Grading Guide and Policy/Shipping
over 3 years ago – Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 11:40:46 PM

Hey all! Now that pins have begun to reach their destinations, I wanted to post my grading guide to be clear on what is considered standard! I also want to address this since I'm getting a lot of messages on where orders might be. 

If you've been following me on Instagram or noticed in past updates, I've mentioned that I'm very swamped at the moment - while I'm hoping that this comes to an end soon, I have been working large amounts of overtime at my regular job since we experienced an unprecedented setback. I'm trying to pack and ship as quickly as possible after work, but I'm only one person and it takes a lot of time and energy! Trust me, I want to get these pins to you as much as you do - but I ask for a little bit of patience as each individual message about where each order is takes away from the time I have to do my regular work or to actually ship your orders! :) However, if it's about an error in your order or a change of address etc, as always, please feel free to contact me. 

Now onto grading! I'm pleased to say that the pins did largely come out well in my opinion, but as always, it's better to be transparent about what it means to be "standard" and "second" as it can vary from artist to artist.

Disclaimer: Since these pins are handmade and self-inspected, there may be some imperfections. I will always aim to send out the best quality of pins that I possibly can. If you believe that you have been sent the wrong pin type or that there’s a mistake in your order, please feel free to contact me.

REGULAR HARD AND SOFT ENAMEL 

Standards may or may not have imperfections such as but not limited to:

♡ Small marks, specks, bubbles, scuffs, or scratches on metal/enamel

♡ Minor screen print errors, including mild scratches or offset

♡ Small amounts of under/over fill

♡ Some overpolishing/uneven surface finish

♡ Minor metal discolorations or tarnish

Many of these flaws can only be seen in certain lighting or from certain angles, in which case they will be sent as standards. Sides/backs are not graded on standards pins unless plating is stripped in a way that can be visible from the front. Pins are not all exactly the same due to their largely hand-filled process - therefore, I do not accommodate requests for 'collector quality' as it is not an option that I offer.

NOTE ABOUT SPINEL: Due to the nature and extreme complexity of her construction, some errors are difficult to avoid and will be regarded as standard. In addition to this, the screen print on this design is of a delicate nature and does require careful handling as it rests on the bottom layer of a spinning, stacked pin. Please treat it this pin with caution as it is a large and heavy piece.

Freebie "Honorary Crystal Gem" pins are rainbow plated and will be graded more leniently as this is another volatile material!

DYED METAL (Stevonnie, Heaven and Earth Beetles)

Dyed pins naturally have more imperfections such as dust and scratches due to how they are made with epoxy; these are considered Standard. They may have:

♡ Uneven epoxy surface or overfilled epoxy

♡ Dents, dust or scratches in the epoxy

♡ Rough plating

Because of the nature of the material, dyed metal cannot be cleaned or fixed after they are made. Therefore, the grading is more lenient than regular hard enamel.

 SECONDS

  Seconds have imperfections such as but not limited to:

   ♡ Enamel with extreme overfill or underfill
   ♡ Significant tarnish, stains, or noticeable scratches in either enamel or metal
   ♡ Large gouges or holes in the metal
   ♡ Noticeably misplaced glitter
   ♡ More extreme screen printing errors such as missing printing altogether
   ♡ Missing enamel
   ♡ Extreme scuffs and missing plating on metal

   These will not be shipped.

Thanks everyone for reading this update! If you have concerns, my inbox and comment sections are open to you as always! ❤️ Hope your day is magical!

Second shipment has come in!
over 3 years ago – Sat, Nov 07, 2020 at 10:49:27 PM

More orders can go out now!

Hey y'all! As stated in my last update, I asked my second manufacturer to send what was finished to me so I could start packing orders that contained three or more pins (because I had not yet received the freebie pin), which means that if you ordered:

• Garnet and Lion
• Stevonnie
• Rupphire
• Board Fillers
• Peridot
• Baby Amethyst
• Three or more pins (which means the freebie pin is included)

Your order can now be shipped out!! Hooray!! 

What is still missing is:

• Pearl
• Volleyball
• Heaven Beetle
• Earth Beetle
• Lapis Keychain

Pearl, Volleyball, and Heaven and Earth Beetles will be remade according to the survey I took in my last update! 

If you ordered any of these pins, it will be about another month before they reach me, just an FYI! Thank all of you for your patience - I know it's been a bit of a long journey but I really want to make the best product possible and integrate everyone's feedback about them so I ask you to bear with me as I try to get the quality good enough to send out! 

If you have any questions, my inbox is open as always!

Here are some photos of the shipment, which I'm really excited about:

Update on shipping and info on remakes
over 3 years ago – Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 02:14:23 PM

Hey everyone!! Sorry for the silence, I’m very slammed at my day job right now but here’s what’s going on:

1. As previously stated in my last update, some orders are shipping, but only orders with those specific pins.

2. I’m having my second manufacturer ship what’s finished to me in a separate shipment so I can begin to ship other orders as well, so they should be on their way soon! It’s been difficult to extract information from them on what is and isn’t finished but I know that the majority should be coming my way, minus the Lapis keychain, the heaven and earth beetles, and perhaps Pearl and Volleyball.

3. I received some feedback about the heaven and earth beetle pins saying that a few of y’all were unhappy with the way they looked so I am looking into remaking them closer to the original design- this does mean that the wings would not be stained glass, but regular transparent enamel. The pearl and volleyball pins also did not quite come out as I expected (they’re a bit dark) so I am looking into remaking those as well, with regular transparent enamel and not stained glass so it can reflect the original design. I would love your opinions on them if you’d like to drop a comment! If the backers who pledged for these pins are willing to wait a bit more, I’d like to bring the best version possible to you! Please let me know what you prefer - would you rather wait for a remake closer to the original design or should I ship these as is?

Final Notices! Addresses lock today!
over 3 years ago – Wed, Sep 30, 2020 at 02:28:12 PM

In order to edit your address if needed please go to http://futurepins.backerkit.com to retrieve your survey! You will be able to edit through there and not kickstarter!

Please make sure all your info is correct as I will be prepping for early stages of shipping for the orders containing the previously mentioned pins at this time! Thanks!

Locking down shipping addresses!
over 3 years ago – Wed, Sep 23, 2020 at 12:09:47 AM

Hi everyone! We're entering the phase where orders will start shipping soon - I will be locking addresses IN ONE WEEK! I wanted to give everyone ample time to update everything as I know it's been quite a journey and some of you have changed addresses.

Please make sure to update your address by 9/28 12AM PDT! Changes after this will not be recorded!

Please note that ONLY orders with 3 items or less containing only the Diamonds, Color Changing Steven, Lapidot, The Temple,  Ruby and Sapphire Wedding Set, Spinel, and Mega Pearl will ship first! 

I have not received the other pins yet and so those orders containing 3 or more items including Garnet and Lion, Baby Amethyst, Stevonnie, Rupphire, Peridot, Heaven and Earth Beetle Set will ship later!!

If you have issues with the address update, please contact me and I will help you! Thank you for sticking with me and so happy we can soon enter the final phase of this kickstarter!