buttonsandbow web store FAQ section

As we know Mother of Pearl Buttons are made and cut from the Mother Shell of Different Types of Sea Shells which are used predominantly for culturing Pearls. There are 5 main types of Mother of Pearls that are suitable for making into Buttons or Crafts as follows : Type 1 – Agoya (Most Economical) Standard low cost Sea Shells mainly come from China and Japan, the quality of the Japanese ones are normally better, and they have thicker shells, which makes the shell less fragile and brittle, the Chinese ones tends to be only about 1.0mm in thickness, so buttons made from these tends to brittle easy, so go for the Japanese ones. Type 2 – River (Very Standard Grade and Value for Money) They are naturally White in colour Fresh Water Shells, and we call them “Double White”, normally polished on both sides, however, some may not be, they are usually relatively strong and do not brittle easy. They come In two main colours, the Natural White, or Smoked Grey, which is an artificial process that turns them into a Grey Colour, an economical alternative to the “Black Lip” which are the more expensive ones because of it’s rarity. Type 3 – Black Lip (Relatively Expensive and very Elegant) These are Sea Shells are used for culturing “Black Pearls” because of it’s natural coloured shells, and they are very elegant, with shimmering colours shining through it’s original Blue Grey Colour, like Pinkish Aurora Bolearis vaguely shining through a Dark Background of Blue and Grey. They are strong, classy and make your clothes look very elegant and stylish, a nice set of buttons can really make your garment stand out from the rest. Having said that, they have a flatish surface, so several buttons can be cut from 1 shell. Type 4 – Trochus (Expensive and again very Classy and Elegant) These are Natural White in colour and have tiny Red or Black Patches of Colours on the reverse, which is the colour embedded in it’s shell, the front face is shimmering like no other, it glows in it’s natural beauty and having them on Shirts and Blouses definitely stand our from the rest. They are strong and difficult to make because of it’s shape (Tall and pointed at it’s end). The tall shell produces limited area in each shell to be cut into shape and produce a Flat Surface for buttons, hence rather expensive. But there again, very luxurious look. Type 5 – Abalone (The Most Expensive of them all, expecially the large size buttons (from ø20.0mm in diameter and onward). Most manufacturers avoid manufacturing them now, because of rarity of large shells and the prices have rocketed in the past couple of years. They are extremely hard and again with shimmering tints of colours shining through it’s slighty Pinkish front face, they normally have unpolished rears, and are reddish brown in colour. Majority of them the front face are uneven but very smooth, actually somewhat crooked and bent or slightly twisted, which are hard to imitate. One cannot polish it down flat as this will remove all it’s glory. Great for Cardigans, Shirts. Blouses and even Sports Jackets, giving that tough and rugged look. They are however very elegant on some clothing materials like silk, shifon and wool, giving a natural untouched feel to natural garments. The Prices of Mother of Pearls fluctuates in the market rather frequently, depending on the whether shells are available, they are also a little seasonal. The other factor that makes them pricey is their shape and the size of the shell, especially for Trochus, because of it’s shape, cutting has it’s limitation. One can only cut may be 1 to 2 large buttons from a single shell. All these are important factors on Mother of Pearl Buttons. There are now several types of Imitation (Faux) Mother of Pearl Buttons make from Nylon, Plastic and Synthetic materials, it is an economical alternative. However, if you wanted the real thing, it will cost you a little more. We hope we have been able to give you some facts and types of Mother of Pearl Buttons, enabling you to choose the right product for your most favourite garment.

A Word of Assurance on the Delivery Time given on the Product Pages Although the Product Pages states that Products Purchased “Ships within 2 business days”, our Despatch Department works throughout a 24 hours Shift, except Sunday, so the likelihood of your item being processed and despatched within 24 hours from your Purchase Date is very likely. The Delivery time for your products will most likely reach their destination sooner then specified, most often 12-14 days maximum. The estimated delivery time given on the Site of “2-3 Weeks” is catered for the worst scenario, in cases where destinations may require several transits to reach, e.g. countries that do not have direct flights from Hong Kong. It is also worth you noting that packages could also experience delays caused by Customs Clearance in your country. We sincerely hope to have your kind understanding on the matter!

We hope you love what you ordered, but in case you don’t, you can return your purchase if: Product is not the right size Product is damaged or defective Product is not as described You’re unhappy with the product How long do I have to make a return? All items must be returned according to the instructions below within 30 days. What are my refund options? Purchases that are returned according to this policy will receive: A full refund A partial refund A replacement product An exchange When will I receive my refund? Returns will be processed within 1-2 weeks of the date we receive your returned item. Return Shipping Instructions You can send your purchase back to us, at your expense. Once we receive your package, we will promptly process your return according to our policy. You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Return Instructions Purchased Goods of value over US$15.00 (Excl. Postage & Packing) are shipped via a Recorded Airmail, e-Express, ec-ship or similar Service supplied by Hong Kong Post, this can take between 12-14 working days to reach your destination. Please allow for minor delays due to extreme weather conditions, Bank Holidays etc. in the USA, UK & Hong Kong. We promise to reply all our e-mail enquiries within an 8 hour or less period to ensure our customers’ peace of mind, if we are unable to accurately answer your questions, we will notify you and inform you of a time scale whereby we can provide a more precision answer. Returns are accepted if the product is either not as described or the customer had wrongly ordered. Returns Deadline should be within 45-Days from the purchased date. Customers are responsible for the Return Postage Cost as the initial Postage & Packing Costs have been consumed by the original delivery. There are exceptions, we are just as human as you are, so e-mail us & explain your situation, our Customers Sales Support Team will consider your special case & deal with it in a professional, fair and polite manner. *NOTE : Please always e-mail us & await for our confirmation prior to returning. Always quote Order reference, e-mail, Telephone Number, with your Name & Address with Postal code. For late deliveries (after 14 days from our despatched date), please contact us immediately, we will conduct an investigation on the package. Instructions for Returned Items : Merchandise should be unused, re-packed as you received them, sent via International Signed For/Registered Airmail, providing a Tracking Number for merchandize of value over US15.00, we are asking for your cooperation on the matter and appreciate if you can handle returns the same way as we have delivered to you.

Come back weekly or bi-weekly to browse through the new products we upload ever so often, there is always something for everyone! Thank you again for your patronage.

Well, NO! That is because everything we sell on-line is FREE SHIPPING to all the designated countries which is included in our list. On every product page, you will find a link for Shipping like this : Shipping: US-Mainland: free (more destinations) Click on it to see more destinations, we are most certain that you will find your destination. If whatever reasons, you do not find it, please e-mail us at [email protected], and we will do our best to fix it for you if the destination is in our book.

We have only recently joined eCrater and we are new here, so the questions that customers have may not be in our book. So do e-mail us at [email protected] and you will hear from us within 24 hours. The question that you have raised and our answer will most likely be added to the FAQ Section to help other customers in due course. So please contribute! Thank you!

Well, Hmmmm! Our parent company have been in the eCommerce business since 2006, and we, as part of the family are also a wholesaler. The prices that we have negotiated from manufacturers are by far one of the best prices, you are most welcome to compare our prices at Amazon and eBay, and you will not be disappointed. Yes we have Built-in part of the Postage and Packing Price in the Product Costs, but really is negligible, because our parent company subsidize for the Shipping; as a matter of fact, they have been doing it for over 6 years and no sign of any changes in due course. We are interested in gaining volume from our sales rather than making money of the Postage. Please be rest assured that we are Kosher and Genuine in conducting business, the price you pay is definitely value for money, that is why we have a data base of over 250,000 customers since 2006. Many of them comes back on a regular basis to get bits and bobs, and we love them as much as we love all our new customers. However, if you find the occasional products price beyond your belief, let us know, and we will try and straighten it our with our manufacturers and suppliers.