Frequently Asked Questions

The Earth's Honesty — Are these crystals real?

Yes. Every bead is stone — cut from mineral and polished, not glass, not resin, not a print.

Real stone carries its own marks: a vein, a fine crack, a colour that runs a little deeper in one bead than the next. That is not a defect. That is the shape it grew into, and we leave it where it is.

No two strands are identical, because the stones are not. If you want to know exactly which stones are in the strand you are looking at, write to us — we will tell you, name by name.

And if you ever want it checked by someone independent, take it to a jeweller or a gemologist. We will not argue with them.

The Little Guardian — What is that small creature on the strand?

That is a Pixiu — said roughly “pee-shoo”. In the old Chinese telling it is a guardian beast that gathers and keeps: it holds on to what comes to it, and does not let it leak away.

On the strand it is the one carved piece. Everything else is a bead; this is the stone that was shaped.

It sits at the end as the closing note. The beads carry the meaning, and the Pixiu carries them for you.

Some people buy it for fortune. Some simply like that something on their wrist is looking outward. Both are good reasons. Neither needs to be explained to anyone.

The Soul's Calling — How do I choose?

Try not to start with your eyes.

Start with our reading — a few questions, about a minute. It does not ask what you want. It asks where you are right now. At the end you will see one stone, and whether it is the one you expected is the interesting part.

Take the reading →

Or choose by reading. The five letters are written to five different kinds of tired. Whichever one makes you stop is probably yours.

Still torn between two? Tell us both, and what your days are like. We will tell you honestly which one we would put on you.

The Measure of a Fingertip — What size do I need?

Three bead sizes. Inches are easier to picture:

  • 8mm — fits 6.1"–6.5" (15.5–16.5 cm)
  • 10mm — fits 6.5"–6.9" (16.5–17.5 cm)
  • 12mm — fits 6.9"–7.7" (17.5–19.5 cm)

How to measure: a soft tape around the narrowest part, just below the wrist bone. Close to the skin, not squeezing — tight enough that one finger cannot slip under it. No tape? A strip of paper, mark it, hold it against a ruler.

Three ways people get it wrong:

  • Measuring loosely — it adds 1–2 cm.
  • Measuring above the wrist bone instead of below it.
  • Measuring a strand pulled open. That is its stretched length, not its real one.

How they feel: 8mm sits close, 10mm a little loose, 12mm looser still — on a slim wrist it will slide. Going from 8mm to 10mm is a matter of feel; 12mm is the actual size up.

Still unsure? Send us your wrist measurement and we will pick for you. If it turns out wrong, the size exchange is free — as long as the piece is unworn and in its original packaging. You do not have to explain anything.

The Value of Honesty — Why is each piece priced differently?

Three things decide the price: which stones are in it, how large the beads are, and how hard it was to find a good one among many.

Clear material and cloudy material are not the same material, and they are not the same price. A good 12mm bead is far harder to find than an 8mm one — a 12mm strand needs fewer beads, but each one has to be better.

Our three sizes are $99, $129 and $149. The same stones at a different size cost a different amount, and we would rather show you that than hide it in a range.

Behind the Strand — Are you a US company?

Yes. jeravales is registered in the United States, and everything that governs an order here — shipping, returns, privacy — is written into this site, not into a paragraph somewhere else.

The honest split: the company is American, and the stones are cut and strung in Asia. That is the reason for 13–20 days, and part of the reason the price is what it is. We would rather you had both halves than half of it.

If you need something in writing — a policy, an invoice, a registration — write to us and we will send it.

Ordering, delivery & returns

Love Across Oceans — Why 13–20 days?

An honest word first: our workshop is in Asia, and once you order, your parcel ships from there. So it is slower than a warehouse in the States. We would rather say that up front — a wait you can picture is easier than a wait you have to guess at.

  • Handling: 1–3 business days
  • Transit: about 13–20 business days
  • Shipping: free

This is an estimate, not a promised date. Weather, customs and peak season can all add time, and those are not in our hands. If something runs late, we will tell you before you have to ask.

The Quiet Stretch — Will I get tracking?

Yes. A tracking number reaches your email when the parcel leaves — usually within 1–3 business days of your order. It can take a few hours before it starts to move.

One thing you should expect: somewhere in the middle, the tracking can go quiet for several days. The parcel is between countries, and there is very little to see in that stretch. It is not lost. It is moving.

If it has been quiet for more than ten days, write to us with your order number. We will go and find it.

Nothing Hidden — Is there anything else to pay? What about duties?

Shipping is free, and the customs handling fee is on us. Neither will be charged to you again.

United States: import duties are covered by us too. If customs asks you for a payment on delivery, send us the receipt and we will refund it.

Everywhere else: there may be import duty. The parcel comes from outside your country, so customs may ask the recipient for a tax or a clearance fee. Whether they do, and how much, depends on local rules — we cannot work it out in advance, and we would rather not give you a number that sounds pleasant and turns out to be wrong.

Not sure how your country handles it? Write to us before you order. We will tell you everything we know.

The Last Step — How do I pay, and is it safe?

Checkout runs on Shopify — the same system a large part of the internet's shops run on. You can pay by card, Shop Pay, PayPal, or Google Pay.

Card details go straight to the payment processor. We never see them, and we never store them. There is no card number sitting in our inbox.

And you are covered twice: once by your card or PayPal, and once by our 30-day return policy.

Before It Leaves — Can I change my address or cancel an order?

Usually, yes — and the sooner the better.

Write to us at hello@gojeravales.com with your order number. If the parcel has not left yet, we can change the address, or cancel and refund you in full.

Once it is with the carrier we can no longer pull it back. We can still ask them to redirect it — it does not always work, and it can add time. If it cannot be redirected, we will not leave you holding it alone: write to us and we will work out what happens next.

A Quiet Understanding — Can I return or exchange?

Yes. Within 30 days of delivery you can return, exchange, or ask for a refund.

If it is on our side — arrived damaged, wrong piece, wrong size, something missing — send us a photo. We will sort it out. You choose: a full refund, or a partial refund and you keep the piece as it is. Nothing to explain, and nothing to send back. A photo is enough.

If the size is simply wrong — send it back unworn and in its original packaging and we refund it in full. We cannot send a second piece before the first one reaches us, so this is a refund, not a swap.

If you changed your mind — write to us within the same 30 days. One condition: unworn, in its original packaging, box and pouch both. The piece comes back to us first, return shipping on your side. Once it arrives and is checked, we refund 80% to your card and 20% as store credit — together, the full amount — within 7–10 business days. We will email you the return address as soon as we agree on it.

If it has already been worn, or the packaging is gone, write to us anyway. We look at these one at a time rather than turn you away.

Write to hello@gojeravales.com with your order number. We reply within 1–2 business days.

The Moment of Awakening — How does it arrive?

In a linen box, with a velvet pouch inside. The letter for your stone goes in with it.

It is meant to be opened slowly — set it down, open the lid, take your time.

If it is a gift, tell us when you order: we will leave any price out, and add a short note in your words.

Wearing & care

The Monthly Rest — How do I care for it?

A soft dry cloth is enough, most of the time.

  • Take it off before a shower, a swim, or a bath.
  • Keep perfume, lotion, hairspray and household cleaners away from it.
  • Store it lying flat.
  • Put it on by rolling it over your hand — never pull a stretched strand onto your wrist.

One stone needs its own line: malachite, which is in THE REBIRTH. It cannot take water, sweat or perfume — dry cloth only, and it is happiest not resting against skin for long hours. It is the one stone among the five strands that is cared for differently, so we say it on its own.

A crystal is stone, and stone lasts. Give it a little attention and it stays with you longer.

The First Drop — Can I wear it in water?

Better not — and here is why. Water does not hurt the stones much, but over months it wears the elastic down, and a stretched strand sits differently on the wrist.

So: showers, swimming, washing dishes, the gym — take it off. A splash is nothing. A habit is what wears it out.

And malachite, in THE REBIRTH, is the exception that does not bend: no water at all.

A Companion Through the Years — Will it fade?

The colour is in the stone. It will not rub off on your wrist, flake, or turn silver where it touches your skin the way plating does.

What does change is the shine. Skin oils and dust settle into the surface and it starts to look tired rather than old. A dry cloth brings it back.

Keep it out of long spells of direct sun and away from strong heat. That is the whole of it.

Against the Skin — Is there any metal? Could it irritate my skin?

No metal. No clasp, no chain, no plating — the strand is stone beads and one carved stone Pixiu, on an elastic cord.

So there is nothing to turn your skin green, and no nickel to react to. If cheap jewellery has irritated you before, that reaction was almost always the metal. There is none here.

One thing worth saying: if you know you are sensitive to elastic cord, tell us before you order and we will tell you exactly what ours is made of.

The Guardian's Gaze — Which wrist, and which way should the Pixiu face?

Wear it on the wrist you use least — for most people, the left. It is the hand that does less work, so the stones take less knocking.

The Pixiu faces outward, toward your little finger. In the tradition it is watching the door, not you.

There is no wrong answer here. Some people turn it inward on purpose — to keep what they already have, rather than call more in. If that is your reason, wear it that way.

The Resonance of Frequency — Does a crystal really have energy?

Less a source of energy than a reminder.

One thing said plainly first: what you are wearing is a bracelet. It will not act for you, it is not medicine, and it cannot do anything a doctor does. We would rather put that at the front.

But many people find that once it is on, it works more like a small pause — you catch it in the middle of a busy day and remember how you meant to live. That is not something the stone gave you. It was already yours.

All we did was put it on your wrist, so you would not forget.

Still not sure?

Write to hello@gojeravales.com. A person reads it, not a form. You will hear back within 1–2 business days.