Due to the nature of the keepsake items, it is very important that you fully read and understand the terms and conditions.  

Turn around time 

Bath and body products: My current turn around time is up to 2 weeks excluding weekends and holidays. Wholesale orders, please allow up to 5 weeks. 

Keepsake items: My current turn around time is up to 4-6 weeks.  It is just me doing this.  I do not have employees and I work from my home.  I am a mother of three boys as well as a wife.  Work comes second.  I will update my turn around time if anything changes.  

Your actual turn around time begins from the day I receive your inclusions for keepsake items; not the day you place your order.  This is because it can often take weeks to months for a customer to send their inclusions which would leave me minimal time to complete your order.  The sooner you send your inclusions the sooner your order will be home to you! 

Inclusions

Due to the lengthy process and turn around time of my keepsake items, I will be discontinuing the sale of breastmilk keepsakes until further notice.  

You may choose to have me preserve just about anything.  Some of the more popular items are placenta, umbilical cord, hair, sand, and flower petals.  You are not limited to just those options.  If you have an idea in mind, please don't hesitate to get in touch.   

Placenta - 2-3 capsules 

Umbilical cord - Up to the whole thing but only a piece is needed

Hair/Fur - A decent and noticeable sized lock of hair.  Please do not send just a few strands unless that is all you have

Sand - 1 tsp

Ash - 1 tsp

Flower petals - 3-4 dried petals 

All items need to be sent to me dried out.  It takes days to weeks to dry these items and that would interfere with your turn around time.  

I only use your items.  I do not under any circumstance use items from other customers.  While there is not way for me to prove to you that your inclusions were used, you have my word.  I know that you are trusting me with an irreplaceable item and I assure you that I take great pride in my work.  Your items are received and stored in an organized manner.  Everything is labeled with the order number, contact information, special instructions and dates.  

Please do not send the absolute last of your items.  The chances of something happening during transit or while in my care are very slim but I'd hate for your to be left with nothing.  

Payment, Cancellations, and Return Policy

I accept all major credit cards as well as PayPal.  I do not accept cash or check for keepsake items.  All items must be paid in full at the time of order unless otherwise discussed.  

Cancellations are allowed within 24 hours from with the order was placed to avoid being charged a restocking fee.  Please contact me directly to request a cancellation. I order my supplies as I receive orders.  Allowing cancellations throughout the process can cause confusion on my end which I would like to avoid.

If you exceed 6 months without contacting me or sending your inclusions, I will email you regarding your order and If you’re no longer interested I will cancel your order and refund the total minus a 25% restocking fee in the form of shop credit.  I will attempt to get in touch a total of 3 times before I automatically cancel the order.  

If you change your mind regarding the item's style, shimmer or tint color, or if you'd like to add or not add additional inclusions, please contact me to find out if your order has already begun the process and if I have already ordered the supplies needed to create your item.  If I have not begun yet, exchanges are welcome for equal or greater value.  If the item is less than your order total, a store credit will be issued for the balance. 

Preservation Process

I take great care in preserving your items in high quality resin that has little to no yellowing over time unlike many other resins out there.  All resins yellow over time but the better quality ones are almost not noticeable.  

Sending Inclusions 

Once your order has been placed, please send inclusions to

Elysian Cedar

21113 State Line Rd.

Harvard, IL 60033

 Please package items carefully and ship via USPS with tracking included. 

Boldly label your inclusions with your order full name as it appears on your order, your order number, the date you placed your order, and a phone number or email. 

Please send all inclusions within 6 months from the date you placed your order.  If your inclusions have not been received within that time frame, a store credit will be issued and your order will be placed on hold.  No refunds will be given. 

Warranty for Keepsake Items

All keepsake items come with a 60 day warranty from the date you receive your item.  This warranty covers damaged or broken items due to my process only.  I can not be held responsible for lost or stolen items or items that were damaged due to wear and tear, discoloration due to chemicals, direct sunlight exposure, or not taking proper care of the items.  If your keepsake breaks or gets damaged at the fault of my own process within 60 days from the date your receive your item, I will replace it free of charge.  Any leftover ashes are sent back to you with your keepsake.  You will need to send new inclusions if your item needs to be replaced during that 60 day window.  

If 60 days has passed and your item needs to be replaced for any reason, you will be responsible for the cost of a replacement keepsake. 

No exchanges or replacements will be given for free items.  

 

Keepsake Care Instructions 

Many metals tend to tarnish over time.  This is easily removable.  Your order comes with a polishing cloth but if you’d like a spare please head to the extras section of my website.  I do not use metals in my keepsake items that turn your skin colors.  I use .925 sterling silver and real gold.  Avoid water and excessive humidity exposure.  Resin is a form of plastic and exposure to high humidity can cause it to soften or become sticky causing irreversible damage to your beautiful keepsake. Should your item become dirty, a soft cloth will clean it.  Never use jewelry cleaners or other harsh chemicals to clean your keepsake items.  Do not overly expose your items to direct sunlight.  Excessive exposure to direct sunlight may cause the resin to discolor.  Always remove jewelry before bathing, sleeping, or while handling chemicals for cleaning.  Do not expose my essential oil products directly to your keepsake items.  With proper care for your keepsake item, it is sure to last a lifetime!

Disclaimer

It is important that you understand and accept these terms and conditions.  I will not be held responsible for lost or stolen packages during transit.  After your item has shipped, it is out of my control.  I only ship your keepsake items using USPS priority mail.  If your package becomes lost or damaged during transit, it is your responsibility to file a claim with USPS.  Replacement production begins after a USPS insurance claim has been filed and paid.  

Due to the handmade nature of my items, minor imperfections may occur. Many items including pearls and beads require sanding and polishing which may leave minor surface imperfections.  My inclusion stones, beads, and pearls are made by hand in molds and/or poured. They are not created in a factory.  While I do my best to remove all of the air bubbles, tiny micro bubbles may remain. Adding flakes, hair, sand, or any other inclusion may increase the risk of the finished piece containing micro bubbles. 

 

BATH AND BODY PRODUCTS 

USE ONLY AS DIRECTED

ALL SALES ARE FINAL Due to the nature of these products I am unable to allow returns or exchanges once you have received your order. While I package these items with great care, occasionally damage may happen during transit which is out of my control.  Please contact me if you receive a damaged product. 

Each item is made to order to ensure you get the freshest batch possible.  I only use all natural ingredients in my bath and body line.  I do use nut oils in some of my products.  Please be sure to read the list of ingredients prior to purchase.  ALWAYS TEST FOR ALLERGIES FIRST.  

Many items contain pure essential oils.  Some are not recommended to be used around children or pets.  Do not use these products if you will be exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time.  

Due to the oily nature of my bath products, please use extreme caution while using these items.  They can make your tub or shower floor slippery.  

ALWAYS TEST A SMALL AREA FOR KNOWN OR UNKNOWN ALLERGIES FIRST.  DISCONTINUE USE IF REDNESS, RASH, OR IRRITATION OCCURS.  SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IF REACTION IS PERSISTENT.   

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  All items being sold under the Elysian Cedar name are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  

I reserve the right to photograph all items I create.  Photographs can and will be used for promotional purposes, website images, and social media images.  If you do not want your item photographed for some reason, please let me know at the time of order.  

 

Limited Breastmilk Keepsake Warranty

Every mother's breastmilk is different.  Colors can and WILL vary.  Your keepsake color may differ from your actual breastmilk color due to how it reacted to my preservation method or whether any colorants or shimmers were added.  Rest assured knowing that I only use your breastmilk and never anyone else’s. If your keepsake turns BROWN within 6 months from the date your received your keepsake, please contact me.  

There are many reasons your breastmilk keepsake may change colors over time and include but are not limited to exposure to direct sunlight, exposure to tanning beds, contact with chemicals, contact with bleach or hydrogen peroxide, contact with cleaning agents, high temperatures, resin discoloration, and misuse.  

Please note that every resin has the ability to turn a shade of yellow over time.  Some less than others and depends on many factors including but not limited to care, length of wear, exposure to chemicals, soaps, and direct sunlight. I use a very high quality resin in pieces so yellowing is very minimal if at all, 

LIABILITY AGREEMENT

 

I.  INTRODUCTION

This Liability Agreement (hereafter known as the "Agreement"), is entered into by and between Journey to Jewel by Elysian Cedar  located in Harvard, Illinois and its owner Michele Soutar  (collectively hereafter known as the "JEWELER"), and the undersigned, (hereafter known as the “CUSTOMER”).

II.    TERMS

 

1. JEWELER designs and creates jewelry using breast milk and other DNA elements, such as baby’s first curl, ashes, placenta, etc. This is sometimes called keepsake jewelry.

 

2.  CUSTOMER acknowledges that as time passes, CUSTOMER'S jewelry may naturally turn a shade of yellow.  Some signs of yellowness include, but are not limited to, an orange or brown blotchy color may appear. This may result from improper care, the milk not reacting well to the JEWELER’S preservation method, or a natural discoloration of the resin used to make the item.  

 

3.  CUSTOMER acknowledges that there is no exact time period to determine if and when their jewelry may turn yellow.

 

4.  Being aware of the risks involved when it comes to breast milk jewelry, CUSTOMER fully acknowledges this possible yellow side effect and agrees to release JEWELER of any and all claims regarding any “yellowness” that may occur over time. Please refer to the warranty information and care instructions. 

 

5.   CUSTOMER agrees not to sue JEWELER in court and also acknowledges that they have no right to any refund, full or partial.

 

6.  In addition, CUSTOMER agrees to indemnify and hold JEWELER harmless should any claim be filed against JEWELER by any third party as result of any yellowness to CUSTOMER'S jewelry.

III. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. Jurisdiction and Attorney Fees.  Both parties irrevocably agree that this Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the laws governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Harvard, Illinois.  If a proceeding is commenced to resolve any dispute that arises between the parties with respect to the matters covered by this Agreement, the prevailing party in such proceeding shall be entitled to receive its reasonable attorneys’ fees, expert witness fees and out of pocket costs incurred in connection with such proceeding, in addition to any other relief to which such prevailing party may be entitled.

2.   Severability. If an Arbitrator or Court finds any provision of this Agreement invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall be interpreted so as best to affect the intent of the parties.

3.    Integration.  This Agreement expresses the complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior proposals, agreements, representations and understandings.  This Agreement may not be amended except in a writing signed by both parties.

4.   Waiver.  The failure to exercise any right provided in this Agreement shall not be a waiver of prior or subsequent rights.

5.  This Agreement and the undersigned’s obligations shall be binding on the representatives, agents, assigns and successors of such party.  The undersigned has signed this Agreement through its authorized representative who is given the power to make binding contractual decisions on their party’s behalf.

6.  The undersigned understands the terms of this Agreement, does so voluntarily, is over eighteen years of age, understands that they have the right to seek independent counsel, and is mentally competent to enter into this agreement.

This Agreement will be effective as of 1st day of Jany art 2022.

By purchasing from me you agree that you have fully read, accept, and understand everything stated above.  

These terms and conditions may be changed at any time.