Terms and conditions for a jewellery maker

A jeweller sells small, valuable, personal items: ready-made pieces that can be returned, commissions that cannot, rings in sizes the customer guessed, and stones the customer supplied with sentimental value. The terms have to separate those situations, explain hallmarking and materials, deal with resizing and repairs, and say what happens when a customer's own stone is damaged in the setting. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Jewellery makers, designers and small jewellery brands in England and Wales selling ready-made pieces online and at fairs, taking commissions for bespoke and engagement pieces, and offering resizing and repairs, mostly to consumers.

What matters in jewellery terms

Ready-made pieces and the right to return

Ready-made jewellery bought online can be cancelled within fourteen days of receipt under regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and returned for a refund, and the terms should say how, that pierced earrings unsealed after delivery are excluded on hygiene grounds under regulation 28, and that pieces must be returned unworn in their packaging with a deduction for handling beyond inspection. Fair-stall sales are made on the premises and carry no cancellation right, and the terms should say what returns policy applies to them.

Commissions, bespoke pieces and deposits

A commissioned piece is made to the customer's specification and is excluded from the cancellation right, which the terms and the order should say before the customer commits. The terms should provide for a design approved in writing, a deposit at order (usually covering materials), stages for the balance, and that changes after approval are charged. Estimates of time depend on materials and casting and are estimates.

Sizing, resizing and measurements

Ring size is the customer's responsibility where the customer supplies it, and the terms should say so, offer a sizing service, and set the price for resizing a piece made to the customer's stated size. Some designs cannot be resized, and the terms should say that the customer is told at order. Dimensions given for necklaces and bracelets are measurements of the piece, and a piece matching them is not faulty because it is not the length the customer expected.

Materials, hallmarking and descriptions

Precious metal items are described and, where the Hallmarking Act 1973 requires it (above the weight thresholds for gold, silver, platinum and palladium), hallmarked, since describing an unhallmarked article as precious metal is an offence under that Act, and the terms should say that metal fineness, stone types and treatments are as described, that natural stones vary in colour and inclusions, that plated finishes wear with use, and that the Consumer Rights Act 2015 right to goods as described is met by the description in the listing. Care instructions supplied with the piece form part of the description of how it should be kept.

Customer-supplied stones, repairs and liability

Setting a customer's own stone carries a risk the jeweller does not control: the terms should say that the customer's stones are worked at the customer's risk as to inherent flaws, that the jeweller takes reasonable care and is liable only where damage results from its own negligence, that stones are examined and any visible defects noted before work starts, and that the customer is responsible for insuring items of value left with the jeweller. Repairs are quoted after inspection and carried out with reasonable care; the terms should say that repairs to pieces made by others carry no guarantee beyond the repair itself.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A customer ordered a ring in the wrong size and wants a free resize. Do we have to?

If the terms say size is the customer's responsibility where they supply it and state the price for resizing, no. A sizing service before the order is the way to reduce the problem.

A customer's heirloom stone cracked while we were setting it. Are we liable?

If the terms say customer stones are worked at the customer's risk as to inherent flaws, that you examined and noted the stone before work, and that you took reasonable care, the crack from a hidden flaw is the customer's risk. Damage from your own error is yours.

Can a customer cancel a commission after we have cast it?

Not if the order and terms said before they committed that bespoke pieces made to their specification cannot be cancelled once production has started. The deposit should cover the materials in any event.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a business selling made-to-order or personalised goods
• Terms and conditions for a jewellery repair and watch repair business

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.