Frequently Asked Questions

• We do not offer our services or sell to the general public.
• You must be an established business located in the United States with a valid US tax ID.
• Only established jewelry stores within the United States that have a physical retail store front qualify.
• Ship-forwarding, home addresses and non-physical address (such as a box at a UPS store) are not be accepted.
• There may be services you are wanting that we do not do. Reading through the rest of our FAQ you may realize we are not a match for what you are looking for.

Please review our Services page and the rest of this FAQ.

• It is the customer's responsibility to maintain copyright ownership.
• Specialty Casting will not infringe on a customer's design copyrights
• Specialty Casting will not knowingly rubber mold, 3D scan or cast designs that have copyright or trademarks other than those owned by the customer
• If the customer obtains a model or 3D CAD model from a 3rd-party, or rubber molds a 3rd-party item and sends us a wax, model, or used a trademarked 3rd-party logo/image, the customer is responsible for obtaining permission/licensing from any 3rd-party to reproduce the copyright or trademarked item.

Specialty Casting manufactures for companies in the jewelry industry (business-to-business) and not directly to individuals. We also primarily manufacture for jewelry stores.

We are no longer accepting 3rd party CAD files to manufacture. Casting 3rd party CAD files resulted in a large number of poorly designed models having casting issues. Too many "CAD designers" expected us to provide them free consulting of what is wrong with their CAD, then 3D print and cast again and again. Since we are not in the business of jewelry CAD consulting and modifying & repairing CAD from others, we simply decided to no longer accept 3rd party CAD files.

1. Before reaching out to us, please track your order. All orders are shipped using a shipping method that will have a tracking number. The tracking number is on the invoice you received via email. Additional emails from the courier (USPS, FedEx, UPS) may have been sent.
2. If you provided us a shipping label, the tracking number may not be on the emailed invoice. It is assumed you have the tracking number. The invoice is still emailed when the item is shipped.
3. If you did not receive any emails with a tracking number, please check your spam folder first. Also, if we do not have an email address on file for you, or it has changed, please contact us and provide us an email address for billing and shipping purposes.
4. All order are shipped with signature required. If the package was signed for and delivered, our responsibility stops at the signature. If you or an acting representative for your company did not sign for it, that is identity theft/mail fraud. Specialty Casting, LLC is not responsible for those lost items. Our insurance coverage ends once it's been signed for and delivered.
5. If there has not been a delivery attempt, and it's been 1-2 days after the expected delivery date, please let us know. We do monitor the tracking of each package, but sometimes it may be a day or two later that we check the statuses.
6. In the event of a package being lost, that was not delivered, we will evaluate filing an insurance claim and address remaking the items at that time.

Yes, if the rubber mold is good and we can shoot usable waxes from it.

Please read our Terms & Conditions - Ordering: Casting Contract Form and Terms & Agreement for more information.

• Waxes: Keep in mind that waxes can be very fragile. When packing for shipment, use plenty of soft impact-absorbent packing material around each individual piece, preventing them from moving. Pack them in small boxes within a larger box. Pack the larger box with packing material to reduce the risk of movement & breakage during shipping also.
• 3D printed (castable material) models: We no longer accept 3rd party 3D printed models, even in a castable 3D printed material.

Please print, complete and include our Terms & Conditions - Ordering: Casting Contract Form and Terms & Agreement with the items you send.

No. We have worked with many of these types of business in the past and found most hobby/weekend sellers and startups just are not a match for us. We also will no longer accept home studio/home-based businesses. You must have a physical jewelry retail storefront with proper business hours.

If you have products you would like us to manufacturer, please note that we do not manufacture for companies that only have an online presence or a startup. We manufacture for companies that are established jewelry stores with one or more physical store locations.

No. As of June 9, 2021, we are no longer accepting 3rd party CAD files. After much consideration, it was decided due to the time and money spent correcting CAD and/or providing consulting on design issues we know will be problematic to 3D print, rubber mold, cast, finish and even properly set, we would rather focus on manufacturing quality products that we stand by.

We are no longer accepting 3rd party CAD files to manufacture. Casting 3rd party CAD files resulted in a large number of poorly designed models having casting issues. Too many "CAD designers" expected us to provide them free consulting of what is wrong with their CAD, then 3D print and cast again and again. Since we are not in the business of jewelry CAD consulting and modifying & repairing CAD from others, we simply decided to no longer accept 3rd party CAD files.

To insure quality of our products, we prefer not to use old metal for casting new jewelry. This is because of the risk of impurities in the old metal that can cause pitting and other flaws in the casting.

We do accept old gold and platinum as credit towards an order. We do not accept gold plated items. After all stones are removed from an old piece, the metal is cleaned before weighing. The credit amount is based on the metal, weight, and current metal market value. Gold items that do not have their karat stamp will be credited as 10 karat gold.

If you insist on sending us gold to cast (gold only):

1. Old gold items must be gold jewelry, solid gold chain, gold coins or solid gold bars. Do not send: dental crowns, dental scrap metal or gold plated items.
2. All gold being sent for casting must include a completed and signed Contract Casting Form and Terms & Agreement PDF
3. We will cast a separate flask with your metal. There is a $50 flask fee for casting with your metal, plus the cast & clip fees.
4. We will not mix your metal with our inventory metal, due to the risk of impurities.
5. You must provide enough metal for the casting process. This usually requires 2-3 times the estimate metal weight of the piece(s) being cast.
6. If there is not enough gold sent, the job will be set aside or rejected.
7. We prefer to only cast & clip such jobs. We will not repair with the laser welder, fuse, solder, finish, set stones, etc. when casting your metal unless otherwise requested. Additional fees will apply for repairs and additional services.
8. Any remaining metal will be returned.

No. We prefer to set stones in pieces we manufacture.

No.

We are primarily a jewelry manufacturer, not a jewelry repair shop. We limit the number and type of repair jobs we do. If you are an established customer of ours, we may accept some repairs, but the type of repairs we accept must be discussed prior to sending us any jobs.

Do not send us costume jewelry or invisible setting jobs as we do not repair such items.

• If you require an estimate for a project before we begin, it must be requested up front and approved before we move forward with your project.
• Estimates are commonly provided within 1-2 business days, but at times may require longer if we are waiting for complete job requirements (or items to be received in the mail) from you that we need before we can provide an estimate.
• If requirements for custom work are incomplete (i.e. unknown finger size), undecided (i.e. customer hasn't decided on stone sizes), or there are questions regarding the requirements sent, the job is placed on hold until the job requirements are received.
• Rubber molding turnaround is within 5 business days. If we are casting a piece to use as a master for rubber molding, this time does not include casting. Casting a master model and master model cleanup can require an additional 10-15 business days. Additional pre/post-mold wax/model-preparation fees may be added.
• 3D scanning is usually 1-3 business days once the item is received
• CAD usually takes 2-6 business days. If you are providing stones, they must be provided before CAD begins. 3D renders of the CAD model are provided for approval (if required). Revisions are made prior to 3D printing. However, a 3D printed model can be sent for approval. Excessive revisions may cause delays and additional fees.
• Custom wax ring imprint/carving takes 4-10 business days. If you are providing stones, they must be provided before wax carving begins.
• 3D printing is usually 2-4 business days after the model or render is approved for manufacturing
• Manufacturing (cast and clip only) for most gold and silver orders is completed within 5-10 business days. If wanting something cast in platinum, we currently outsource casting those items. Platinum jobs require an additional 7-14 business days.
• Manufacturing (casting, polishing, assembly, stone setting, engraving) for most orders is completed within 10 to 20 business days (2-4 weeks). Larger items can have a 10 business day minimum, up to a 30 business day maximum turnaround. Platinum jobs require an additional 7-14 business days.
• Items are shipped insured FedEx Overnight or 2-day. UPS or USPS available if requested. An additional shipping handling/drop-off/pickup fee may apply.
• Larger quantity orders or larger items may require additional time.
• If an order is needed faster than our regular turnaround time, we can expedite it. Such "rush jobs" are subject to additional fees, but are put in the front of the line.

Within reason. If you have a deadline date, it must be provided when the job/order is submitted to us. There may be an added rush job fee. Each customer is treated the same and orders are processed and manufactured based upon when we receive the order and job approval date (if necessary).

Recurring phone calls, text messages and/or emails requesting order updates, job requirement changes, and changes in deadline communicated may lead to your order being delayed, canceled or even account termination.

• If you have a deadline date, it must be provided when the job/order is submitted to us.
• If a "rush job" is submitted after noon CST, the job starts the following business day.
• If a quote is required up front, we will provide it on the first business day of the rush job. There is an additional $25 rush quote fee (to get in the front of the line). The quote must be approved before we continue.
• If custom stones are being provided, stones must be provided before CAD begins.
• Depending on design requirements and time requested, rush same day CAD up to within 2 days is available. If CAD renderings required for approval, we must be informed of approval before we continue.
• Rush 3D printing is done in 1-2 days.
• Rubber molding rush turnaround is 2-4 business days
• Manufacturing:
  • Casting and finishing is 3-4 business days. Platinum casting not available for rush jobs.
  • Stone setting and any assembly is 1-3 business days.
  • Engraving is not available on rush jobs
• CAD + 3D Print + Manufacturing rush turnaround: 6-11 business days. This does not include any time waiting on customer approval of estimates, and waiting on approval based on CAD renders.
• If we have a mold of a piece already, just manufacturing rush turnaround: 3-4 business days
• Items are shipped insured FedEx Overnight or 2-day. UPS or USPS Priority/Priority Express is available upon request.

For custom projects, sending us customer stones is common. We do require that the stones be sent prior to us doing any CAD that the stones will be used in. And yes, we will remove stones from an existing mounting to use in a new project. Certain fees may apply.

Please read our Terms & Conditions - Ordering: sending your own stones for more information.

Yes. There is a customer stone fee. There will also be a disassemble/removal/tear-down fee if there are more than 20 stones to be removed from an existing mounting.

Please read our Terms & Conditions - Ordering: sending your own stones for more information.

Yes. There is customer stone fee added to the job stone setting. This fee covers a number of factors, including processing and storing stones from 3rd parties (your stone vendors or directly from you). If the stones are not the correct sizes or within the stone tolerance we require for a piece, this can cause additional work and delays on your project. This is particularly important if you send us a rubber mold/wax to cast and then we receive your stones later and the stones do not fit the physical object. In these cases (where it is not a piece we designed/created), the stones received are checked when the job is next to be set, and if they won't work in the mounting, this will delay your project. Also, if there is any stone breakage and we have to replace or have a stone re-cut, there is insurance and shipping to cover the loss. To simplify all that, there is a customer stone fee added, when the stones are not purchased from us.

We do recommend sending additional stones when supplying melee stones. If there is any breakage when setting, if extra stones are not available that match, it can delay completion.

Please read our Terms & Conditions - Ordering: sending your own stones for more information.

Yes. There will usually be a customer stone fee added to the stone setting cost. We recommend sending additional stones when supplying melee stones. If there is any breakage when setting, if extra stones are not available, it can delay completion.

Please read our Terms & Conditions - Ordering: sending your own stones for more information.

Genuine, lab created and even simulated. These will include:
amethyst, aquamarine, cameo, citrine, created alexandrite, created emerald, created ruby, created sapphire, cubic zirconia, diamond, emerald, garnet, green tourmaline, iolite, london blue topaz, moissanite, onyx, opal, pearl, peridot, pink topaz, pink tourmaline, rhodolite garnet, ruby, sapphire, swiss blue topaz, tanzanite.

Let us know if there are specific gemstones or cuts you are wanting. We don't cut or re-cut existing stones, but have the resources to have it done.

We work with specific diamond and gemstone suppliers and require a certain level of consistent quality.

• We 3D scan an existing ring to then CAD a matching shadow band or ring guard, and also to use in recreating an item.
• 3D scanning is also ideal for large gemstones or unusual shaped pearls to use in a CAD design.
• The maximum object size would be around the size of a shoe box.
• Small objects scan accuracy ~0.01mm
• Larger objects scan accuracy 0.1-0.3mm
• Shiny, semi-transparent and transparent objects are coated with a white 3D scanner spray/powder that rinses off with water.
• If just wanting us to 3D scan an item and you want the file, the output format will be an STL or OBJ file