Jewelry Designer Blog

January 10, 2012

Outstanding Customer Service and Excellent Jewelry Findings Go Together at Nina Designs!

Filed under: Customer Service — Tags: , , — @ 11:23 am

Here at Nina Designs we offer excellent jewelry findings and outstanding customer service. We always take customer feedback seriously and another way we have improved the Nina Designs experience is introducing our NEW Returns Form. This form makes the return process a breeze! It also ensures returns or exchanges are processed faster than ever. In combination with the new returns form, we have revamped our return policy. Check out our FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) page to read all the details regarding our return policy.

Fill out Returns Form, place return items in hard sided box and padded mailer.

June 23, 2011

How Core Values Support the Making of Silver Charms

Filed under: Business,Customer Service — Tags: , , — @ 10:37 am

Here at Nina Designs it is a priority not only to offer you inspiring silver charms and excellent customer service, but also to support each other as a team and challenge ourselves personally. While we’ve been doing this for 25+ years, we’ve recently decided to draft a set of meaningful core values that will guide each of us through our everyday decisions. Nina’s been reading many books on this process, and we started a book club so we could all help. Here are some of our initial thoughts.

After reading our first book, “Delivering Happiness,” by Tony Hsieh, we were most impressed by Zappos’ deceptively simple yet very meaningful list of core values that express their unique work culture and traits they would hire and fire by. Anyone who knows Zappos would recognize them by reading this list. During our book club meeting we immediately recognized that Nina Designs is similar to Zappos in one very fundamental way – we are both mail order companies. But while Zappos delivers happiness through speedy shipping and incredible customer service, we deliver inspiration through unique designs and support for women artisans and entrepreneurs.

It’s been 8 weeks since that initial meeting, and after much deliberation, we’ve drafted our core values. Here they are:

Brainstorming Session

Creativity
Creativity drives our designs, our problem solving and our approach to life.

Excellence
We design and sell excellent products. We deliver outstanding customer service.

Respect
We respect each other, our customers, our suppliers, our community and our environment. We treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves.

Teamwork
We are an upbeat team with a family spirit. We build authentic, supportive relationships through honest communication.

Initiative
We are self-motivated and responsible. We take the initiative to improve our personal performance, our products, our company and our community.

Inspiration
We deliver inspiration through our unique designs, our support for women artisans and entrepreneurs, and our progressive business model.

What do you think? Would you recognize us by this list?

May 26, 2011

A Head First Jump into the World of Jewelry Findings at Nina Designs

Filed under: Behind the Scenes,Customer Service — Tags: — @ 12:58 pm

Whether you’re experienced with jewelry findings or just stepping into the world of jewelry design like myself, the sense of exploration is thrilling. I am new to the Nina Designs team and excited to be here. Having the opportunity to work with many strong, intelligent, and creative women has been something I’ve always wanted. My experience with jewelry design is humble, having only taken a basic jewelry class in art school. Working with beads, leather cord, silver chain, clay and silver scraps to create simple pieces is as far as my jewelry design experience goes. I know my background in photography, ceramics and textiles will help mold and shape my developing jewelry designs. Every order I pull I find a new favorite Nina Designs piece to incorporate into new creations. No matter where I am in life, I am always motivated to flex my creativity in new ways. I know my supportive and creative coworkers will teach me all the tricks of the trade as I venture into a new realm.

What creative medium have you just discovered or always wanted to learn more about?

My First Necklace

May 17, 2011

A Silver Charm’s Long Journey to Your Doorstep

Filed under: Customer Service — Tags: , , — @ 11:00 am

Hello Fans of Nina Designs silver jewelry findings. My name is GA558, the small gold vermeil lotus charm, and one of Nina Designs’ all-time best sellers! Thanks to your order my journey to your doorstep has just begun. I am so excited and can’t wait to meet you!

The first leg of my adventure starts when Nina Designs receives your order in their email inbox. Anna or Marcy will check your order to make sure we have all the information we need to process it, like payment info, resale license info, and complete addresses. After your order is printed, it will go to the bottom of a (hopefully) tall pile of orders waiting to be pulled. FYI – if you choose expedited shipping I will get to you faster since your order would go to the top of the order pile, and UPS moves 3-Day, 2-Day, and Overnight requests faster too! (Just sayin’ . . . because, like I said, I can’t wait to meet you).

Next one of the dedicated Nina Designs’ girls will pull all the items in your order from the bins we are stored in. I’d like to mention I traveled all the way from Thailand where I was crafted by skilled artisans (though many of my bin buddies are from Bali), then I was entered into office inventory, and here I sit in my bin pining away, just waiting for my number to come up. So you see . . . after such a long and arduous journey, you understand why I can’t wait to continue my journey to your home where I am destined to become inspired jewelry made with your two hands! Seriously . . . can’t wait. (oh, the silver skull charms and a bunny silver charm want me to mention that they want out too. These bins are small, a little confined, and a bit crowded).

After we’re liberated from our bins, your order is double checked to make sure all the pulled items and quantities are correct. After everything is just right, your credit card is charged, or your Paypal payment is authorized. Whew . . . I’m almost outta here! Next the girls print your invoice and your shipping label. There are so many check points to getting your order correct, it’s amazing what these girls can get done in one day! Finally I am nestled safely in a box with yummy candy, and wrapped in colorful tissue paper, because I and my fellow jewelry supply buddies deserve to travel in luxury first class, baby!

Here comes Phil, our friendly UPS man! He’s come to scoop me up and send me out into the world! Hey . . . knock, knock. Who’s there? Lotus. Lotus, who? Lotus be friends!

May 6, 2011

Tiffany’s Journey into the World of Silver Charms

Filed under: Behind the Scenes,Customer Service — Tags: — @ 11:33 am

Hello, I am Tiffany, a new name and voice you have probably heard answering your phone calls regarding silver charms and findings. I am fresh to the Nina Designs team and am excited to be a part of a company led by some awesome and inspirational women. From as far back as I can remember I’ve been obsessed with fashion trends from make up to clothing to shoes and jewelry. My grandmother’s closet was my runway. Her flowing gowns, red peep toe shoes, and her jewelry box filled with vintage pearl necklaces and gemstone earrings felt like high fashion couture when I wore them.

My late grandma was a strong leader in our family, she single handedly brought herself and her seven children from the Philippines to America. When I close my eyes I imagine my grandmother in her youth with fire in her eyes, passion in her words, courage in her actions, and generosity through her touch. My grandma worked so hard to learn English, gain citizenship, and provide a life for her family so that her children and the seeds of her children could find a passion, explore in it and succeed through it. I hope that she is looking down with a big smile as she watches us blossom exceedingly. With my designs I want to tell a story of a utopia I once lived, am living, and hope to live with my family.

My big, beautiful family with grandma at center

November 24, 2010

Silver Charm Thanksgiving Bracelet

Filed under: Customer Service — Tags: , — @ 9:44 am

Here at Nina Designs our business is Silver Charms and Pendants, but our passion is beauty! November has come again, and I was just getting used to the idea that it was October, but isn’t it always that way. Time has shortened our days, increased our need for hot beverages, yummy treats and shiny packages topped ribbons and bows. Amidst the flurry of holiday preparation, it is nice to slow down, at least for a moment, and give attention to the ideals behind the traditions and treats.

Gratitude Bracelet

This is a time of giving thanks for what we have, who we are , and what we can give. A time for appreciating what is and letting go of what is not. When the job market, metals market, and much else feels out of balance, it can seem like a time to be thankful for nothing. But I think if we all just listed a few things we do have, instead of what we don’t, the perspective shift can change everything.

Professionally, I’m grateful for all of you! Without our loyal customers none of what Nina Designs does would be possible, and there wouldn’t be an office full of wonderful women for me to come to every morning. To give thanks, we are offering free ground shipping (or $7.00 off any other type of shipping you prefer) for all of our customers with coupon code: thanks! Just enter the word “thanks” (without the quotation marks) in the coupon code section on your order form. It is good for one use only, expiring at the end of December 2010.

Personally , I appreciate that I can breathe deeply (not always an option for me), that I have loving friends and family, a wonderful, kind, new husband who makes me laugh everyday, a small, usually messy home, and a stinky dog who tends to eat all our food if we don’t watch him like a hawk. In honor of all this I have a made a bracelet to remind myself in those bleaker moments of all the wonderful things I have in my life.

What are you grateful for this year? We look forward to sharing your responses and spreading the positivity!

November 19, 2010

Silver Jewelry Findings – Plan Ahead for the Holiday Season

Filed under: Customer Service — Tags: — @ 8:30 am

Have you just started planning your holiday jewelry projects only to realize that your silver jewelry findings are running low? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. We’ve answering a lot of questions regarding how quickly we can get orders out the door. Planning around holiday shipping schedules can be challenging. To make things easier you’ll find Nina Designs’ Holiday Shipping Schedule below.

NORMAL SHIP PROCESS: We process orders Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Though we try our best, depending on our order volume, your package may or may not go out the same day they are received. As long as we get them by 2pm Pacific Standard Time, expedited orders requesting UPS Overnight, UPS 2 Day, or UPS 3 Day will go out the same day they’re received. Orders requesting UPS Ground and USPS Priority are processed after expedited orders and then in the order they’re received.

Monday is always our busiest day with the order volume decreasing as the week progresses. This means that a UPS Ground order placed on Sunday may not ship until Tuesday or even Wednesday. Mondays are usually spent processing expedited shipping orders placed during the weekend. After expedited orders have been processed, we move on to UPS Ground and USPS Priority orders. Keep in mind this means any expedited orders placed on Monday might be processed before we get to a UPS ground order placed on Sunday.

HOLIDAY SHIPPING: We are currently in the middle of our busy season. Though we are processing a high volume of orders everyday, we are not able to process all orders received the same day. Also keep in mind that UPS and USPS are moving a lot more packages during holiday season.

To see details on Holiday Shipping Dates, click here: (more…)

October 6, 2010

Why you need a seller’s permit if you sell your jewelry

Filed under: Business,Customer Service — Tags: , — @ 10:28 am

If you want to buy Nina Designs jewelry components at wholesale prices to make jewelry to re-sell, then we require your state resale license. Here’s why. Most states require vendors to collect tax on sales made within that state. These states require you to obtain a resale license (different states call this document by different names) which gives you the right to make wholesale purchases and the responsibility to collect sales tax on retail sales which is then paid to the state at a later date. California requires us to charge sales tax on every retail sale that’s shipped to any address within California.

Selling your jewelry? Be sure to get your resale license.

The ONLY exception is when buyers have a valid California Seller’s Permit issued by the State Board of Equalization. This documents the buyer as a Wholesale Buyer who doesn’t have to pay tax on items they plan to re-sell. When you re-sell these items, then you as the vendor must charge tax for that retail sale and send it to the State of California. If you are a vendor who is selling your jewelry wholesale (and not retail, meaning you’re not charging or collecting sales tax), California still requires you to obtain a Seller’s Permit.

(click the link below to learn more)
(more…)

July 14, 2010

Marisa’s Introduction to the World of Jewelry Findings

Filed under: Behind the Scenes,Customer Service — Tags: , — @ 8:30 am

Hello, we may have discussed jewelry findings on the phone or sorted through silver charms at a tradeshow together, but this is our first meeting via the Nina Designs blog. As a new addition to the Nina Designs team and as a jewelry making novice, it’s been an exciting few months. From the basics of beading to the the history of the Bali bead, I’ve learned much from both my coworkers and our wonderful customers.

I’ve recently developed a greater appreciation for our Arang wood pendants. While I love the pretty Thai charms and the
delicate Javanese filigree, the depth and detail of these hand carved pieces really appeal to me. I’m especially fond of our new bear claw pendant. With such a strong, elemental centerpiece I can look as ready for an adventure as I feel!

Marisa in Japan

Some of my fondest memories from when I was a kid involve wandering busy street fairs, maybe with some garlic fries or a lemonade slushee in hand, and looking at all the jewelry stalls. I liked to see how the theme and style would change from table to table, from artisan to artisan. I got a thrill from seeing the old hippie craftsman with his pewter and glass dragons. Or the sharply dressed mom with her silver and gemstones. Even the young metal smith with wild hair and steel and leather work. It was the most eclectic band of personalities and backgrounds united by one commonality – the desire to make beautiful things.

Now, working at Nina Designs, I love the idea that I am part of the background workings for that community. Allowing others to express themselves in beautiful and creative ways always leaves me with a good feeling.

June 16, 2010

International Shipping for Nina Designs Jewelry Supplies

Filed under: Business,Customer Service — Tags: , — @ 1:31 pm

Here at Nina Designs, we believe in excellent service, including providing quality shipping options for our jewelry supplies. We have received questions from our International customers regarding International shipping rates and custom fees. Currently, US Postal Service International Express Mail is our only International Shipping method for $40.00.

Our $40 international shipping rate may be higher than some other on-line bead stores. Based on experience and customer feedback, we concluded that USPS Express Mail International is the safest and most efficient international shipping method for both our customers and our company. USPS Express Mail International has many great advantages. Packages are insured, delivery is guaranteed, the status of the package can be tracked with a tracking number, and the average number of days for delivery is 3-5 business days once it has left our facility. We have also learned from our customers that in many cases, customs fees are less expensive when shipping via USPS Express Mail International.

Some companies factor part of the shipping costs into the prices of their items. They can then offer lower shipping rates and still cover shipping costs because of the padding in their sales prices. Our items are priced as competitively as possible, without any additional padding for shipping costs.

While our past experiences using less expensive international shipping methods often resulted in seriously delayed packages, lost packages, a lengthy resolution process, and a lot of frustration, we are currently investigating other international shipping options. Our customers are important to us. We want to make sure we are providing top quality service all the way through from the initial design of an item to the receipt of your order.

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