We guarantee everything you buy from Rio Grande to be free from defects in material and/or workmanship. If you're not completely satisfied with any product purchased from us, return it within 30 days and we will exchange it, replace it or refund your money, whichever you prefer. This warranty does not include incidental or consequential expenses. No other warranty is implied.

Simply use the search function or navigate via our product categories to find your item. Items such as diamonds and other items that require special handling (such as special orders and customizing services) will NOT be available for online purchase at this time. If you know the item number you wish to order, use Express Order for a faster shopping experience. If you are a first-time customer, you will be asked to register for a Rio Grande account before proceeding with your order. Most orders are shipped the same day they are received; hazardous shipping orders are shipped within 24 hours. We are committed to giving you the best service available.

• Please have this information ready when you call:
  • 1. Your Rio Grande customer ID number. You will find it on your invoice or on the back of your catalog.
  • 2. Your credit card number. For your security, we require verification of your credit card number, billing address and CVV2 code with every order.
  • 3. The order # (stock number) of each item.
  
  

  Governmental, Institutional and International Orders: Representatives are available 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. Toll-free from Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands - 800.253.9738 Toll-free from Mexico - 95.800.253.9738 From all other countries - 505.839.3011 Fax - 505.839.3016 Contact Us Online: Inquiry Form

Live Chat: Rio Grande Live Representatives are available 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. Online: Inquiry Form Call Us: 800.545-6566 Toll-free from Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: 800.253.9738 Toll-free from Mexico: 95.800.253.9738 From all other countries: 505.839.3011 Fax: 505.839.3016 Mailing Address: 7500 Bluewater Rd NW Albuquerque, NM 87121 USA

If you have questions about a specific product, need help with technical processes, or just aren't sure which type of equipment is best for a particular task, ask to speak with a member of our Technical Support Team when you call. You may also speak with a member of Technical Support at 800.545.6566. This team of knowledgeable specialists is ready to help you. If they don't know the answer to your question, they'll find someone who does. Our Technical Sales Team is committed to helping you make your business more successful. You may also visit our Tips and Tricks Library, where you can search for documents which may answer your question immediately.

1. Rio Grande Open Accounts. If you are rated 1 or 2 with the Jeweler's Board of Trade (JBT) or are rated low-risk with one of our credit reporting agencies, we can open an account for you upon receipt of your signed credit application. If you are not rated as described above, please call 800.545.6566 and ask for our Credit Policy Information and Application Form. Allow approximately two weeks for processing.
2. Credit Cards.We accept MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express. For your security, we require that customer/card holder information (including billing address and expiration date) be verified with you and your issuing bank before your order is shipped. Some restrictions may apply. Address verification, security code(CVV2) and expiration date are necessary with all credit card orders.
3. Prepaid Orders. Certified funds in the form of a money order or a bank cashier's check are recommended. To expedite service, use a bank wire transfer. Please allow for price fluctuations and add in shipping costs. If the quoted shipping cost is more than the actual cost, we will credit your account or issue a refund, whichever you request. All checks must include your name, address and daytime phone number. This information will be verified with your bank. Some restrictions may apply. Export funds are accepted in U.S. dollars only.

To lease merchandise, you may either contact a leasing company of your choice or call your Rio Grande sales representative for a referral at 505.839.3060.
1. Most companies require order numbers and dollar amounts for merchandise. Your sales representative can provide this information on a quote invoice.
2. If you choose your own leasing company, our Accounts Receivable office will need the name, address and contact person of the leasing company. Please call 505.839.3060 to relay this information.
Short-Term Installment Plan
This option is available for approved customers wishing to purchase capital equipment in three or four installments. Please contact your Rio Grande sales representative for approval guidelines and an initial quote invoice. Click here for more information.

Domestic Shipping (some restrictions apply)

UPS Overnight (Saturday delivery available in most areas) UPS Two Business Days UPS Ground (3–5 business days) Post Office Priority Mail (5-7 business days) Smartmail (5–10 business days; tracking information not available). Limited to addresses on normal post office delivery routes; package size limits. Our shipping rate is based on order weight, shipping zone and the speed of delivery you have chosen. Additional shipping charges may apply for items classified as hazardous. So some hazardous items cannot be shipped by air. You will be offered all available shipping options when you place your order.

International Shipping
UPS is our preferred international shipping carrier. You may choose a specific carrier, but the rates may not be the most economical. If you so indicate, you will be contacted by a customer service representative with your international shipping rate prior to us shipping your order.

Delivery time from our facility to your local custom office:

Postal Service Priority Mail (2 to 3 weeks) Postal Service Express (4 to 7 business days) UPS Express Saver (3 to 5 business days)

All Other Shipments
Truck freight, air freight, international air and ocean freight fees are based on weight and are billed at exact shipping cost. Orders requiring truck freight will be placed on hold until a a Rio Grande customer service representative can contact you to complete your order. Carriers charge an additional fee for handling hazardous items; inquire when ordering.

Hazardous Materials Shipping Charges
The Department of Transportation (DOT) Emergency Response Communication Standard concerns the shipping of chemicals deemed hazardous by the DOT, and governs the labeling and handling of a variety of materials.

Over the past few years, this standard has resulted in increased costs from most of our shippers for handling these materials. Some of our packaging amounts have been changed to reflect the quantity limitations that the DOT has placed on shipping certain chemicals. We will continue to revise our shipping policies to comply with changing regulations. We ship all hazardous products through United Parcel Service (UPS). UPS may charge up to an additional $22.50 to handle hazardous chemicals by ground and $32.50 or more by air. The rates and procedures of other shippers vary. These charges apply to each separate package or chemical a carrier handles, unless you purchase multiples of the same product that can be shipped together. However, some chemicals have very strict regulations on the quantities that can be shipped, so we may not be permitted to ship multiple containers together.

For more information about the hazardous shipping categories and charges, contact us when you place your order.
We recommend that you obtain a copy of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each product you use, and keep it in your files. MSDSs are provided free of charge.

You will receive an invoice with your order—do not discard this invoice! For your convenience, a return form is printed on the back of your invoice. Fill out the form completely and enclose it with the merchandise you wish to return. Returns are credited or refunded in the same payment method used to purchase the merchandise. Keep a photocopy of your invoice for your records.

If you have questions about a return or repair, please call us
800.545.6566 (7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mountain Time, Monday through Friday).
Toll-free in the U.S. - 800.545.6566
Toll-free from Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands - 800.253.9738
Toll-free from Mexico - 95.800.253.9738
From all other countries - 505.839.3011

1. Pack the item in a sturdy carton (the original, if possible) and seal with strong tape. Rio Grande is not responsible for any merchandise returned in a non-padded envelope or otherwise inadequately packaged.
2. Mark your package clearly:
Rio Grande Returns
7500 Bluewater Rd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87121-1962, USA

If you don't enclose the return form from the back of your invoice, be sure and include the invoice number or exact date of purchase and your customer number.
3. For your protection, ship all returns prepaid and insured. We will refund your postage when appropriate.
4. If you require a replacement before the return is received, please call customer service at the numbers listed above.

We charge a 10% restocking fee (plus postage) on all refused or unclaimed merchandise, or merchandise returned after the 30-day warranty period. Special orders, custom-made items and hazardous items are not returnable.

Broken Packages
Items sold in minimum quantity packages MUST be returned complete. We charge a broken package fee of $5 or 10% of the sale price, whichever is greater, on packages returned with less than the quantity on the original invoice.

Most of our tools and equipment come with a one-year warranty. All other merchandise is covered by the 30-day Rio Grande guarantee. For your convenience, a return form is printed on the back of your invoice. To return an item for repair, fill out the form completely, describing the problem; package it as a return (see Returns and Corrections), and send it prepaid and insured. Your invoice number is vital; this is your warranty. Allow 3 to 6 weeks for repairs after we have received the item.

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is available free for many of our products. Click here to find an MSDS for a specific item and print it out.

1. We do our very best to offer you the most competitive price and the best selection on all our products. Prices may vary slightly depending on the currency exchange rates, fluctuations in freight costs, raw materials market, labor costs and customs duties at the time you order. Many items have a price structure allowing you to save by buying in volume. Prices shown on item detail pages are current as of that day.

2. If you merit a special pricing level, your pricing will be reflected as soon as you log in.

For unit conversions and calculators Click here. For gauge conversions Click here.

Pricing
1. Pricing for all precious metal raw materials is calculated using the total weight per metal type (gold, sterling, etc.) in your order and the current market price for that metal plus a fabrication charge. Items of the same metal are combinable to provide you the best price break; any exceptions will be noted on your invoice for you to see.
2. We guarantee that your price will be based on the market price current at the time we receive your order and provide you with an order confirmation number.

Please Note: This guarantee does not apply to items placed on backorder; these will be billed at market price current on the date the order is filled.
3. The current daily metal market price is displayed on our home page and on the item detail screen.
4. Quantities ordered are measured with a 10% tolerance. This tolerance helps account for metal weight variations in custom-cut pieces.

Backorders
1. All backordered items are charged when the order is shipped and are billed at the market price current on the date the order is filled.

Cutting charges
1. The first cut per item is made at no charge. For each additional cut, you will be charged thirty cents and these charges will be totaled for the entire order. Cutting charges for any backordered items will be totaled and charged with the original order.

Minimum Weight of Piece Size
1. For most silver and gold-filled raw materials items, the minimum order is ½ ozt. per item.
2. For most gold and platinum raw materials items, the minimum order is 1 pennyweight (dwt) per item.
3. Sheet has individual minimum and maximum dimension requirements. If the dimensions you enter for any item in your order do not meet requirements, you will be prompted to enter minimum required dimensions.
4. When you ask for specific dimensions and individual availability is limited, we will offer you the option to accept a combination of pieces amounting to the total weight of your order.

To protect your made-to-order precious metal items during shipping:
1. All sheets are packed between two pieces of cardboard pieces taped together to secure the sheets inside.
2. All gold items (sheet, wire, tubing) are packed in heat-sealed plastic bags.
3. Coiled wire and by-the-foot chain is secured with twist ties, not tape.
4. Chain lengths of more than 15 feet are spooled onto cardboard squares or plastic spools.
5. Each item is labeled with its item number and quantity.
6. Alloys are packed in individual plastic containers.
7. Casting grain quantities of more than 5 ounces are double-bagged.
8. Tubing is packed in individual bags that are reinforced with tape to prevent tearing.
9. Quantities ordered are measured to within a 10% tolerance. This tolerance helps account for metal weight and cut precision variations.

Please Note: your invoice amount will reflect this variance.
10. Items ordered in their full-size dimensions will be shipped at full size; we do not cut down for ease of shipping.

Returns
All cash settlements made on returned gold, silver, and gold-filled materials are calculated at the market price current on the day the return is received or at the market price on the invoice date, whichever is lower. We charge a 10% restocking fee for raw material items returned more than 30 days after it was shipped.

Debit Card/Credit Card Pre-Authorization and Metals
Banks process debit cards differently than they do credit cards. With a debit card, when the card is run for pre-authorization purposes, a hold is placed on funds allocated for that purchase that may last anywhere from 3–15 days. If, however, the final amount charged is different than what was pre-authorized, the pre-authorized amount remains on hold and an additional transaction is created for the amount actually charged. Differences in the final charge occur frequently with made-to-order precious metal items due to the 10% variance in measuring. Pre-authorization funds on hold with the bank are unavailable to you until the hold is released. Please check with your bank to find out how they handle these transactions.

What kind of scrap can I return?
We accept gold, gold-filled, silver, palladium, fired PMC® and platinum items. We cannot accept base metal, electroplating solutions, photographic processing materials or sweeps. Please do not send plated non-precious metal jewelry; we cannot recover the precious metal from this type of jewelry.

Important: Rio Grande reserves the right to physically alter the metal scrap in order to determine its purity; your piece might be damaged or malformed during testing. Therefore if you request the piece be returned to you, it may not arrive in the same condition you sent it in.

What is my scrap worth?
Rio Grande pays a percentage of the daily spot market for your precious metal scrap. Payment amounts are based on market value current on the day we settle your scrap return, regardless of when it was shipped or received. Cleaning scrap, separating metals, melting small pieces and clearly labeling scrap before shipping will significantly speed this process.

A copy of your transaction will be mailed to you. On this invoice, you will find the type and weight of the scrap we received from you, the rate that was paid and the total payment.

Important: Please review your invoice immediately. Any disputes regarding metal purity, weight or payment amount must be reported within 14 working days from the date on the invoice.

Where can I find more information?
For payment guidelines, shipping instructions and other information see our scrap program page or download the scrap packing list.

What does Sustainable mean to Rio Grande? It is a social pact with future generations. Sustainable means meeting our present needs without compromising the needs of our children.

How is Rio Grande going about accomplishing that? In part by offering products to you that are made from materials that are recycled/recovered or made from renewable materials. Another is to encourage manufacturing processes that minimize environmental impacts. More than 85% of our gold is recycled and the majority of the balance comes from American gold mines.

When I see the "Sustainable" label in the Rio Grande catalog, what does that mean? In the Findings and Metals sections, it means the stock numbers in green are products made with reclaimed/recycled metal or from third party certified, ethically mined metal. Many of the other products in the catalog are also likely made primarily or exclusively with recycled metal, we just haven’t yet established this with certainty. Additionally, our recycled metals are produced in an environmentally award-winning plant.

In the Display and Packaging section, sustainable means the products with green stock numbers are either made from recycled materials, renewable materials and/or are produced by manufacturing processes that employ ecologically sound methods.

This is the first time I’ve seen the "Sustainable" label in the Rio Grande Catalog. Is this a new initiative? Actually, we’ve been at it for a long time. Our refinery, which recycles silver and gold from a variety of sources, is 30 years old and has won numerous environmental awards over the years.

In 1968, Rio Grande eliminated harmful cadmium from the solders we sell, twenty years before this became common practice.

We’ve devised a way to reduce the investment material consumed in our casting operation by 20%.

We have done energy consumption audits of our buildings for many years and currently use a third less energy to run our facilities than we did ten years ago.

We have eliminated toxic solvents from our cleaning processes and now use soap and water to clean our products.

This is just a partial list. We see sustainability as a never-ending process. One filled with opportunities to make our future better than the past. One we can all participate in and benefit from together. Our commitment to you and more importantly, to our children, is to never let up, and encourage others to do the same.

For more information on social responsibility, please visit Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (http://www.mjsa.org/), Jewelers of America (http://www.jewelers.org/) and the Council for Responsible Jewelry Practices (http://www.responsiblejewellery.com/).

If you intend to incorporate any base metal components purchased from Rio Grande into jewelry for children age 12 and younger, please be aware that you are responsible for testing those products to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws including, but not limited to, the lead content requirements in CPSIA. Please Note: All base metal items in this catalog that contain even trace amounts of lead are marked with a "Pb" symbol and are not suitable for children's jewelry.

ASBL	Assembled from multiple layers or combinations of manufactured and/or natural material fused, bonded or otherwise joined together to increase stability and/or imitate the appearance of a natural gemstone, create a unique design or generate unusual color combinations. Example: Opal triplets		L	A laser and chemicals used to reach and alter inclusions in gemstones, usually diamonds.
B	Bleached using heat, light and/or other agents to lighten or remove color.		O	Oiling/resin infusion; the filling of surface breaking fissures with colorless oil, wax, resin or other colorless substances, except glass or plastic, to improve the gemstone’s appearance.
C	Coating on the surface with such enhancements as lacquering, enameling, inking, foiling or sputtering of films to improve appearance, provide color or add other special effects.		R	Irradiation using neutrons, gamma rays, beta particles or high energy electrons to alter color. May be followed by a heating process.
D	Dyed by the introduction of coloring matter to give a new color, intensify present color or improve color uniformity.		S	Stabilized using a colorless bonding agent (such as plastic); used on porous gemstones to add durability and improve appearance (sometimes referred to as “I” impregnated).
F	Filling of surface-breaking cavities or fissures with colorless glass, plastic, solidified borax or similar substances (visible under 10X magnification); improves durability, appearance and/or adds weight.		SYN	Synthetic materials with essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as a naturally occurring gemstone.
H	Heated to effect desired alterations of color, clarity and/or phenomena. If residue of foreign substances in open fissures is visible under properly illuminated 10X magnification, “HF” should be used.		U	Diffusion; chemicals used in conjunction with high temperatures to produce color and/or asterism-producing inclusions.
HP	Heating and pressure combined to effect desired alterations of color, clarity and/or phenomena.		W	Waxing/oiling; impregnation of colorless wax, paraffin and oil in porous, opaque or translucent gemstones to improve appearance.
IMIT	Imitation product fabricated in such materials as glass, ceramic or plastic designed to imitate or resemble the appearance, but not duplicate the characteristic properties of a natural gemstone.