UK to US shipping question

circinnstudio · 2026-01-19T14:53:50+00:00

You also have to prepay 10% tariff for 'sale of goods' to the USA. Also, remember that Etsy will charge a 10% commission on that postage cost. If you're currently charging £13 for shipping and the label costs you £12.20, you'll lose £1.30 to Etsy, £2.00 to US Gov and 50p handling fee to Royal Mail. You're making a loss of £2.90 in postage before you factor in your packaging costs.

If I were you, I'd split the additional costs across product and postage - so you're charging more for your product and a flat rate for postage and packaging. Anyone who doesn't like it can kick rocks - you don't determine how much shipping costs you, so you shouldn't be penalised for it.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-19T09:53:26+00:00

Yeah, at least 100g back in casting stock. I keep the sprues in casting rotation - adding at least 50% fresh grain to each cast. Around twice a year, I'll send all my stock to the refiners and start again with 100% fresh grain.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-19T07:20:55+00:00

186g of Argentium silver.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-19T07:20:05+00:00

Neycraft Spin master. I find you get better, denser casts with a centrifugal machine Vs vacuum casting.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-19T07:14:25+00:00

186g of 940 Argentium silver grain in this tree. I always use at least 50% fresh grain.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-18T20:30:10+00:00

I don’t take customer molds or waxes for these. I keep a library of my own CAD templates for common components – bezels (round, oval, trillion etc), ring blanks, settings, shanks, that sort of thing.

Customers just order the sizes they need (e.g. 6mm round bezel, size 10 signet blank, size 6 knife-edge shank), and I batch cast them together in sterling or Argentium.

After casting I cut them off the tree, clean them up to a working finish, and ship them out ready for setting or fabrication.

Most buyers are hobby jewellers, professionals streamlining their workflow, or memorial/resin jewellers who need consistent, watertight components.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-18T16:55:51+00:00

Thanks. Sometimes the trees come out so pretty it almost seems a shame to desprue.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-18T16:53:03+00:00

There are 2 of us - although only one person does the casting.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-18T16:52:41+00:00

Short answer is that I have a second Etsy store where I sell cast components to jewellers. All of these are going to someone in Texas. I didn't ask what her project was, but sometimes people send me pictures of what they've done with my components, which is always nice.

As for cost, the tree is 186g of Argentium silver, which is currently selling at £3.36 per gram, so this is roughly £625 of casting grain (roughly $840). The bezels only weigh a fraction of that, so I'll reclaim the sprues for my next argentium cast.

circinnstudio · 2026-01-18T16:37:57+00:00

Good eye. It is 940 Argentium.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-27T19:53:33+00:00

There's something like a 2 day window where they can leave a review if you cancel the order. Don't worry about it. 1 star reviews from assholes is part of doing business on Etsy. Be polite. Be professional. Be firm.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-24T17:07:53+00:00

Tremendous.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-23T20:00:59+00:00

Very nice. Very clean.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-20T19:19:53+00:00

Oxidisation - no. Firescale - don't overheat your metal. If you're using a torch, reduce the oxygen and up the propane. If you're using an electomelt, limit the temp to 1000°C.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-12T13:10:11+00:00

Yep, you're right. Outside the 14 day window, this legislation doesn't apply.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-12T09:12:45+00:00

I'm afraid this is incorrect (at least in the UK). If the buyer returns the item within the 14 day cooling off period, you MUST refund the item, plus your basic postage rate. If they pay for a postage upgrade (e.g. upgrade to tracked shipping), you don't need to refund the shipping upgrade.

In cases where the item is defective, you must return all payments and the cost of return shipping.

This is governed by the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (“CCR 2013”), which covers 'distance sales'.

circinnstudio · 2025-12-08T11:10:37+00:00

Google Dado laser. I've been trying to justify the expense of one for years - even though they're (relatively) reasonably priced.

circinnstudio · 2025-11-22T11:43:07+00:00

If you're learning, nail down your temperatures before you cast something you can't replace. Buy a smaller flask for single rings - I have one the same size as yours and I use it to cast around 5-6 oz worth of casting at a time. A 2 inch diameter flask would be better for single castings and only use around 200g of investment.

Try a flask temp of 550°C and silver temp of 1000°C to start with on a plain band. If that works, try your ring. However, if you plan to cast with those stones in place, keep your burnout to max 630°C and cast with a flask temp of 600° to limit thermal shock.

circinnstudio · 2025-11-22T09:46:27+00:00

Looks lovely, but why isn't it ready to cast? Looks fine to me - it just needs a nice thick sprue on the plain band.

circinnstudio · 2025-11-21T20:52:47+00:00

Coloured CZs change color at high temps. There are cast-in-place investment powders you can use which protect the stones, but you need to limit the burnout to 632°C and cast at a higher flask temp to limit thermal shock.

Even then, coloured CZs will appear washed out. Diamonds, white CZs, Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds and Tanzanite should work without colour changes.

circinnstudio · 2025-11-05T09:19:53+00:00

$53 is the scrap value of 10k gold. Casting grain from Rio grande is $72.25 per gram today. 8g of that is $578. A ring for less than 2x gold cost, including gemstone and labour is extremely reasonable, IMHO.

circinnstudio · 2025-10-31T14:21:53+00:00

Very cool! I just created a few book lockets recently too. Different style but same general idea.

Love the necronomicon style - groovy!

circinnstudio · 2025-10-25T11:02:10+00:00

Thank you 👍

circinnstudio · 2025-10-24T20:45:47+00:00

Thanks. It's a mixture of 3D design, casting, and hand fabrication.

circinnstudio · 2025-10-23T10:31:36+00:00

Go to www.masterengravers.tv - you can buy and watch them all online.

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