Questions, Answered

Yes. Every piece is examined in person before it is listed, and the era, metal, stone weights and condition are described as accurately as we can determine them. Where a piece has been repaired, altered or re-set, we say so in the listing.

Antique jewelry carries its history. Small signs of a long life are expected — they are not defects.

Antique means roughly 100 years old or more. Vintage generally means 20 to 100 years old. Estate simply means previously owned — it says nothing about age, so an estate piece can be from last year or from 1890.

We wrote a longer guide to this in the Journal.

Yes. Everything we sell is sourced individually, so there is only ever one of each. When a piece sells, it is gone — we cannot reorder it.

This is why the Vault list exists: members see new arrivals before they are public.

Where a stone has independent certification, the report is named in the listing and travels with the piece. Not every stone is certified — we generally certify gems over $5,000 in value — and we never imply certification a piece does not have.

If you would like a piece independently appraised before or after purchase, tell us and we will help arrange it.

We work with expert jewelers who specialize in antique and vintage jewelry. In general, we can resize most rings, and resizing generally takes around 5 business days.

Sizing is complimentary with purchase. However, in case of a return, a $150 sizing fee will be deducted from your refund amount.

For more complex ring sizings — anything that is not a simple smooth band — the ring becomes non-refundable once resized and is a final sale. We will inform you if that is the case with your ring.

If you have questions regarding a particular ring you are looking to purchase, email us at sasha@zhivajewelry.com.

If you do not know your ring size, once an order is placed we can ship you a tool to measure yourself. If you are buying as a gift and cannot ask, we will help you choose a piece we can size after delivery.

Fingers change size with heat, cold, time of day and pregnancy. Measure at the end of the day, at room temperature.

Shipping within the United States is complimentary, fully insured, and sent signature-required. In case of a return, a $90 shipping fee is deducted from your total refund amount.

International shipping is available on request. Duties and import taxes are the responsibility of the recipient.

Within 1 to 3 business days, unless the piece is being resized, cleaned or inspected first — in which case we tell you the timeline before we begin.

You will receive tracking as soon as the parcel is handed over.

Yes, within 3 calendar days of delivery, provided it comes back unworn and in its original condition and packaging.

Contact us before sending anything back so we can arrange insured return shipping. Uninsured returns travel at your own risk.

Yes — complex resized pieces, engraved pieces and bespoke commissions are final sale, because they have been altered specifically for you and cannot be returned to their original state.

We will always confirm this with you in writing before any alteration begins.

We start with a conversation about what you want and what it is for. From there we source stones, then produce CAD drawings and 3D models for your approval before anything is made.

Nothing goes into production until you have approved the design.

That is what sourcing is. Tell us the era, stone, cut and budget you are hunting, and we search our network for it.

A sourcing fee begins the engagement and is credited toward your final piece. The current fee is listed on the Sourcing page.

Take it off before swimming, showering, cleaning, and the gym. Keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners unless we have told you a specific piece can take one — many antique stones and closed-back settings cannot.

Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Have settings checked once a year by a jeweler; century-old prongs deserve the attention.