What is "Special Instructions"?
On the Cart screen, before the Checkout screen, there is a Special Instructions section. Please use this space to let us know about jewelry preferences and special mounting requests. Don't like gold jewelry? Put it in Special Instructions. Don't like skull shaped pearls? Put it in Special Instructions. And so on.
Please send all other friendly comments and such to contact@bluepearlstudio.ca so as not to crowd our invoices and increase order processing efficiency! :)
What is the "Upcoming Order List"?
The Upcoming Order List is a nightly post on our Facebook page. The list consists of numbers and names. The numbers are customer order numbers. An asterisk * is added to an order that has multiple orders grouped into one opening time slot. We do this order grouping to increase opening efficiency as well as saving on your shipping costs.
What is a "Choices E-mail"?
After your opening has been posted, email your final choices to:
Please include your name, order number, which pearl you’re referring to and the jewelry or mounting choice you would like.
If you want to add jewelry for a pearl you already own from your opening, let us know in your choices email and we can help with that too.
Once your final choices have been sent to Dillon for mounting, changes can no longer be made, so please make sure everything is how you want it before submitting.
Please wait at least until your order number appears on the Upcoming Order List before sending in a choices e-mail.
How long do I have to make my choice?
Please send us your jewelry choices within 10 days of your opening.
If we have not received your choices after 10 days, we may select an appropriate mounting for your pearls so we can complete and ship your order.
This helps us keep finished orders moving and prevents pearls from getting stuck in the Choices pile indefinitely.
When should I send in my jewelry preferences?
There is a Special Instructions section on the Cart page for jewelry preferences. If you must send us an e-mail regarding jewelry preferences, please wait until you see your name appear on the Upcoming Order List. The Upcoming Order List can be found on our Facebook page and it gets updated nightly.
Can I place a jewelry-only order after my opening?
Yes! Please specify this when you place your jewelry-only order, in the Special Instructions section on the Cart screen. We will invoice you for the jewelry only (less the cost of the oysters that normally come with it) and can mount pearls from your opening on the jewelry.
Can I pre-order or reserve sold-out jewelry?
No. Jewelry is first come, first served. We often announce jewelry re-stocks in our daily update videos. If an out-of-stock setting has caught your eye, just keep checking back to see when it re-stocks!
Openings and Schedule
How will I know when it's almost my turn?
Keep an eye on our Upcoming Order List on Facebook. Your name and order number will appear as we get closer to your opening. Once your opening is complete, your videos will be posted on Facebook and TikTok under your name.
Can I miss my opening?
Nope! All of our recorded openings are posted to Facebook and TikTok. Facebook Live celebrations are saved and posted to Facebook only. You can watch whenever it works for you.
How do I find all the videos from an opening?
Look for the customer’s name on the videos we've uploaded to Facebook and TikTok. Some orders take more than one video, and the videos from that opening are posted using the same name so you can follow along.
Do you have a regular opening schedule?
We don’t have fixed opening hours. Our days include opening oysters, mounting jewelry, packing orders, answering emails, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything moving. Watch our social pages for updates and upcoming orders.
Adding to an Order
Can I add to an order I’ve already placed?
Yes! Place another order through the website. Additional orders placed within 48 hours of your original order will be combined. If you can leave your original order number in the Special Instructions section on the cart page, it will help us match everything up.
When will the extra shipping be refunded on my combined order?
Orders are reviewed for being combined only when they show up on the Upcoming Order List. If your order is eligible for combination, it is at this time that the extra shipping charge will be refunded.
I used a different email address or payment method. Can my orders still be combined?
Yes. We match orders using the first and last name on them, so a different email address or payment method does not automatically prevent eligible orders from being combined. Please always use the same first and last name wherever possible.
What happens if my second order is outside the 48-hour window? Will I lose my original spot?
No. Your original order keeps its place. Orders outside the 48-hour order combination window are not automatically combined into the same opening. You can ask us to hold your completed first order until a later order is ready, so they can be shipped together. Let us know in the choices email you send to choices@bluepearlstudio.ca that you'd like the order held until a later date.
Is combining shipping the same as combining my openings?
Not exactly. If you've placed multiple orders, all orders within 48 hours of your first order will be combined in the opening video for that first order. All orders combined in this 48 hour window will get their extra shipping refunded once the first order appears on the Upcoming Orders List.
Additionally, you can request in your choices email that we hold your opened order to combine shipping with upcoming openings that are outside the 48 hour window. Combining shipping in this way does not move a later order ahead in the opening queue.
I forgot to include a preference. When should I tell you?
Please try your best to write your preferences in the Special Instructions section on the Cart screen. It helps us keep everything in the right place and reduces overhead of sifting through e-mails.
If you have forgotten to include your preferences in the Special Instructions section, please wait until your name and order number appears on the Upcoming Orders List and include your preferences in your choices email.
Jewelry Choices and Mounting
When and where do I send my jewelry choices?
Once your order has been opened, send your jewelry choices and mounting instructions to choices@bluepearlstudio.ca. Tell us which pearls you would like paired with which pieces.
Can I wait until I see my pearls before choosing additional jewelry?
Yes. After your opening, tell us which pearls you would like mounted and which available jewelry pieces you would like. We can invoice you for the additional jewelry, with the cost adjusted for the pearl you have already purchased. Jewelry availability still applies.
Do I have to pay for my pearl again when I add jewelry?
No! That pearl is already yours. When we invoice you for additional jewelry to mount it on, we deduct the applicable pearl cost rather than charging you for the same pearl twice.
My opening is finished. Why hasn’t my order shipped yet?
An opening is one step in completing your order. If jewelry in your order requires a pearl choice from you, we need that information before finishing your order. The jewelry in your order may also be waiting to be mounted by our jewellers, which needs to happen before your order can make its way to packing and shipping. If you have requested that your order be held and shipped with an upcoming order, the upcoming order will need to be completed and both will ship together.
Will an Edison pearl fit in a regular mystery cage?
Our regular mystery cages are intended for standard-sized round pearls; Edisons do not fit those cages. We have specific Edison cages for Edison pearls.
Can I upgrade my mystery cages to a sterling silver cage?
Yes! We offer a four-for-one upgrade: four standard mystery cages can be exchanged for one sterling silver cage. Ask about this when sending your choices so we can discuss the available designs.
Can I choose the exact colour of the pearl before it is revealed?
No. The pearl colour is part of the surprise. We do not offer an unrestricted selection of specific loose pearls to choose from before your opening. You can share preferences, but they are not a guarantee of the pearl you will receive—the pearlie gods get a say too!
Shipping and Checkout
How much will shipping and tax cost?
The website calculates shipping and applicable taxes for your individual order. Add your items and enter your delivery details at checkout to see the amount before completing your purchase.
I received tracking, but has my package actually left yet?
Tracking information is sent to you as soon as we print the shipping label for your order. We still need to stick the label to your package and take the package to the post office! If you watch your tracking, it will show when the package has made its way into the postal system.
I moved after placing my order. What should I do?
Contact us as soon as possible with an e-mail to contact@bluepearlstudio.ca with your order number and complete updated shipping address so we can check and update the details for your order.
Why might a Facebook price look different from the website price?
An older Facebook advertisement may show an earlier price. Also check whether the prices you are comparing are in the same currency. Use the current website listing and checkout to review the price before placing your order.
What should I do if checkout won’t work?
First, check that the items in your cart are still in stock. If the problem continues, contact us with a screenshot of the error message so we can investigate. Please leave payment-card details and other sensitive information out of the screenshot.
Birthday and Celebration Lives
Can I arrange a birthday or celebration live?
Yes! Include the Birthday/Celebration Live add-on with your order, then email us at contact@bluepearlstudio.ca to arrange the celebration. Plan around six weeks ahead where possible, and have us confirm the date and arrangements with you.
Can I add more orders to an arranged celebration live?
For an arranged celebration live, additional orders can generally be added until about one week before the event. Email us when you place an additional order so we can include it in the live package and review any duplicate shipping charges.
Pearls
Are the pearls real?
Yes! Our pearls are real cultured freshwater pearls. They are grown inside freshwater mollusks and coated naturally with layers of nacre, which gives pearls their beautiful lustre and depth.
Are the colours natural or dyed?
We offer both natural-coloured and colour-enhanced pearls. Freshwater pearls naturally occur in shades such as white, cream, peach, pink and lavender, while many of the brighter blues, greens, reds, purples and other vibrant colours are colour-enhanced.
Either way, the pearl itself is still a real cultured freshwater pearl.
Why doesn't my pearl look exactly like it did on camera?
Pearls can look surprisingly different depending on lighting, camera settings, your phone or computer screen, and the light around you at home.
Pearls also have natural overtones that shift as they move. A pearl that looks blue on camera may show hints of green, purple or silver in person. That changing colour is part of what makes pearls so beautiful.
What are the marks or imperfections on my pearl?
Real pearls are created by nature, so small bumps, rings, dimples, ridges or variations in the surface are completely normal.
These are called growth characteristics and are part of what makes each pearl unique. A perfectly smooth pearl is much less common than one with a little personality!
What's the difference between round, button, rice, Edison, coin and baroque?
Round: The classic pearl shape, as close to spherical as nature gives us.
Button: Round on top with a flatter bottom, almost like a little dome or button.
Rice: Longer and narrower, with a shape similar to a grain of rice.
Edison: A larger freshwater pearl, usually around 9–14 mm, known for its size, lustre and beautiful colours.
Coin: A flatter, disc-like pearl that gives you a larger surface to show off colour and lustre.
Baroque: The wonderfully weird ones! Baroque pearls have irregular, free-form shapes, and no two are exactly alike.
Can I choose my exact colour?
No. The Pearly Gods are in charge of colour!
You’re welcome to tell us the colours you love when your order reaches the Upcoming Orders List, but we cannot guarantee, choose or swap pearls for a specific colour.
The surprise is part of the adventure.