General

What's a "Xylocopa"?

We take our name from the Carpenter Bee, genus Xylocopa, one of nature's most meticulous (and pesky!) woodworkers.

About Wood

Your wooden jewelry and beads look very delicate. Are they fragile?

We use woods that are known for their sturdiness and fine grain as well as their beauty. If you treat our work with the same care and respect as any other jewelry, it will last almost forever.

How should I take care of my wooden items?

In general, common sense is good enough. Keep wood away from extreme heat and avoid excess exposure to water and other liquids. Protect the wood from sharp or scratchy objects when not in use. Polish with a soft cloth. An occasional light application of a natural oil finish will ensure that the wood keeps its luster.

I have sensitive skin or allergies. Is wood jewelry safe?

Our wood is polished to perfect smoothness and treated with a non-toxic, non-irritating natural Tung Oil finish, so it is extremely mild on skin. For most people, wood is just as safe as gold or silver. However, people with severe nut allergies may react badly to Tung Oil, since it comes from a nut; if you are one of these people, please let us know and we can use a different finish for your products. It is also possible, although exceedingly rare, to be allergic to a particular type of wood. If you find this to be the case, we will gladly make you an item that does not contain that material.

Environment

What's with all this "sustainably harvested", "all-natural", "green", "organic", "recycled" stuff?

• All our wooden products are made from sustainably harvested sources or reclaimed wood. We want to make sure that the same trees we use in our beads, jewelry, and musical instruments are around for people to appreciate hundreds of years from now. "Sustainably harvested" means that the wood in question comes from forests and farms that are carefully managed to avoid ecosystem destruction and deforestation; reclaimed wood, on the other hand, is salvaged from sources that would otherwise be discarded, such as lumber scraps, damaged antique furniture, "vintage" timber from old houses, and so on.
• We use natural, organic, and recycled products whenever possible in our work. Most of our wood products are finished with Tung Oil, a natural oil that comes from the nut of the Tung tree. It provides a beautiful glossy finish that's safe enough to eat off of. In addition to salvaged wood, we make all of our paper products with recycled paper - sometimes paper that we've personally reclaimed, like the used manila folders that make up many of our masks and jewelry boxes. Our packaging is made from recycled materials as well.
• We support local sources and small businesses - and we are one. We make all our products, from start to finish, in our studio in Tucson. Most of our suppliers are based in Tucson or the surrounding areas also; for example, all of our mesquite wood comes from a sawmill just a few miles down the road.
• We're bicycle-powered - chances are, when you order from us, your order was delivered to the post office by bicycle.

Store

What kinds of payment do you accept?

We accept all all major credit cards as well as payment through PayPal. We also accept checks and money orders but please allow us the additional time necessary to receive and clear your payment.

Is shopping with you safe?

Whenever you shop online at Xylocopa, your personal information is secured with SSL, the industry standard for encryption on the web, and the same security used by e-commerce sites everywhere. If you order by credit card, your order is billed during checkout and your credit card info is never stored on our server. We take your privacy very seriously and will never share your email address or other personal information with anyone.

Shipping Information

Currently we send all shipments by US Postal Service mail, and have many years of experience shipping items by USPS. Take a look at the delivery options during checkout for a full list of rates. If you have a street address that the postal service does not deliver to, please be sure and provide your PO Box and not your street address to avoid problems!

How long will my order take to arrive?

The short answer is, typically 1-2 weeks. We produce some of our items on-demand especially for your order, so it may take a few days before your order is ready to ship. After we ship, transit time depends on what shipping option you choose, typically 2-3 business days for priority mail, 3-5 for first class, and about a week for parcel post. However, these are not guaranteed services, so orders may occasionally take longer to reach you. Basic tracking and delivery information (USPS "delivery confirmation") will be available once your package has been shipped.

Shipping for International orders

We do ship worldwide, and we currently offer two shipping options for our international customers.

• First Class Mail International typically takes 1-2 weeks to arrive and is very inexpensive; however, it is untrackable. Once we ship an order, we can provide no information about its whereabouts. Be advised also that First Class International orders may occasionally be delayed by Customs for up to a month. This is extremely rare, but it does happen.
• Priority International is more expensive but is trackable online. It usually takes one week to arrive and is expedited through customs.

You are responsible for any VAT, import duties, handling fees, customs fees, etc. that may be charged for your international order. Please do not ask us to falsify customs forms.

Return Policy

We can only accept returns of our items within two weeks of receipt, or, in the case of orders shipped by first class mail internationally, within one month of shipment. Return shipment is the responsibility of the customer and we suggest that you use a trackable shipping method. You must obtain an RMA (contact us) before shipping a return, and we always appreciate knowing why you are returning an item- if you are dissatisfied with your purchase for any reason, we want to resolve the problem!

We cannot accept returns for custom orders - that is to say, items we have created specially for you; items with engraving, custom findings or chain length, or any other special order.

Wholesale and Bulk Orders

Do you offer wholesale pricing?

We do offer wholesale pricing on most of our items, in particular our blocks, beads, and paper goods. Please contact us for more information about your specific request.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us!