Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are your diamonds certified?

A. We certify all diamonds over 25 points or 0.25 carats. However we will gladly certify a smaller diamond if you asked us! Our diamonds are independently certified by an internationally recognized gem testing laboratory like GIA, HRD, or ANCHORCERT and this certificate accompanies the diamond at the time of delivery or will be delivered up to two weeks after you receive your ring. This simply reflects the amount of time it takes for suppliers to get the certificate to us. We ship the ring out ahead of time to ensure you get it as soon as possible.

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Q. Why are your prices so low?

A. We had our own retail shop for 17 years but we closed it down because the rent and business rates made it impossible to offer great prices to our customers. Now we have far lower overhead and sell straight from our workshop passing the benefits on to you. Please check out "our workshop" for a behind the scenes look at how your rings are made.

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Q. There seems to be an error on your website. What should I do?

A. Please e-mail us at [email protected] and we will solve the problem as soon as we can.

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Q. My payment has not been accepted. What can I do?

A. Sometimes payments are not accepted due to minor details such as the address being slightly off, typos, or credit company errors. Please call or email us and we will assist you in placing your order.

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Q. What is the difference in quality of the stones, gems, metals and craftsmanship of your products in comparison to Tiffany's, for example?

A. Tiffany and Co. is a first class retail store but metal quality is the same for all hallmarked jewelry as there is are US and international uniform standards to be met with stringent legal requirements. All our solitaire engagement rings have certified diamonds and you can choose your quality online from the very highest available. Our diamond setter sets stones for the best London and American stores. But we don't pay London's West End or New York City's Diamond District rents! And you don't pay their prices! Also, it should be noted that we base our standard diamond pricing on a minimum diamond quality of H color (white/near-colorless) which is two grades whiter than other big online merchants; along with a minimum clarity of Si2 (slightly included) all for better prices and excellent service.

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Q. What are the benefits of buying online from Kodega?

A. We have spent over nine years building our range of wedding and engagement rings so that you may choose from the largest collection of wedding and engagement rings online and view far more than you would find in a shop. Prices are instantly calculated for any metal, stone size or diamond quality. You choose every aspect of your ring, building it as you go.  Our diamond color quality starts out two grades whiter than the largest online retailers' diamonds for the same price, but we maintain our low prices which are often 50% lower than the retail store jewelers.  A normal retail mall shop would probably have to phone their head office if you wanted a price for anything other than what is in the store. Retail stores do not normally know the quality of their diamonds and only a minority are certified, usually at a hefty premium. ALL of our solitaire engagement rings come with a certified diamond certificate from an internationally renowned gemological laboratory. If this wasn't enough, our Custom Ring Design fabrication service proves that we are on the leading edge of the jewelry industry and committed to getting you what you really want to be wearing on your finger.

Combine all this with the genuine personal service from a family business and you can't go wrong.

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Q. I am spending a lot of money and I am concerned that we may not like the ring(s) when we receive them, what can we do if we do not like them?

A. We have a no hassle return policy but we always offer the opportunity to exchange the item for something you prefer and refund or charge any price difference from the original order.

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Q. What happens if the size of the ring(s) is the wrong size?

A. We usually charge $30 to cover this service, which includes shipping, handling, & insurance for the return shipment to you.

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Q. The surprise may be ruined if my girlfriend finds the package in the mail, what can I do?

A. We can send the item to your place of work but we never put our name on the package as we do not want to attract attention to the valuable contents of the package. All items are sent fully insured and have to be signed for.

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Q. We would like to meet you and see the rings before we buy them, is this possible?

A. No, as of yet we are an internet only business in the US, we are not currently set up to meet the demands of a physical retail store which would greatly increase our costs. This is also in the interests of providing security for the office. Please take advantage of our Custom Ring Design Services.

If you are going to be in the UK for any reason, you could also visit our stand at one of the National Wedding Shows held at the Birmingham NEC or in London at either Olympia or Earls Court. Please call us and we will be happy to meet you at a specific time at the show to discuss your requirements. Also we can bring things to the show you that we would not normally have, like a particular ring mount. Our wedding shows in the U.S.A. are yet to be announced, but coming soon!

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Q. How do I know you are buying non-conflict ethical products ?

A. We follow the highest standards of the DTC principles, these principles are designed to ensure that best practices are observed within the gem industry at an international level. If you would like further information on this please click here

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Q. Can you guarantee the price is cheaper on your site than any other?

A. We don't guarantee that we are the cheapest as we sell quality products with a personal service. However, on an exact apples to apples basis we will give you a refund of double the difference between our price and any retail store's if claimed within 14 days of receipt. (Sales and promotions excluded)

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Q. Can you guarantee the quality of the ring is the same standard as other jewelers?

A. All of our rings are hallmarked and all of our solitaire engagement rings come with diamond certificates from GIA, HRD, or ANCHORCERT. These are completely independent indicators & organizations that are internationally recognized as providing exacting standards for consumer protection and quality assurance.

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Q. Part of buying the wedding rings is trying them on and browsing isn't it?

A. Yes, we realize that customers like to try on different rings so that's why we offer our 30 Day Returns Policy, free ring gauges, and hi-tech website.

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Q. What happens if my ring(s) get lost during shipment either when we are sending them back for resizing or when you are sending them to us?

A. You must send all jewelry insured and with a delivery confirmation receipt. For shipments containing items worth more than $500, this means shipping by U.S. Postal Service's Priority Mail or First-Class Mail delivery using Insured Mail for items worth up to $5,000; or Registered Mail for items worth up to $25,000 and state the insurance value when you hand it over.

Please ensure you have insurance, tracking information & a delivery confirmation receipt for your shipment as we will not be held responsible for lost packages shipped to us. We do the same when sending jewelry and in the event of a loss a claim can be made with USPS.

For items worth under $500, FedEx or UPS will also insure and ship your package as well.

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Q. What discounts or special offers do you offer?

A. Due to our no hassle returns guarantee we always have a number of completely new rings and items of jewelry which have been exchanged. These are always put into our wedding ring special offers section which are further discounted off of our already low prices, as we try not to carry too much stock.

Please see our special offers section for great deals on engagement rings, wedding rings, eternity rings, and jewelry accessories.

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Q. Which finger does the rings traditionally go on?

A. Wedding and engagement rings go on the left hand, second finger from the left.

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Q. What order does the engagement ring and wedding ring go on the finger?

A. Traditionally the wedding ring goes on the finger first and then the engagement ring goes on next.

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Q. I do not usually wear jewelry, I do not know what might suit me and I am worried it will irritate me when I am wearing it, what should I do?

A. This is a worry for a lot of people, especially men and there are a few things you could consider. You could try flatter styles of rings so that they do not push into the other fingers like our 'double comfort' rings for example which were originally designed with men in mind but have proved popular with women as well.

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Q. I have no idea what my girlfriend likes can you give me some tips on how to find out?

A. Look at what rings and jewelry she normally wears, is it dainty, chunky sparkly, what kind of shape is the band? wide, small and thin, what type of metal i.e. yellow gold or white metal, etc. Take notes but be tactful. Ask a close but trusted friend of hers to help you choose. If she usually wears white gold or silver then white gold or platinum would be the usual choices for an engagement ring. If she usually wears yellow gold then it is normal to go with yellow gold. If she does not wear rings, don't worry you could find out what her favorite earrings or necklace are and choose something that goes with these. There are numerous ways to secretly find out her ring size, this may include seeing which of her friends has the same size finger as her, trying her ring on your fingers to see which one it fits or where on your finger it fits. Also, her girlfriends should be an excellent source of information for her jewelry preferences.

Or you could go shopping together, and take mental notes on what she is pointing out. If you are still concerned you could always wait until you have proposed and choose together.

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Q. How much should we spend on an engagement ring?

A. Traditionally it has been two months' salary but at the end of the day, it's entirely up to you.

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Q. How much should we spend on wedding rings?

A. This is obviously completely down to you, and your budget. The metal you choose for an engagement ring will determine the metal for your wedding ring as they should be the same so that they wear evenly against each other. We aim to provide you with the highest quality at great prices so we hope that you can get more for your money through our services.

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Q. How can I be sure that the wedding ring will match the engagement ring?

A. Sometimes wedding rings have to be specially made to fit against the engagement ring. This is something we can do in our workshop. But we also have a range of ready-made shaped rings that are of the most common shapes requested.

If you do not get it right the first time the ring can be resized for a small fee or exchanged for a different style.

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Q. Can we get matching or similar rings?

A. Yes, you could choose rings that look similar in the width of the band, profile, setting of the stone(s), metal type, finish, etc. Or you could pick out rings specifically designed to be matching "his and hers" rings.

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Q. What is the ring weight?

A. Each ring has an estimated weight associated with it. We have provided this to help you compare rings against others.

Many companies sell cheaper rings, but on the whole this is because they are lighter in weight. The lighter they are, the less metal used in the ring itself. So choose carefully!

 

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Q. Are your rings with wooden inlays suitable to be worn every day as wedding rings?

The vast majority of our customers have worn their wooden inlay rings every day since their weddings with no problems. If you choose to wear a ring with a wooden inlay as a wedding ring, please follow the advice below. As we can not monitor whether or not people follow this advice, we regret that we cannot accept responsibility for any deterioration in the wooden inlay after three months from when we dispatch the ring. We can, however, replace the inlay for a charge equivalent to the cost to us. We will not make any exceptions to this three-month limit.

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Q. How should I look after my wooden inlay ring?

If the ring gets wet, the best thing to do is to keep it on while it dries. The natural oils on your finger will moisten the wood and keep it from cracking. Every now and then – as often as you can - you should rub linseed oil into the wood. If you don't have any linseed oil, then simple kitchen olive oil should do the job.

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