QUESTIONS

We use advanced laser technology to capture prints in silver and gold. This produces a deep and precise engraving that absolutely will not fade or wear away, providing jewellery is treated with care. To keep your jewellery looking its best please follow our care instructions, many of which are simply common sense.

Please do not be misled by other jewellers stating impressions in silver clay are superior to engraved prints. They are referring to engraving done by entry-level mechanical engraving machines that purely mark the surface of the metal. We do not use these machines. Instead we use high spec laser engravers which literally vaporize precious metal with a highly focused laser beam. This creates a superior deep engraving, which is also highly detailed and very precise. The depth of our engravings is easily equal to the depth of an impression made in silver clay, if not deeper.

Whilst we are comparing silver clay to our jewellery, please also keep in mind that our jewellery is made from hard rolled precious metal, with the exception of our impression pieces which are traditionally foundry cast. Both these methods produce jewellery that is far stronger and more resilient than jewellery made with silver clay.

For fingerprints, providing we can see lines in your print, no matter how faint, then we will capture these clearly on the engraving. Our fingerprints are amongst the most detailed you will find, and have a depth to them that you can feel.

With hand and footprints, as these are miniaturised, only the strongest character lines in the print will remain.  However our unique techniques deliver the most detailed reproductions of hand and footprints that we have seen.

Hand and footprints can be taken from new-borns through to adults.

Fingerprints can be taken from children over six months old through to adults.

If you are wanting to create a keepsake for a new-born baby then a hand and footprint piece is the best option.

We want to give you the best possible result, so will sympathetically clean up fingerprints, hand and footprints and pawprints to ensure this, whilst remaining true to the print provided. 

When taking fingerprints from older adults it is normal for cracks to be present within the print. This is part of what makes that print unique and these cracks will also be captured in the engraving.

Fingerprints, hand and footprints and paw prints are re-sized to fit perfectly within your chosen piece.

Our unique methods mean that we rarely receive prints that can't be used, however should this occur then we will contact you to re-take your prints and will offer guidance to help you achieve a better result. We are happy to take a look at your prints prior to ordering to confirm whether they are suitable for use.

Should you not be happy with prints and wish to take more, than you can order replacement kits here.

Yes, we can usually work with prints you will already have, simply e-mail these to prints@holduponheart.co.uk – ensure you select that you will provide prints under Print Options when ordering.

We prefer not to be sent hard copies of your precious prints, and instead ask that you provide a photo or scan of them by e-mail. This removes the risk of prints being lost in the post.

Should it be necessary to provide hard copies of prints, then they will be returned to you with the finished jewellery.

We only require a teaspoon of ashes per item ordered, and will only actually use a very small amount of the ashes provided.

Any unused ashes will be returned to you, together with your completed jewellery.

We keep electronic copies of prints on file for approximately 6 months, after which point they are deleted, due to data protection requirements.

Because of this it is wise to save a copy of your prints on your own computer, so they are readily available should you wish to order further jewellery in the future.

If you wish us to use prints we hold on file for your order, please ensure you state this clearly in the Note to the Studio box when completing your personalisation requests.

Kits are dispatched within 1-2 working days of us receiving the order. All standard kits are sent by first class post.

If you are purchasing a memorial print kit, then there is the option to select next working day delivery.

Everything required to make your order, ashes, prints, artwork etc., should ideally be provided within 2 weeks of placing your order.

If this is not possible, we will allow up to 3 months from ordering for everything to be provided. If we do not have everything required to make your order within 3 months of your order date, then your order will be cancelled and a store credit created. The store credit must be used within 24 months of the order date. We regret that no store credits or orders older than 24 months can be fulfilled.

Should you take longer than 2 weeks to provide prints or ashes etc., then you should keep the following in mind:

1) the current making time will be applied to your order, which may differ to the making time stated when your order was placed.

2.) an additional charge may apply, should our making costs have risen substantially. In this situation you will be given the choice of paying the additional cost, or cancelling the order with a refund or store credit at the managements discretion, minus the cost of any print kits provided.

We always e-mail to confirm that we have received your prints or ashes and to confirm the anticipated making time. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail within 3 days of returning your prints then please check your junk folder before contacting us, as often our e-mails end up there! If this doesn't solve the issue then please do get in touch to check your prints have arrived safely.

Yes this is possible, simply let us know when returning your prints or ashes.

Please do not rely on previous email or telephone correspondence prior to placing your order. We absolutely require any amendments to be clearly stated at the same time as prints or ashes are returned.

Once we receive your prints or ashes, we will not be able to accept any further alterations to your order.

Certainly. We keep electronic copies of prints on file for approximately 6 months and can use these to make further items for you.

Your jewellery will essentially be the same as that pictured in the product listing. However you should understand that each individuals prints and ashes are unique, and in this respect your jewellery will also be unique.

Our jewellery is handmade and unique. We do our utmost to ensure consistency but there will inevitably be subtle differences between pieces, which should be embraced as part of our jewellery's charm.

If you already have jewellery from us and want to create a copy, then please provide a photo of your original piece when ordering, and we will recreate this as closely as possible. If you do not provide a photo then your jewellery will be made in line with the current product photo and product description.

Making times vary from product to product. The estimate making times for each product can be found on the product page under the 'delivery' tab.

All making times begin from when we receive usable prints/ashes/artwork in the studio. 

All our products are bespoke and made to order by a single talented goldsmith and a small team of helpers. This means our making times can vary according to workload.

In particular, at busy times such as Christmas and Father's Day, you may need to allow longer.

Should you be hoping to receive your order for a special date then let us know when placing your order. Wherever possible, we will do our best to help.

We will e-mail when your order is ready to be dispatched.

UK orders are be sent by Royal Mail. During checkout, you will be given the option to choose between Standard Delivery (2-4 days) or Special Delivery (next working day).

Orders over £50 in value will need to be signed for. If you are out then a card will be left with details of how you can re-arrange delivery.

International orders will be sent by courier. Delivery times will vary depending on location and courier service used.

At present we can deliver our jewellery to customers based in the United States of America, Canada and Australia, as well as customers based in the UK, including Northern Ireland. International customers should be aware that delivery of their order may take an additional 1-2 weeks from dispatch, and that they will be liable for any custom duties or tax arising from importing jewellery into their country.

Regretfully, due to the export, tax and accounting complications created by Brexit, we remain unable to deliver to Europe.

Due to hand made nature of our products, we are unable to offer a significantly faster making time. However the quality of our beautiful jewellery will be worth the wait.

Should you hope to receive your order under the advertised estimated making time, then let us know when returning your prints, ashes or artwork. Wherever possible we will do our best to help, or will advise if we think this unlikely.

Please check your jewellery carefully upon receipt and in the unlikely event of a fault, notify us of this within 7 days of delivery. The item should then be returned to us so we can rectify the fault asap. The item should be sent using an appropriate Royal Mail service and your return postage costs will be refunded.

Should your jewellery require repair within the first 12 months from purchase then we will repair the item for free, however you will need to bear the cost of returning the item for repair.

Please note that this guarantee does not extend to general wear and tear, such as a dents, scratches or worn leather. Nor does it extend to jewellery which has been lost or which has clearly suffered mis-use or inappropriate force.

In most cases we will be able to help repair jewellery made by us at a very reasonable cost - get in touch.

We do not offer a repair service for jewellery purchased elsewhere.

If leather is worn daily it will inevitably show signs of wear. To prolong the life of leather jewellery, avoid exposure to extremes of temperature, water, lotions and perfumes.

If your leather bracelet begins to look tired, we offer a replacement bracelet service here.

Handmade silver and gold jewellery requires care to keep it looking it's best. Detailed care instructions can be found here.

We provide a complimentary anti-tarnish polish cloth with each order, which should be used each time you wear your jewellery to prevent tarnish from forming. You will need to replace the polish cloth from time to time - we recommend Town Talk silver or gold polish cloths, which can be purchased from us, or are widely available elsewhere.

Precious metal, particularly silver, is subject to tarnish. Tarnish is not a sign of silver being poor quality, but simply a chemical reaction between silver, moisture and sulphides, present in the air and on your skin.

Mass produced jewellery is often coated in various chemicals to provide a temporary barrier against tarnish. This barrier wears away after time, creating an illusion that the jewellery only tarnishes after a long period of time. Hand made jewellery is not coated in these chemicals, so you will need to clean your jewellery from the beginning.

The good news is that tarnish can easily be prevented, and it can also easily be removed. It's best to prevent tarnish getting a grip by gently cleaning your jewellery with an anti-tarnish polish cloth after each wear. We provide you with a complimentary anti-tarnish polish cloth to get you going, but this cloth will need replacing from time to time.

You should also store your jewellery in the box provided, which has been specifically made with materials that don't cause tarnish.

If a piece has become very discoloured then the simplest solution is to use a silver polish cream or silver dip at home. If you are struggling to return the shine to tarnished jewellery we offer a clean and re-polish service.

More information about caring for your jewellery, plus replacement cleaning products, can be found here.