Our history, our policies and frequently asked questions
History of New Stone Age
New Stone Age was founded in 1982 by Fran Ayres and Susan Skinner. Fran and Susan met while working at the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum, and their shared love of unique, handcrafted artifacts inspired them to open up a boutique showcasing the work of American craftspeople. The name of the store pays homage to the Neolithic Era, when technological advances and an improved quality of life inspired humans to make a prolific amount of art - everything from pottery to frescoes to jewelry. In 1990, Susan moved to New Mexico to focus on her jewelry line, Fibula Studio, and Fran became the sole owner. Over the years, Fran has filled the store with treasures from around the world, many of them handmade and one-of-a-kind. She also curates a collection of fine jewelry, with a focus on local and independent designers. New Stone Age is often described as a cabinet of curiosities; every inch of the store is filled to the brim with beautiful and unusual artifacts, presenting a modern take on the Victorian Wunderkammer. The online version of New Stone Age, launched in 2013, brings the store's aesthetic sense of wonder to the virtual world.
From 1982...
... to the present! As you can see, we moved two doors away during the early '90s to a bigger space, but we've remained on the wonderful West Third Street since the beginning.
Policies
We accept direct payment online with all major credit cards, via Stripe, a safe, secure encrypted shopping cart service that has partnered with Big Cartel to offer seamless checkout. For more info about Stripe,
click here
. If you are a customer based in California, you will be charged the state sales tax, which is currently 9%. After your payment is processed, the charge will display on your statement as billed to Neolithic Inc., which is our business name.
We ship all of our fine jewelry via UPS Ground, which arrives within 1 to 5 business days. Everything else in the store is shipped via USPS Priority Mail, which arrives within 1 to 3 business days. We ship these items in Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. Orders will ship within 5 business days of payment. We offer a built-in discounted shipping rate for orders containing multiple items, and we try to combine items in one box whenever possible. We insure all shipped items in case of loss or damage. Please double check your shipping address before finalizing your payment, as we require a $20 redirect fee if the item needs to be reshipped. Also, please double check that your email address is correct, as this is the only way we can contact you about your order. Your receipt will be emailed to you along with a tracking number for your shipment. If you receive a damaged shipment, please photograph the damage and email or phone us immediately, no later than 24 hours after receiving it. We will process damaged orders on a case-by-case basis. If you need to cancel your order, please do so immediately by calling or emailing us, so that we don't ship it.
Merchandise can be returned within 14 days, for exchange or store credit ONLY. The item must be returned in its original sellable condition, unworn and with any packaging intact. Shipping charges are non-refundable, and it is the responsibility of the customer to send back the item. You can opt to return the item in person to the store, in which case you won't have to pay for return shipping. One-of-a-kind, vintage and sale items are non-returnable. If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, please call us and let us know what you would like to exchange it for. If you choose to take store credit instead, we will mail you a certificate of credit. The credit is valid for six months after the date it is given to you, and can be used online and in the store. To use the credit towards an online item, please telephone us at (323) 658-5969 so we can process the order. To use the credit in-store, please have the mailed certificate present with you at the time of purchase. If you receive a damaged item in the mail, please photograph the damage and contact us by email or phone immediately. Damaged orders will be processed on a case-by-case basis.
- Gift Certificates and Store Credit
You may use a gift certificate or a store credit received either in-store or from an online transaction towards anything online or in the store. As of January 2017, each gift certificate we issue has a unique code on it that can be used in the online store. To use a store credit online, please
contact us
and send us a photo or scan of your store credit invoice.
All of the items we list online, including our jewelry, reflect our current in-store stock of merchandise. Because we have a single brick-and-mortar location, we do not order our jewelry in bulk, and often only have the more common ring sizes in stock. In most cases, we can place an order for a specific ring size with the designer; to initiate this process, please
contact us
and let us know your ring size. In some cases, the price of the ring may be greater than the price listed on the website, if the ring is larger and requires more precious metals or gemstones to make. If you believe a necklace or bracelet is going to be too large or too small for you, we can often request a shorter or longer chain from the designer. Again, this is on a case-by-case basis, and may incur an additional cost. Requests for custom chain lengths may also be initiated
via email
.
All orders are securely processed via Stripe, a data encrypted service that does not share customers' personal information or bank account information. We will never share your email address, home address or other personal information with anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do you ship internationally?
At this time, we only ship domestically, within the United States.
If you accidentally place an order, please contact us immediately at (323) 658-5969 or via our
contact form
so that we do not ship your order.
- I want to buy one of your rings, but I don't see it in my size. Can I order one in my size?
Because we are a small independent store, we have a limited selection of ring sizes in stock. In most cases, we can place an order with the designer for a ring in your size. Please
contact us
to initiate this process. We require payment up front, just as we would if the item was in stock. Please note that if you are ordering a ring in a larger size, there may be a price increase to reflect the use of additional precious metals or gemstones by the designer.
- How do I find out my ring size?
If you don't know your ring size, the best way to find out is to visit a local jeweler and ask to be sized. Make sure the number you receive is a standard US ring size. You can also visit
this website
for helpful ring sizing tips. Please note that we are only responsible for sending the ring size you order, and not for determining your ring size.
- How do I know if an item is in stock?
We do our absolute best to make sure everything that is listed as in stock on the website is actually in stock. Because we are also a physical store, there may be the rare occasion in which an item will sell out in the store before we have the chance to mark it as sold out online. In the event that this occurs, we will contact you immediately to let you know, and will either cancel your order or change it to a pre-order until we can restock the item.
- Can I request a shorter/longer chain when ordering a necklace or bracelet?
If you are concerned that a necklace or bracelet might not fit you, we may be able to have our designers adjust the length. Whether or not this is possible depends on the designer's policies and the style of the piece. Call us at (323) 658-5969 and we will let you know. The price of the item may change depending on the additional material used.
- Do you offer gift wrapping?
We ship all of our jewelry in gift boxes tied with ribbon. We wrap all other items in standard packaging material - bubble wrap, packing peanuts and newsprint - as our primary concern is getting these items to you in undamaged condition. We recycle our packaging material from items we receive, and we try to use biodegradable and reusable materials whenever possible.
- I'm going to be in Los Angeles in the next few days. Can I pick up my order from the store?
Yes, come and pay us a visit! If you plan on picking up your online order, simply enter the code LOCALPICKUP in the discount box at checkout, and the shipping cost will be subtracted from your order.
At this time, we only ship via UPS Ground or USPS Priority Mail, so please plan on ordering your item at least seven days before you will need it. During busy holiday times, please order your items as early as possible, as we will most likely be processing a greater volume of online sales.
- Do you require a signature upon delivery?
Packages shipped via UPS containing fine jewelry usually require a signature, so please make sure someone is home to receive your package on the day it is scheduled to arrive.
- Why don't you list all of your in-store items online?
Those of you who have visited our brick-and-mortar store know that we have quite an extensive collection of items for sale. We would love to be able to list all of them online, and perhaps at a future date we will be able to do so. At this time, we are offering a more limited online selection, as some of our items are too impractical or costly to ship and we simply don't have time to photograph and list all our thousands of treasures.
- Who's your cutest employee?
It's a tie! Without question, the award for cutest employee is shared between our two furriest workers, who each do a fabulous job of greeting, sniffing and cuddling customers. Allow us to introduce our two shop dogs, Lita and Charley!
Lita the Paperanian (half Pomeranian, half Papillon) puppy, loves the color pink, chicken with rice, and the cool spot underneath our vintage green shelving unit, where she can be found on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Charley, who is a charmingly scruffy terrier-poodle mix, loves almond butter, sticking his nose in bushes, and giving Lita (his crush) big sloppy kisses. Look for him in the store window, pretending to be merchandise, on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.
