Refund policy

Effective Date: June 5, 2026. Last Updated: June 5, 2026.

This Policy supersedes and replaces all prior versions of this Policy and any prior return, refund, exchange, shipping, purchase, privacy, or terms-of-service policy published by Efemera, including without limitation any version dated March 25, 2026 or earlier. This Policy applies to all Orders placed and all access to or use of the Site on or after the Effective Date. Orders placed prior to the Effective Date are governed by the policy in effect at the time of Order placement.

Refund & Return Policy

This Refund & Return Policy (the “Policy”) governs all returns, exchanges, refunds, cancellations, and post-purchase claims relating to Products sold by Efemera Jewelry through the Site. By placing an Order, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by this Policy in addition to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Shipping Policy, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any conflict between this Policy and the Terms of Service, the Terms of Service shall control except with respect to matters expressly addressed in this Policy.

1. Defined Terms

In this Policy, the following capitalized terms have the meanings set forth below. “Efemera” or “we,” “us,” or “our” means Efemera Jewelry, a New York-based business operating from New York, New York. “Site” means the website located at efemerajewelry.com, together with any related subdomains, mobile experiences, and digital storefronts operated by Efemera. “Product” or “Products” means any item of jewelry or related merchandise offered for sale by Efemera through the Site, including without limitation pieces from the Echoes and Draped in Time collections and any custom, bespoke, or made-to-size pieces. “Order” means any submitted request to purchase one or more Products through the Site. “Customer” or “you” or “your” means the individual or entity placing an Order or otherwise accessing or using the Site. Capitalized terms not defined herein have the meanings given in the Terms of Service.

2. Made-to-Order Nature; All Sales Final

Efemera Products are handcrafted to order in New York, New York. Each Product is uniquely produced for the Customer following receipt of payment and is not held in finished inventory. Standard production is typically four (4) to eight (8) weeks from Order acceptance; during peak periods (including but not limited to November through February, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day) production typically extends to eight (8) to twelve (12) weeks and may extend longer. Custom, bespoke, and made-to-size pieces may require additional time. All production timelines are non-binding estimates and not guaranteed delivery dates.

Accordingly, and except as expressly set forth in Section 5 (Damaged or Defective Arrival) or as required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract, all sales of Products are final. The following categories of Products are, without limitation, final sale and not eligible for return, refund, exchange, or store credit:

• All Products in the Echoes collection (14k yellow gold settings with freshwater pearls, moonstone, aquamarine, or African tourmaline);
• All Products in the Draped in Time collection (sterling silver with hand-painted enamel);
• All rings, including without limitation those sized, made-to-size, or otherwise modified to a Customer specification;
• All engraved, monogrammed, personalized, customized, special-order, pre-order, or bespoke Products;
• All Products marked “Final Sale,” “Archive,” “Limited,” “Sample,” or “Sale” on the Site or in checkout;
• All gift cards, e-gift cards, store credit, and merchandise credit;
• All Products purchased through promotional, sample-sale, trunk-show, charitable, or in-person events;
• All Orders shipped to addresses outside the contiguous United States; and
• All Products previously exchanged or replaced under this Policy.

3. Order Cancellation Window

Because production commences promptly after Order placement, cancellation requests may be considered only if received in writing at orders@efemerajewelry.com within twenty-four (24) hours from the time of Order placement, provided that production has not yet commenced (whichever occurs first) (the “Cancellation Window”). Cancellation requests received after the Cancellation Window may be denied in Efemera’s sole discretion. Efemera reserves the right to deny any cancellation request, including those received within the Cancellation Window, where production materials have been committed, custom components have been sourced, or other irreversible steps have been taken. Approved cancellations may be subject to a non-refundable processing charge reflecting reasonable processing, payment, design, and administrative costs actually incurred, up to fifteen percent (15%) of the Order subtotal.

4. Order Acceptance and Formation of Contract

An automated order confirmation email acknowledging receipt of an Order does not constitute Efemera’s acceptance of the Order or formation of a binding contract of sale. A binding contract is formed only upon (a) successful internal quality control approval of the finished Product at our studio and (b) dispatch of the Product to the Customer’s ship-to address. Until such time, Efemera reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without liability, to refuse, cancel, limit, or modify any Order for any reason, including but not limited to suspected fraud, payment authorization failures, suspected resale activity, suspected comparison shopping, prior chargeback history, prior return abuse, geographic restrictions, inventory or supply-chain limitations, or pricing or descriptive errors. In the event of a cancellation by Efemera under this Section, Efemera’s sole obligation shall be to refund amounts actually received by Efemera in respect of the cancelled Order, less any non-recoverable third-party processing fees and any non-recoverable production costs actually incurred, except where applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived requires a fuller refund. Efemera will use commercially reasonable efforts to make its acceptance or refusal decision within a reasonable time appropriate to the production cycle of the Product.

5. Damaged or Defective Arrival

If a Product arrives damaged, defective, or materially non-conforming to its description on the Site, Customer must notify Efemera at support@efemerajewelry.com within seven (7) calendar days from the date of delivery for visible damage or defects discoverable upon reasonable inspection, and twenty-eight (28) calendar days from the date of delivery for latent manufacturing defects not reasonably discoverable upon initial inspection (the “Damage Notice Window”). The notice must include the Order number, photographs of the Product and its packaging (interior and exterior), photographs of the shipping carton and any visible carrier damage, and a written description of the defect. Claims received after the Damage Notice Window may be denied in Efemera’s sole discretion.

Carrier-related shipping damage (including damage to the shipping carton, crushed packaging, or visible in-transit damage upon delivery) is separately governed by the Shipping Policy and must be reported within seventy-two (72) hours from the date of delivery, with photographic evidence of the damaged Product, original packaging, and shipping carton retained until the claim is resolved. Product-level defects discovered after unboxing are governed by this Section 5 and the Damage Notice Window above.

All claims under this Section are subject to inspection and validation by Efemera in its sole discretion within ten (10) business days from Efemera’s receipt of the returned Product for inspection and determination of remedy. Efemera reserves the right to require that the Product be returned for laboratory or workshop evaluation prior to issuing any remedy. Where Efemera determines, in its sole discretion, that a valid claim exists, Efemera’s remedy shall be, at Efemera’s sole election, (i) repair of the Product, (ii) replacement of the Product with an identical or substantially similar Product, (iii) refund of the purchase price actually paid for the affected Product, or (iv) such other remedy as Efemera may offer in its sole discretion, including merchandise credit or future-purchase credit. Damage arising from wear, mishandling, improper storage, exposure to chemicals, water, perfume, lotion, sweat, impact, alteration by third parties, or normal aging of natural materials (including pearl, enamel, moonstone, aquamarine, and tourmaline) is expressly excluded and shall not constitute a defect.

High-Value Pieces. For any Product with an individual pre-tax purchase price of USD $5,000.00 or greater, Efemera’s remedy for a validated damage or defect claim is limited, at Efemera’s sole election, to (i) repair of the Product or (ii) replacement of the Product with an identical or substantially similar Product; monetary refund is not available for such Products except where required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract.

6. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Carve-Out

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Carve-Out. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Policy or any incorporated policy, where the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.) applies to a Product sold to a consumer, Efemera does not disclaim, modify, or limit any implied warranty arising under applicable state law, including the implied warranty of merchantability and the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, to the extent such disclaimer, modification, or limitation is prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The remedies offered under this Policy (including repair, replacement, refund, or store credit at Efemera’s election) are intended to supplement, not displace, any non-waivable implied warranty rights. To the maximum extent permitted by law, any implied warranty that cannot be disclaimed is limited in duration to the shortest period permitted by applicable law.

7. Natural Material and Handcrafted Variation

Each Product is handcrafted from natural materials. Variations in color, tone, inclusion, surface texture, pearl shape, gemstone matrix, enamel finish, and metalwork are intrinsic to handcrafted luxury jewelry and shall not be considered defects. Monitor and on-screen color representations are approximations only and may differ from the finished Product. Such variation does not give rise to a refund, exchange, replacement, or any other claim.

8. Return Authorization and Procedure

This Policy does not grant a general right of return. Where Efemera, in its sole discretion, authorizes a return under Section 5 (Damaged or Defective Arrival) or as required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract, no Product may be returned to Efemera without prior written Return Authorization (“RA”) issued by Efemera. To request an RA, Customer must contact support@efemerajewelry.com with the Order number, the affected Product, and the basis for the request. Packages received without an RA, with an expired RA, or otherwise outside the procedures set forth in the RA instructions may be refused at the carrier or returned to sender at the Customer’s cost, and no refund or credit may be issued.

Where an RA is granted, the returned Product must satisfy all of the following conditions or the return may be rejected and the Product returned to Customer at Customer’s expense:

• Returned within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of issuance of a Return Authorization (RA) by Efemera (the “Return Window”); Products received after such window may be refused or held at Customer’s risk and expense;
• Unworn, unaltered, unused, and in original saleable condition;
• Free of any signs of wear, sizing, polishing, alteration, or third-party servicing;
• Accompanied by all original packaging, pouches, boxes, dust bags, certificates, tags, care cards, promotional gifts, and complimentary items;
• Accompanied by the original packing slip, digital order confirmation, or proof of purchase;
• Shipped via the carrier and method specified by Efemera in the RA instructions, fully insured, with signature confirmation; and
• In the case of a set, returned complete with all component pieces.

Authentication. Given the high value of the Products, Efemera reserves the right to subject any returned Product to authentication and quality-control inspection, including comparison against dispatch records, weight verification, gemstone and metal assay, and forensic review. Efemera may refuse any return and pursue all available remedies where the returned Product does not match the dispatched Product on authentication, has been substituted, has been tampered with, or otherwise raises a reasonable suspicion of swap-fraud.

Restocking Fee Carve-Out. Efemera reserves the right to assess a restocking, handling, or inspection fee of up to twenty percent (20%) of the Product price on any authorized return, EXCEPT that no restocking, handling, or inspection fee shall be assessed on (i) a return arising from a validated damage or defect claim under the Damage Notice Window, (ii) a return required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract, or (iii) a return arising from Efemera’s cancellation of the Order.

Undeliverable Returns. Returns that are refused, undeliverable, or otherwise not successfully received by Efemera may be held by the carrier or by Efemera for up to thirty (30) calendar days at Customer’s risk and expense, after which Efemera may, in its sole discretion, dispose of, donate, or otherwise handle such Product without further liability.

9. Risk of Loss; Return Shipping

For outbound shipments to Customer, risk of loss is addressed in the Shipping Policy and, where Efemera arranges insured shipping, Efemera will work in good faith with the carrier and insurer to make Customer whole for losses occurring in transit to Customer. For any authorized return, risk of loss remains with the Customer until the returned Product is received and accepted by Efemera. Customer is solely responsible for all return shipping costs, insurance, customs charges, and the risk of loss or damage in transit, unless Efemera in its sole discretion elects to provide a prepaid label. Efemera shall have no liability for returned Products that are lost, stolen, damaged, or delayed in transit, except as required by applicable mandatory law.

10. Refund Method, Timing, and Eligibility

Where a refund is approved under this Policy or as required by applicable mandatory law, the refund may be issued, in Efemera’s sole discretion, to the original payment method or by such other reasonably equivalent method as Efemera may determine. Refunds to alternate payment methods, third parties, or recipients other than the original Customer are not permitted except where required by applicable mandatory law. For Orders financed through Shop Pay Installments or other buy-now-pay-later providers, refunds are subject to the terms of the applicable financing provider, and Efemera shall not be responsible for any interest, fees, or charges assessed by such provider. Gift recipients are not eligible for cash refunds; at Efemera’s sole discretion, gift recipients may receive non-transferable merchandise credit only, valued at the original purchase price net of any discount, and only with the original purchaser’s consent where reasonably required. The original purchaser remains eligible for any refund otherwise available under this Policy.

Refunds, when issued, are processed typically five (5) to fourteen (14) business days following Efemera’s acceptance of the returned Product and approval of the refund, with additional time as may reasonably be required by Efemera, the processor, the issuing bank, or the financing provider. Efemera shall have no liability for delays attributable to the Customer’s financial institution, the processor, or any financing provider. Shipping charges, insurance fees, customs duties, taxes, and gift-wrapping fees are non-refundable except where required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract.

11. International Orders

All Orders shipped to destinations outside the contiguous United States are final sale and are not eligible for return, refund, or exchange, except where required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract. International Customers are solely responsible for all duties, import taxes, customs fees, value-added taxes, brokerage fees, and any other governmental charges assessed upon importation, all of which are non-refundable from Efemera except where required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived by contract. Efemera does not act as importer of record. Where applicable mandatory law in the destination jurisdiction provides statutory cancellation or withdrawal rights that cannot be waived, Customer must comply with the return procedures in Section 8 and bear all return shipping and customs costs to the extent permitted by such law.

12. Pricing, Promotions, and Errors

Efemera reserves the right to correct pricing, descriptive, photographic, or typographical errors at any time, including after an Order has been placed, and to cancel any affected Order without liability beyond refund of amounts actually paid. Promotional codes, discounts, and gift-with-purchase offers are subject to the conditions stated at the time of issuance, are non-transferable, may not be combined, may be revoked or modified in Efemera’s sole discretion, and may not be applied retroactively. Where a returned Product was purchased as part of a promotional bundle, gift-with-purchase, or threshold-based discount, the value of any retained promotional item or forfeited discount may be deducted from any refund.

13. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

Customers are required to contact Efemera in good faith at support@efemerajewelry.com prior to initiating a chargeback or payment dispute. Initiation of a chargeback in lieu of compliance with this Policy may, in Efemera’s sole discretion, constitute a material breach of the contract of sale and the Terms of Service. Efemera reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse future Orders from, close the account of, blacklist the payment instrument, billing address, or shipping address of, and, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and consistent with the arbitration and fee-shifting provisions of the Terms of Service, pursue recovery of costs and attorneys’ fees from, any Customer who initiates a chargeback in bad faith or in violation of this Policy.

14. Anti-Abuse; Right to Refuse Service

Efemera reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and without notice or liability, to refuse, cancel, or limit Orders; to decline returns, exchanges, or refunds; to suspend, restrict, or terminate Customer accounts; to blacklist payment instruments, billing addresses, shipping addresses, IP addresses, or devices; and to pursue all other available remedies where Efemera identifies or suspects, in its sole discretion: excessive or serial return activity; comparison-shopping behavior; resale or wholesale activity; suspected fraud, identity theft, or stolen payment instruments; misrepresentation; abuse of promotional codes; harassment of Efemera personnel; or any other conduct inconsistent with the spirit of this Policy.

15. Force Majeure

Efemera shall not be liable for, and no remedy shall be available to Customer in respect of, any delay, suspension, or non-performance arising from causes beyond Efemera’s reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, pandemics, epidemics, public health emergencies, governmental orders, war, civil unrest, terrorism, supply-chain interruption, raw-material shortages, carrier delays or failures, customs delays, labor disputes, strikes, fires, floods, earthquakes, severe weather, utility or telecommunications failures, and cyberattacks not arising from Efemera’s gross negligence (each, a “Force Majeure Event”). If a Force Majeure Event continues for more than ninety (90) consecutive calendar days following the date production was scheduled to commence or to be completed, either party may cancel the affected Order by written notice to the other, in which case Efemera’s sole obligation shall be to refund amounts actually received by Efemera in respect of the unfulfilled portion of the cancelled Order, less any non-recoverable third-party processing fees and any non-recoverable production costs actually incurred for materials sourced or work performed specifically for the Order, except where applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived requires a fuller refund.

16. Disclaimer of Warranties

Disclaimer. Except as expressly set forth in this Policy or required by applicable mandatory law that cannot be waived, all Products are provided “as-is” and “as-available,” with all faults, and Efemera disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including without limitation any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, or arising from course of dealing, trade usage, or performance. No oral or written statement by Efemera or any agent shall create a warranty. This disclaimer is subject in all respects to Section 6 (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Carve-Out) and Section 17 (Statutory Rights Preserved).

17. Statutory Rights Preserved

Statutory Rights Preserved. Nothing in this Policy is intended to exclude, restrict, modify, or waive any right or remedy that, under applicable mandatory law, cannot be excluded, restricted, modified, or waived by contract. This expressly includes, without limitation, rights available to consumers under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.), the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 435), applicable U.S. state consumer-protection, lemon-law, and implied-warranty statutes, the U.K. Consumer Rights Act 2015, the EU Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive and member-state implementations thereof, and the Australian Consumer Law. Where any provision of this Policy conflicts with such mandatory law, that provision shall apply only to the maximum extent permitted, and the balance of this Policy shall remain in full force and effect.

18. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Efemera’s total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to a Product, an Order, or this Policy shall not exceed the amount actually paid by Customer for the specific Product giving rise to the claim. In no event shall Efemera, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, or suppliers be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or opportunity, regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, tort, strict liability, or otherwise, and whether or not Efemera has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

19. Indemnification

Customer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Efemera and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to Customer’s breach of this Policy or the Terms of Service, misuse of any Product, submission of user content, violation of any third-party right, fraudulent chargeback, or violation of any applicable law.

20. Governing Law; Dispute Resolution; Arbitration

This Policy and any dispute arising out of or relating to it or to any Product or Order shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York and applicable federal law of the United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles; the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is expressly excluded. Subject to the arbitration provisions below, the parties consent to the state and federal courts located in New York County, New York for any matter not subject to arbitration under this Policy; Customer irrevocably consents to and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waives any objection based on forum non conveniens.

Informal Dispute Resolution. Prior to initiating arbitration, Customer must provide written notice of the dispute to Efemera at support@efemerajewelry.com and at the postal address set forth in Section 24. The parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute through informal negotiation for thirty (30) calendar days following Efemera’s receipt of written notice of the dispute at the addresses set forth in this Policy; this pre-arbitration negotiation requirement applies only to claims initiated by Customer.

Binding Individual Arbitration. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to a Product, Order, or this Policy that is not resolved through the foregoing informal negotiation process shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect, before a single neutral arbitrator, with the arbitration seated in New York County, New York, and governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.). Either party may bring an individual action in small claims court for any dispute within that court’s jurisdiction in lieu of arbitration.

Class Action Waiver; Jury Trial Waiver. Customer and Efemera each waive the right to participate as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, or representative proceeding, and each irrevocably waive any right to a trial by jury, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Any arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis only.

Arbitration Opt-Out. Customer may opt out of the arbitration and class-action waiver provisions of this Section by sending written notice within thirty (30) calendar days from the earlier of (i) the date Customer first accepts these Terms by any means (including by accessing or using the Site after the Effective Date), or (ii) the date Customer places a first Order on or after the Effective Date. The notice must include the Customer’s full name, address, email address, and Order number (if any), and must clearly state the intention to opt out of arbitration. Notice may be sent by email to support@efemerajewelry.com OR by postal mail to the address set forth in Section 24, with both methods accepted at the Customer’s election.

21. Modifications to this Policy

Efemera reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, amend, or replace this Policy at any time by posting an updated version on the Site at the URL where this Policy is published. Each posted version will bear a Last Updated date. The Policy in effect at the time an Order is placed shall govern that Order. Continued access to or use of the Site, or placement of a new Order, following the posting of any modification constitutes acceptance of the modified Policy.

22. Trademarks

“Efemera,” “Efemera Jewelry,” “Echoes,” and “Draped in Time” are trademarks of Efemera Jewelry, whether registered or unregistered. All rights reserved. No use of these marks is permitted without Efemera’s prior written consent.

23. Severability; Entire Agreement; No Waiver

If any provision of this Policy is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect, and the invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to render it enforceable. This Policy, together with the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Shipping Policy, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings, including without limitation any prior return, refund, or exchange policy previously published by Efemera. No failure or delay by Efemera in exercising any right under this Policy shall operate as a waiver of that right.

24. Contact

All notices, requests, and communications under this Policy (including arbitration opt-out notices and informal dispute notices) should be directed as follows:

• Returns, exchanges, damage claims, and RA requests: support@efemerajewelry.com
• Order cancellations within the Cancellation Window: orders@efemerajewelry.com
• General inquiries: hello@efemerajewelry.com
• Privacy and data-rights requests: privacy@efemerajewelry.com
• Postal mail: Efemera Jewelry, Attn: Customer Service / Legal, New York, New York, United States (specific street address available upon written request to hello@efemerajewelry.com)

Efemera Jewelry · New York, New York · United States