Terms of commission

These terms apply when you commission a piece from Maison Medina, a jewellery atelier in Victoria, British Columbia. They are written to be read once, before you commit, rather than referred to afterwards.

1. Beginning a commission

An enquiry commits neither of us to anything. We will talk about what you have in mind, what is possible, and roughly what it would cost. A commission begins only when you have accepted a written quotation and paid the deposit set out in it.

2. Quotations

A quotation is valid for thirty days and is given in Canadian dollars. It covers the piece as described in it and nothing else.

Stone prices move. Where a quotation depends on a stone we have not yet secured, we will say so in it, and we will not proceed at a higher price without telling you first and waiting for your answer.

3. Payment

A deposit of fifty per cent is payable before work begins, and the balance before the finished piece is despatched or collected. We do not begin cutting, casting or setting until the deposit has cleared, and we do not release a piece until the balance has.

The deposit is applied to the price of the piece. Where it is refundable, and where it is not, is set out in section 10.

4. Materials you supply

You may ask us to work with a stone or a piece of your own. We will examine it and tell you honestly what we think can be done with it.

Older stones and settings carry stresses and inclusions that are not always visible, and some cannot survive being reset. We will tell you before we begin if we think there is a real risk. If you ask us to proceed anyway, we do so on the understanding that we are not responsible for damage arising from the condition of the material itself, but we remain responsible for our own workmanship.

While your material is with us it is insured against loss or damage in our care, to its agreed value. Please tell us that value in writing before you send anything.

5. How a commission proceeds

Work moves through design, stone selection, and making. You can follow it in your account, where each step is recorded as it happens, along with photographs and any documents.

6. Approvals

At certain points we will ask you to approve something: a design, a stone, or the finished piece. Work does not continue until you have. Nothing moves forward on an assumption.

An approval is recorded against your commission with the date and time and who gave it, and that record cannot be altered afterwards by either of us. It is what we both rely on if there is ever a disagreement about what was agreed.

Take the time you need. If something is not right, say so. Asking for a change at this stage costs nothing, and that is exactly what the stage is for.

7. Changes after approval

Once you have approved something, we order stones and begin work against it. A change after that point is not free, and sometimes it is not possible: a cast ring cannot be uncast, and a stone cut to a specification cannot be uncut.

If you ask for a change after approval we will tell you, before doing anything, what it will cost and what it will do to the timeline. You decide from there. We will not carry out chargeable work you have not agreed to.

8. Timelines

Any date we give is an estimate made in good faith. Bespoke work depends on stones being found, on approvals coming back, and on the piece being right, and we would rather be late than deliver something we are not happy with.

If a date matters to you, such as an anniversary or a proposal, tell us at the start, and we will say plainly whether it is achievable before you commit.

9. Bespoke pieces are made for you

A commissioned piece is made to your specification and approved by you at each stage. It cannot be resold, and for that reason it is not returnable and the price is not refundable once the piece is finished.

That does not limit your rights where a piece is faulty, is not as described, or does not match what you approved. In those cases we will put it right (see section 12), and nothing in these terms removes a right you have under British Columbia law.

10. Cancellation

You may cancel at any time by telling us in writing. What is refundable depends on how far the work has gone:

Before any design work: the deposit is refunded in full.
During design, before you approve one: the deposit is refunded less the design work done to that point, which we will itemise.
After you approve a design or a stone: the deposit is not refundable, because stones have been bought and work has begun. Any stone or material you supplied is returned to you.
Once the piece is finished: the full price is payable.

If we cancel (because we cannot source what the piece needs, or cannot make it to a standard we are willing to put our name to), you are refunded in full, including the deposit, and your materials are returned to you.

11. Delivery

We despatch by insured, tracked courier, or you may collect in person by arrangement. The carrier and tracking number are recorded against your commission when the piece is sent.

Risk passes to you on delivery, not on despatch. Until the piece is in your hands it is insured by us. Please check it on arrival and tell us promptly if anything is wrong.

12. Workmanship and aftercare

We guarantee our workmanship for two years: if a setting fails, a solder gives, or a finish is faulty, we repair it at no charge.

The guarantee does not cover ordinary wear, accidental damage, loss, or work done to the piece by somebody else. We will always tell you what we think happened and quote for the repair.

Cleaning and checking are free for the life of the piece. Bring it in, or send it to us.

13. Designs

The piece is yours. The drawings, models and photographs we make along the way remain ours.

We may show a finished piece in our own portfolio. If you would rather we did not, tell us and we will not. No reason needed, and it will never affect how we treat the commission.

14. Your account

Keep your password to yourself and tell us if you think somebody else has it. What we hold and for how long is in the privacy notice.

15. Liability

Our liability in connection with a commission is limited to the price paid for it, except where the law does not allow that limit, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, and for fraud.

Nothing here limits any right you have under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act or the Sale of Goods Act.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of British Columbia, and the courts of British Columbia have jurisdiction. If something goes wrong, please talk to us first. Most things are fixable in a conversation.

17. Changes

We may update these terms. The terms that apply to your commission are the ones in force when you accepted the quotation, and we will not change them partway through.

18. Contact

Maison Medina, Victoria, British Columbia. bonjour@maisonmedina.ca.