Birks FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Birks - Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the icon next to the questions to read the answers. What are blood diamonds or conflicted diamonds? In late fall 2006; a new movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Dijimon Hounsou will be released. The title of the movie is Blood Diamond and it tells a story of two men’s quest to locate a rare pink diamond during the 1990 Sierra Leone civil war. Other references in popular culture includes 2005 Lords of War movie, 2001 Die another day, Law & Order Soldier of fortune, 2004 Death is a diamond and Kanye West’s Diamonds from Sierra Leone. Conflict diamonds (also called blood diamonds or war diamonds) are those mined in a war zone and sold, usually clandestinely, to finance armed conflict and civil wars. In the late 90’s, warlords and rebel groups in such countries as Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone used the profit from the sale of diamonds extracted from the mines they control to purchase arms and fund civil wars. It was also demonstrated that conflicted diamonds were also used to finance terrorists’ activities. In 2000, there was an estimated 4% of all traded diamond that would be qualified as conflicted. The World Diamond Council recognized the problem and decided to address the situation by developing a strategy that would resolve the problem. In 2003, a process was formalized with the creation of an international certification scheme called the Kimberley Process. A Kimberley process certificate accompanying shipments of rough diamonds between parties would guarantee the diamonds to be conflict free. What is the Kimberley Process? The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is an agreement set-up to eliminate the trade in conflict diamonds. The process was created in response to a civil society campaign that exposed the way in which diamonds funded conflicts and demonstrated how governments, civil society and industry can work together on conflict prevention. Currently, 69 countries participating in the process have passed and implemented national laws establishing import and export controls designed to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds. The KPCS requires that each signatory country must certify all rough diamond export as conflict-free and must allow rough diamond import only from other participating countries also certified as conflict-free. The KPCS must accompany all official shipments of rough diamonds to and from participating countries. Named after the city where the agreement was signed, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was signed on April 30th, 2003. An update on the situation of Conflict diamonds Today, with substantial down-scaling of conflicts in Africa and the success of the Kimberley Process, conflict diamonds represent 0.2% of the diamonds available on the marketplace. The Birks & Mayors Diamond Policy Birks & Mayors has actively implemented measures to prevent conflict diamonds to enter into its inventory. One of the initiatives consists in notifying its vendors of the requirement to comply with the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. The jewellery manufactured by Birks & Mayors under the Birks Brand is created while following strict procedures that ensure integrity of the supply chain. Birks sources diamonds from only the most reputable purveyors or cutters who declare on their invoices that the diamonds sold have been obtained in compliance with the Kimberley process. Birks & Mayors also provides training to its sales force to increase their knowledge on the subject of conflict diamonds as well as on Birks & Mayors policy. The Birks Diamond Policy Since 1879, Birks has set the standard across Canada for quality diamonds providing meticulous grading and certification for clarity, color and proportions according to rigid international gemological standards. Birks was also among the first to support and work with the Kimberley process insuring integrity of the supply chain. Birks sources diamonds from only the most reputable purveyors or cutters who declare on their invoices that the diamonds sold have been obtained in compliance with the Kimberley process. Birks also reserves the right to audit their diamond suppliers to ascertain compliance. In May of 1999, Birks was the initiator of a programme that would provide complete tracking of Canadian diamonds and became one of the first jewellers to acquire and sell diamonds mined in Canada. Birks is also a signatory of the Voluntary Canadian Code of Conduct for Authenticating Canadian Diamond Claims. Birks uses Canadian diamonds in the creation of its bridal jewellery and solitary diamond jewellery whenever possible, as they are guaranteed to have been extracted under strict supervision, following the laws that serve to protect the diamond workforce, the mining area’s native people and environment. Birks also requires that their cutters guarantee that all purchased diamonds are natural and untreated other than polished. How do you know if Birks Diamonds are conflict-free? Birks only purchases diamonds from the most reputable purveyors or cutters who declare on their invoices that the diamonds sold have been obtained in compliance with the Kimberley process. Whenever possible, Birks favours the use of Canadian diamonds in the creation of its bridal jewellery and solitary diamond jewellery as they are guaranteed to have been extracted under strict supervision, compliant with the laws that have been developed to protect the diamond workforce, the mining area’s native people and environment. Are Canadian diamonds conflict-free? Diamonds mined in Canada are conflict-free. Canada, as a KPCS participant, passed legislation in 2002 making it illegal to import or export diamonds from non-compliant KPCS sources. Are the United States a member of the KPCS? In April 25, 2003, the US passed the Clean Diamond Trade Act that was signed into a law that would insure their participation in the KPCS. Sources: http://www.globalwitness.org http://www.amnestyusa.org How do I search through the product list? You can search through the Birks products using various category filters including occasion, product, material, stone and price. Click the filter, choose an option and then click the find arrow. Use as many filters as you need to narrow your search. Will I be charged additional tax on my purchase? All taxes are calculated automatically on the receipt. You will be able to see the exact cost of your item including all taxes before finalizing your purchase. Does Birks offer a gift-wrapping service? We offer wrapping in our signature Blue Box for all purchases. What other brands does Birks sell? The brand name products that Birks carries include: Jewellery Cavelti Vera Wang Roberto Coin Marco Bicego Writing Instruments Cartier Montblanc Giftware Royale de Champagne Hoya Waterford Pampaloni Watches Baume & Mercier Cartier Gucci Omega Longines Rado Concord Swiss Army Montblanc Tag Heuer Tissot Breitling What is the Birks Diamond Trade-up Policy? The Birks Diamond Trade-up Policy is a unique and special service that allows you to exchange your original Birks diamond for one that has a purchase price of at least 50% more than the original diamond. Birks will credit you no less than the original price paid, as long as the diamond is not damaged. If the diamond has been damaged, the amount of the credited value will be determined at the time of the exchange by one of our appraisers. Can I buy the Birks Silver Bell Box separately from the engagement ring? Unfortunately, the Birks Silver Bell Box is not sold separately from Birks diamond engagement rings. Does Birks offer a custom-design service? Our designers have always been attuned to perfection and beauty, and can create jewellery that will carry a lifetime of meaning and special memories through exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Please visit one of our Birks locations to find out more. Does Birks offer an appraisal service? Birks team of expert gemologists offer a full range of appraisal services. Simply bring the article you wish to have appraised to any of our fine jewellery associates at any Birks location. Our qualified appraisers will evaluate your jewellery and contact you by post or by email with all of the necessary details. Does Birks sell a product care line? Birks carries a silverware polishing line available in any of our 39 stores across Canada. How do I check on my Birks order? Simply click on the Birks courier link and fill in your tracking number. What are the Call Centre hours? Birks Call Centre hours are from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday. What are your store locations? Birks has 39 store locations across Canada. For a detailed list complete with addresses, please see Birks Locations. How can I have my Birks merchandise engraved? We offer a choice of hand or machine engraving. We engrave jewellery, flatware, hollowware, trophies, medals and much more. Birks provides a wide variety of services. Simply bring the article to be engraved to any of our fine jewellery associates at any Birks location, or contact us by email at info@birks.com. How can I have my Birks watch repaired? Birks offers a high-quality watch repair service. Our expert watchmakers are eminently qualified to restore your favourite timepieces. Simply bring the article to be repaired to any of our fine jewellery associates at any Birks store across Canada, or contact us by phone at 1-800-682-2622 or email. What kind of jewellery repair services does Birks offer? We offer a complete range of repair services including: Ring sizing Carat gold and platinum soldering Pearl and bead re-stringing Stone resetting Claw retipping and replacement Ring shank replacement Simply bring the article to be repaired to any of our fine jewellery associates at any Birks store across Canada or contact us at 1-800-682-2622. Does Birks trace discontinued china pattern merchandise? Birks recommends www.chinapatterns.com as a tool to search for discontinued china patterns. What are the advantages of a Birks Platinum Credit Card? Birks Platinum Credit Card provides complimentary jewellery cleaning, gift certificates on your birthday, engravings, and preview notices of all of our upcoming events. Other benefits include up to 10 months of interest-free credit, no annual fees, no transaction fees, and additional cards for family members. We offer convenient payments with low monthly minimums. Cardholders automatically receive our catalogues and advance notification of special events and feature products. Applications are available online and at all Birks locations. For additional information, please go to Birks Platinum Credit Card. What is the Birks Club Plan? On any purchase over $500 made on the Birks Platinum Credit Card, you may pay in ten interest-free monthly installments. Does Birks offer a corporate gift-giving service? Yes, Birks corporate sales is ready to assist you with all of your special business gifts, awards, and incentives needs. For more information, please click on birksrecognition.com or call one of our corporate account executives at 1-800-565-GIFT (4438). What is the Birks returns policy? Our famous Blue Box is your guarantee of satisfaction. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return it to us by mail within 30 days of your purchase in the Blue Box in saleable condition. We will exchange it, or issue a refund. If the item was received as a gift, you will be entitled to a non-refundable merchandise exchange. Purchases made from November 1 to December 31 are accepted for returns until January 31 of the following year. Special exceptions: Engraved or personalized items cannot be returned Flatware must be returned in sealed original bags What is Birks shipping policy? Birks offers express and regular delivery to anywhere in North America. For more information on, please click on Birks' shipping policy. What is Birks privacy policy? Birks is committed to protecting your privacy. Birks is the sole owner of all information collected at Birks.com. We will not disclose, trade, rent or sell information collected on this site and will inform you of how we use this information. For more details, please see Birks' privacy policy. How can I get on the Birks mailing list? Simply click on newsletter for a free subscription and get all the latest Birks events, fashion and product news. How do I notify Birks of a change of address? Please contact Birks with a change of address at info@birks.com. Where can I refer any comments or concerns I have about Birks and its website services? Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service centre with your website questions or comments at info@birks.com.

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