Shop Policies

Your jewelry expresses your unique style and shows the world a glimpse of who you are. Jewelry has the power to transform — to make us feel beautiful, powerful, sentimental, or simply like ourselves again.

Purchasing a piece of fine jewelry, whether for yourself or as a gift, isn't a decision made lightly. We understand the thought that goes into finding the right piece, at the right budget, for the right moment. Here at The Fancy Rat, we're committed to helping you find that piece. Reach out, ask us questions — we'd rather you buy with confidence than buy fast.

Return Policy

We want you to love what you buy from us. The Fancy Rat accepts returns within 3 days of receipt for items that are unaltered, unworn, and in the exact same condition as shipped.

Approved returns are issued to the original form of payment, unless otherwise agreed upon.
Return shipping costs are the customer's responsibility.
Items must be returned in their original packaging or discussed with us prior to shipping, with any accompanying paperwork or authentication included.
No returns are accepted on items that are damaged, altered, worn, or resized after delivery.
Items purchased in-person, on layaway, at a reduced or clearance price, or through an Instagram Live sale are final sale and not eligible for return (see Layaway below for additional detail).

If there's an issue with your piece, contact us at hello@thefancyrat.com within 3 days of delivery so we can make it right.

Condition, Authenticity, and Warranty

Our inventory is antique, vintage, and estate jewelry — meaning every piece has already lived a life before it reaches you. These items will show signs of wear consistent with their age, and we disclose any significant blemishes, repairs, or flaws in the product listing.

Metal content, gemstone identification, and era attributions are provided to the best of our knowledge, based on hallmarks, testing, and our own research and expertise. We are not a certified gemological laboratory. If formal appraisal or third-party certification matters to you — for insurance purposes or otherwise — that is the buyer's responsibility and expense, and we're happy to answer questions that might help you decide whether it's worth pursuing before you buy.

Because these are pre-owned, one-of-a-kind pieces, we do not offer a warranty against wear, tarnish, loose stones, or clasp function after the piece leaves our hands.

Before purchasing, we're glad to answer questions, share additional photos, or provide video of the piece so you know exactly what you're getting.

Layaway

Fine jewelry is an investment, and we get that funding a piece can take time. The Fancy Rat offers layaway on items priced $500 and over.

A minimum 25% non-refundable deposit is required to remove the piece from active inventory.
The remaining balance is due in payments of at least 25% every 30 calendar days, with most plans completing within 3 months.
Layaway purchases are final sale and not eligible for return once paid in full.
If a layaway plan is not completed within the agreed timeframe, or is abandoned, payments made will be converted to store credit only. No cash refunds are issued for abandoned layaways.
Items purchased at a reduced price or through an Instagram Live sale may be subject to different layaway terms — those terms will be confirmed with you directly in writing before the plan begins, not left to a social media post.

Interested in a layaway plan for a larger purchase? Email us at hello@thefancyrat.com to talk through what works for you.

Shipping

We currently ship within the United States only.

Orders are shipped within 3 business days of payment confirmation.
All jewelry shipments are sent with tracking (signature required upon delivery may be requested by the buyer, if desired, prior to purchasing) and are insured for the purchase price.
Once a package is confirmed delivered by the carrier, risk of loss transfers to the buyer. If a package shows as delivered but you did not receive it, contact us immediately so we can assist with a carrier claim — but please note we are not able to guarantee reimbursement for packages confirmed delivered to the address provided at checkout.
Need expedited shipping? Email us at hello@thefancyrat.com and we'll see what we can do.