the Royal Mail and therefore will need to be signed for. (Items on our Sundries page will be sent via a 1st Class service unless ordered alongside an item of jewellery.) All international orders are sent via a tracked service with the Royal Mail. This takes up to 5-10 business days to arrive although it is dependent on the destination country.
Can the rings be worn as wedding rings?
Yes. We have a lot of customers who wear our rings as wedding rings. The wood in the wood inlay rings does change over the years but this gives each ring a certain amount of individuality. Each ring will change differently depending on your lifestyle, though we recommend choosing a metal harder than silver.
How long do pieces last?
We’ve designed our jewellery to last, but all materials
will suffer wear over time. Please see our Guarantees page for more information and advice.
What metals do you use?
Platinum
Titanium
22ct yellow gold
18ct white, yellow and rose gold
14ct white and yellow gold
9ct white, yellow and rose gold
Sterling silver
Can a ring be resized?
Yes, most of our rings can be resized. If you need your ring resized, please return it to us via special delivery with the Royal Mail as this is fastest and safest. Please include a note of your contact details, the details of the new size required and your return address. Our resize fee starts at £50 but resizes of complex designs or rings with engravings or set with gemstones may be more. The resize fee will cover the cost of the return postage and the work involved. Details on how to pay are in the ‘How can I pay’ section of the FAQ. If the ring is a surprise for someone and you don’t know their size you are welcome to get in touch with us to discuss the possibility of using a sample ring instead to avoid resize fee.
Please see our Sizing page for more information on getting the right size. The ‘sample rings’ FAQ contains more information on sample rings and the ‘how to guess the ring size’ FAQ will help if you have no idea of the size needed.
How do I find my ring size?
Firstly, visit your local jewellery store and measure your finger. Stores that offer a sizing service will do the best job. It’s best to try on a ring of a similar width and profile as the one you wish to order. A correctly sized ring should sit comfortably on the finger, without loosening or falling off if you’re shaking your hand. It should come off relatively easily when pulled, but not slide off instantly.
See our Sizing page for more detailed information
Can the wood inlay rings be worn in water?
Yes, you can wear all of our wood inlaid jewellery in water. We recommend wearing your wood inlay piece at all times as then the wood can adjust to your lifestyle. It may be best to take your wood inlaid jewellery off if you frequently swim in chlorinated swimming pools. This is because the chemicals in the water there can dry out the wood excessively. Therefore, we don’t recommend choosing a wood inlay ring if you have a job in a hospital or kitchen, or where frequent hand washing is required. Otherwise, normal frequencies of handwashing and wear in the shower or the sea will be no problem.
The natural oils in your skin should keep the wood hydrated. If it’s looking a bit dry you can dab it with a bit of olive oil to refresh it. It won’t need more than a couple of drops – over oiling can saturate the wood and cause it to fall out, so only oil the wood if it’s looking dry or silvery. Otherwise, the natural oils in our skin are usually enough to keep it hydrated. Please see our Jewellery Care page for more information or the Sundries page to purchase a care pack.
How strong is the wood?
The wood – metal strength relationship.
All of the different woods we use are hardwoods and are strong enough to withstand everyday life. This is especially true if they are inlaid in a metal stronger than silver. The ring in the picture below is a silver and wood ring which is over ten years old. This ring is a good example of how soft the silver is. As you can see, the silver has become rounded and worn down, and can no longer protect the wood properly.
If there was an issue with the wood inlaid in this ring, we wouldn’t be able to re-inlay it. This is because the channel it would have been inlaid in will have worn down and become too shallow to hold a new inlay. If this was to happen we would offer a discounted upgrade to titanium, which would never wear down in the same way as it’s such a durable metal, being even harder than platinum!
The wood inlay will wear a little in any ring because it changes over time, tending to darken slightly and take on a driftwood feel. These changes tend to settle after the first couple of years of wear. When the wood is worn continuously the natural oils in your skin will prevent it from drying out and cracking. If there are periods of time when it is not worn then the wood would benefit from a little oil. We use teak oil but olive oil will be fine.
The settling period:
All of our wood inlaid rings (regardless of the metal) will go through a settling period when first worn. For the first 3-6 months of wear there’s (approximately) a 10% chance of the wood cracking. This is because it will expand and contract in reaction to the wearers lifestyle and fluctuations in temperature. If the wood cracks just let us know and we’ll repair it for you straight away, free of charge. In the very unlucky instance that the wood cracks again, we’ll discuss the options with you to move forward. Often we can assume that the original piece of wood contains a flaw in the grain that we can’t see. If you like, we’ll re-inlay the ring for you instead. This does mean that the wood will need to go through the settling process again.
Once in a blue moon we have a customer who has no luck with wood inlaid rings and needs to seek an alternative to a wooden inlay. In these rare cases we offer to re-inlay the ring with silver for free (this looks particularly lovely in titanium rings). Alternatively, we can inlay any colour/carat of gold at the cost price of the metal, and carry out the work free of charge.
10 year old silver wood ring:
