Refund policy

RETURNS AND REFUND POLICY

This policy applies to purchases made from THE BLACK ALCHEMY / SARL NUAN-C. Applicable rights may vary depending on the customer’s country of residence and the delivery destination.

1. IN-STOCK CREATIONS PURCHASED ONLINE — FRANCE AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

In accordance with the applicable provisions of the French Consumer Code, where the right of withdrawal applies, consumers have 14 days from receipt of their order to notify us of their decision to withdraw from the purchase.

The product must then be returned within the statutory time limit, in its original condition, unworn, undamaged, and accompanied by all original items, packaging, presentation boxes and accessories, where applicable.

The direct cost of returning the product shall be borne by the customer.

Following receipt and inspection of the creation, the refund will be processed in accordance with applicable law, including the initial standard delivery charges where such charges are legally required to be refunded.

Any additional costs resulting from the customer’s express choice of a delivery method more expensive than the standard delivery method offered will not be refunded.

The customer may be held liable, in accordance with applicable law, for any diminished value resulting from handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and proper functioning of the creation.

2. CUSTOMISED, MADE-TO-ORDER OR BESPOKE CREATIONS

In accordance with Article L221-28, 3° of the French Consumer Code, the right of withdrawal does not apply, in particular, to goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised, including customised, made-to-order or bespoke creations purchased online or in-store.

Bespoke, made-to-order or personalised creations are therefore not eligible for return or refund.

Creations that may be considered personalised include, in particular, pieces made specifically according to the customer’s choices or specifications, such as dimensions, size, engraving, specific choice of stone or metal, modification of an existing design, or an original bespoke creation.

Depending on the creation, its materials and technical feasibility, THE BLACK ALCHEMY may, at its discretion, offer a modification, resizing, exchange or store credit. Such solutions are considered on a case-by-case basis.

The consumer’s rights in the event of a defective or non-conforming product remain applicable.

3. INTERNATIONAL ORDERS OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

For orders shipped to countries outside the European Economic Area, returns and refunds are subject to this policy.

THE BLACK ALCHEMY does not automatically extend the 14-day European Union right of withdrawal to international orders placed from outside the EEA.

Any return request based on a change of mind must first be submitted to THE BLACK ALCHEMY and expressly approved before the item is shipped back.

Where a return is accepted, the creation must be returned unworn, unaltered, undamaged and in its original condition, together with its presentation box and any documents or accessories originally supplied.

The costs and risks associated with return shipping shall be borne by the customer, except where otherwise required by mandatory applicable law or where the return results from an error attributable to THE BLACK ALCHEMY.

Costs Associated with International Orders

Costs incurred by THE BLACK ALCHEMY in connection with the order that cannot be recovered may be excluded from the refund or deducted from the amount refunded.

These may include, but are not limited to:

– initial international shipping costs;
– any additional transportation costs incurred;
– customs duties and import taxes paid or advanced by THE BLACK ALCHEMY on behalf of the recipient;
– customs clearance, brokerage or administrative fees charged by the carrier;
– any duties, taxes or charges incurred when the merchandise is returned to France;
– where permitted by applicable law and where the customer has been informed in advance, reasonable handling or restocking fees.

THE BLACK ALCHEMY cannot refund customs duties, taxes or charges paid to a government authority, carrier or intermediary where those amounts are not refunded to THE BLACK ALCHEMY.

The final amount of any refund will be determined and communicated following receipt and inspection of the creation and after determining any non-recoverable costs associated with the original order and its return.

4. DAMAGED, DEFECTIVE OR NON-CONFORMING PRODUCTS

Any claim that a creation is damaged, defective or non-conforming must be reported to us as soon as reasonably possible after receipt and must be accompanied by sufficiently detailed photographs allowing us to identify both the creation and the alleged issue.

Depending on the nature of the claim, THE BLACK ALCHEMY may require the creation to be returned for inspection before determining the appropriate resolution.

No refund based on an alleged defect or non-conformity will be determined until THE BLACK ALCHEMY has been given a reasonable opportunity to examine the creation concerned.

An assessment or opinion provided by a third-party professional does not remove the requirement to return the creation to THE BLACK ALCHEMY where our own inspection is necessary to process the claim.

This procedure does not limit any mandatory rights available to consumers under applicable law.

THIRD-PARTY APPRAISAL, EXAMINATION OR INTERVENTION

Any creation that is the subject of a return request, refund request or claim must be kept in the exact condition in which it was received and must not be entrusted to any jeweller, goldsmith, appraiser, expert or other third party before THE BLACK ALCHEMY has had the opportunity to examine it.

Entrusting the creation to a third party for an appraisal, analysis, examination, handling or any other intervention, even where no intentional alteration of the jewellery is made, may render the creation ineligible for any commercial return, exchange or refund.

As THE BLACK ALCHEMY has no control over the conditions under which the creation may have been handled, examined, transported or stored by such third party, we cannot guarantee its condition after it has been entrusted to them, nor can we accept responsibility for any damage, scratching, impact, dropping, alteration or handling of a stone, setting or any other part of the creation that may occur in connection with such third-party examination or intervention.

Any technical intervention performed by a third party — including polishing, cleaning, resizing, soldering, repair, stone setting, stone removal, removal or replacement of a stone, or any modification to the creation — will render the creation ineligible for any commercial return or refund, unless THE BLACK ALCHEMY has provided prior written authorisation.

In the event of a claim, the customer must therefore contact THE BLACK ALCHEMY first and allow us the opportunity to examine the creation before entrusting it to any third party.

Any opinion, appraisal, assessment or diagnosis issued by a third party does not replace an examination by THE BLACK ALCHEMY and is not binding upon THE BLACK ALCHEMY as to its findings or conclusions.

These provisions do not affect any mandatory statutory rights or warranties available to consumers under applicable law.

5. CONDITION OF RETURNED CREATIONS

Every returned creation will be inspected upon receipt.

It must be returned with all of its original components and, except where the claim specifically concerns an alleged defect, in the condition in which it was received.

Any intervention, repair, polishing, resizing, stone setting, loosening or replacement of a stone, modification or alteration performed by the customer or a third party prior to return may make it impossible to establish the creation’s original condition and may be taken into consideration when assessing the claim, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

We therefore recommend contacting THE BLACK ALCHEMY before allowing any jeweller or other third-party professional to perform any intervention on the creation.

6. RETURN SHIPPING COSTS AND RISKS

Where return shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility, the customer is responsible for arranging and paying for the return shipment.

Given the nature and value of our creations, we require the use of a secure, tracked shipping service with sufficient insurance to cover the full value of the creation.

THE BLACK ALCHEMY cannot be held responsible for the loss, theft or damage of a return shipment arranged by the customer before it has been effectively delivered to our premises, subject to any mandatory provisions of applicable law.

International return shipments must, where applicable, be clearly declared as “RETURNED GOODS / RETURN TO SELLER” in order to avoid the unjustified assessment of additional duties and taxes.

Any charges, duties or taxes resulting from an incorrect or incomplete customs declaration made in connection with a return may, to the extent permitted by law, be deducted from the refund.

7. PROCESSING OF REFUNDS

Where a refund is due, it will be processed following receipt and inspection of the creation and within the time limits required by applicable law.

Refunds will be made to the original payment method unless otherwise agreed or technically impossible.

For international returns outside the EEA that are accepted by THE BLACK ALCHEMY as a commercial accommodation and do not arise from a statutory right of withdrawal or mandatory warranty, the refund may be reduced by the non-recoverable costs specified in this policy.

8. RESIZING POLICY

If your ring size is incorrect, resizing may be available under the following conditions:

Time limit: the ring must be returned within 30 days of receipt of your order.

Condition: the ring must be returned in its original condition.

Estimated timeframe: 3 to 4 weeks.

We offer one complimentary resizing within the above period where the creation can technically be resized. Any subsequent resizing will be charged.

In order to preserve the integrity of the creation, size adjustments are generally limited to -3 / +3 sizes.

Technical Possibilities

18k gold creations: Yes.

Silver creations without set stones: Yes.

Silver creations set with diamonds: Yes, subject to technical feasibility.

Vermeil creations: No.

9. RETURN ADDRESS

All returns must be notified to THE BLACK ALCHEMY in advance.

THE BLACK ALCHEMY
SARL NUAN-C
8 rue de la Bombarde
69005 Lyon
France
+33 (0)7 87 26 14 71

For returns from France, we recommend using a tracked shipping service requiring signature upon delivery.

For international returns, the carrier and shipping arrangements must be appropriate for the value of the creation and the applicable customs requirements.