1. Intellectual Property: We sign nondisclosure agreements for the protection of your designs under the arbitration rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
   Your designs are then protected by international intellectual property laws and the agreements are signed by our Managing Director, and delivered along with his personal French ID and the company registration number.
   If you need our standard agreements to be modified, we will send your proposal to our lawyer in Paris Place Vendôme to have them written in conformity with French and international laws.
   
   TECHNICAL DESIGN:
   When we receive a technical design with dimensions and detailed descriptions of a project we will be able to put together a quote with the estimated price of the prototype.
   If you don't have a technical design ready we will include the price for making one in the Prototyping Fee (when the designs are simple). For more complicated projects, we will need to charge the customer for making a proper design first ($80 to $150) in order to fix sizes, proportions and approximative weights that are needed to make a realistic quotation that corresponds to the final approved design.
   
   EVALUATION OF THE COSTS PER PIECE
   This price is not the final price for the production of your jewelry as it is based on estimated values. Generally unit prices will remain fairly accurate as they are given at production rates.
   
   
2. CALCULATIN OF THE DEVELOPMENT FEE:
   Prototyping costs are listed as an additional expense which includes development related costs like wax/resins, masters, and molds applicable only to the first piece of a given style. A typical prototyping fee for gold jewelry will range from 100 to 300 dollars.
   Some types of jewelry don't require molds to be made, and thus have small development fees. For these, the prototype will be close in cost to the final product.
   
   
3. We will collect payment for the prototype and begin production.
   A sample being only a prototype, and our own customers being responsible for the designs they are trying to manufacture, we have to collect this first payent in full.
   We are responsible for the quality of the work but not for the success of the design. It is not rare that our customers decide to change colors, sizes or other aspects of a design after they receive the first prototype.
   



4. When the prototype is completed, we will evaluate any discrepancies from projected unit quantities (grams of gold, carats of gemstones, etc…). Where differences exist that are more than 15% in weight, customers will either be billed or refunded the discrepancy at the rates provided in the initial invoice.



5. UNIT PRICE FOR PRODUCTION:
   We will send the prototype to you via express mail service so that you may examine our workmanship and make changes to the design. Certain changes may incur additional labor or molds depending on the amount of work required to apply the changes. But there will be no more Prototyping Fee issued, just small costs around $20 to $40 for a new mold and the costs for materials and labor at wholesale price.
   Once you are satisfied with a final prototype model, we can provide you with an exact quote to start a production.
   
   Please note that our quotes and invoices are time sensitive as they are based around a certain market price for gold. Because gold prices fluctuate all the time, you can expect that the price of your piece will fluctuate over time as well. The validity of our quotation is of a couple of weeks or ends when a variation of more than 5% is observed on http:/www.kitco.com which we hold as a reference for metal market prices.



6. Work out payment terms and finalize manufacturing agreements.



7. Begin production of the final order.

GENERAL PROCEDURES and definition of our services

We make jewelry for our customers and help them to finalize their projects, make prototypes and set prices for the type of production our customer is planning to do.
Therefore there is no minimum quantity, only a progressive Low Quantity Surcharge for very small production. It is intended to help our customers testing a product on the market before starting bigger productions.

1. We start with sending an Agreement (contract, optional) for the protection of the designs’ owner. Then we can receive the first designs so that we can make a first quotation. We can also receive a first design just to have the opportunity to show our pricing prior to sign a contract and to start working on more designs.
   
   
2. After a couple of days we come back to our customer with a detailed QUOTATION for PROTOTYPES which is the price to make the first piece(s). It includes a PROTOTYPING FEE for the design 3D if needed, wax printing or wax by hand, making a master piece in Silver, and then a mold from it.
   
   
3. Once the sample pieces are finished we will have enough data to prepare a QUOTATION for PRODUCTION in quantities.
   The production price is set for an order of $3.000 (wholesale) but customers can order only a few pieces if they like. At this stage we already sent the samples to our customer and we provide prices breakdown by quantity ordered.

There is no minimum quantity for orders generally unless pieces are made by stamping method (hydrolic press). This is meant to balance the lack of profitability of small productions in order to help designers in starting their business and presenting their products through shows and stores.

Customer control over developments:
During the production of the prototypes you will receive pictures at each stage of the production and you will have opportunities to give your opinion and participates to resolve technical restrictions and options.

Process summary:
1- Design (and wax modeling if necessary prior to quote)
2- Quote for Prototype
3- Payment, first pieces are made
4- Precise Quote for production in quantities (price breakdown)