Terms & Conditions

ARTICLE 1 - PURPOSE

The present General Terms and Conditions set out the terms of use of our website (www.laurencevandenborre.com) as well as the General Terms and Conditions of Sale of our products to the Customer over our website (hereinafter referred to as “the Terms and Conditions”).

Before using our website, the Customer is required to actively take note of the present Terms and Conditions.

By using our website or by placing an order on the website, the Customer hereby accepts, unless he is able to bring proof to the contrary, to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. We are within our rights to bring changes to the present Terms and Conditions at any time. The applicable Terms and Conditions shall be those that apply at the time when this website is used or when the Contract is concluded.  

ARTICLE 2 – TRADE NAME – CONTACT DETAILS

Our products are sold through our website under the trade name of LAURENCE VANDENBORRE by Laurence Vandenborre BV, Tabakvest 3, 2000 ANTWERPEN (Belgium), registered with the Banque Carrefour des Entreprises (Central cross-reference database of businesses registered in Belgium) as number 0786.549.343.

The Customer can contact us either at the above address, or by using the purpose- provided contact form on our website, or by sending an e-mail to info@lvfinejewelry.com.

ARTICLE 3 – CONCLUSION OF THE CONTRACT

Our products are 18kt gold jewelry pieces set with precious and semi-precious gemstones and designed by the designer Laurence Vandenborre. They are handmade by goldsmiths and setters in ateliers in Antwerp and Italy.

The description of our products on our website are as precise as possible (type, color, size, quality and size of the stones, ….).

Size of certain stones and quality may slightly vary depending on their availability. A size range and quality is therefore expressly mentioned in the product description. The Customer expressly acknowledges, by placing his order, that his acceptance of the product is based on this description, including the range above mentioned.

On no account is the information posted on our website to be taken as an offer of sale of the products presented at the site.

Consequently, as long as we have not confirmed to the Customer that we accept the order, no Contract may be deemed to have been lawfully concluded.

Once the online order placement process on our website has been successfully completed by the Customer, we reserve the right to accept or to refuse the said order. Our acceptance of the order that was placed and the subsequent conclusion of the Contract may not be inferred from the fact that an order confirmation is sent.  

ARTICLE 4  - AVAILABILITY OF THE PRODUCTS

Orders for products are subject to product availability or feasibility. In the event of supply problems or if the products are no longer in stock, we reserve the right to inform the Customer of the possibility for him to order alternative products of an identical or superior quality or value. If the Customer does not wish to order these alternative products, we shall refund the full amount of any sums already paid.  

ARTICLE  5 – PRICES & PAYMENT TERMS

Our prices are stated in EURO, including 21% VAT.

Our prices are those stated on our website, except in case of obvious error.

If we come across any errors in the prices of the product(s) ordered, we shall inform the Customer thereof as quickly as possible, enabling him to either confirm his order at the right price, or to cancel his order. If we fail to get a response from the Customer on the alternative presented to him within eight days, we shall cancel the order and transact the refund of any sums paid.

On no account shall we be under obligation to perform a contract concluded at a lower price that is wrong, regardless of the fact that order confirmation was sent, if the error is obvious and the Customer could reasonably be expected to be capable of spotting the fact that the price was wrong.

Our prices do not include shipping costs. These costs are added at the time where the customer is making the payment. Shipping costs vary according to the country.

Taxes & Duties for international customers ordering a jewelry piece are the Customer’s responsibility.

In theory, our prices are unchangeable. However, we may pass on and apply price changes implemented by our suppliers at the time between the order and the delivery, as well as the changes to the VAT rate or new taxes that might be implemented by the authorities prior to the date of delivery.

We accept payment by Paypal and bank transfer. Other methods of payment could be accepted on demand if they are agreed by us. Payments shall occur on the following bank IBAN account: BE66 3632 2247 9543.

The production of the jewelry piece(s) shall only start once the payment of the price and of all the costs have been received. The production process shall take between 15-25 working days from the date of deposit or full payment (depending on the case).  

ARTICLE 6 — DEPOSIT PAYMENT & PAYMENT TERMS 

A 50% deposit is required to confirm any order for a tailor-made design (see ARTICLE 13 — TAILOR-MADE DESIGN PAYMENT TERMS) or for any item that is not currently in stock and must be produced in certain sizes (example: an engagement ring or wedding bands).

ARTICLE 7 - DELIVERY

We use mainly FEDEX and B-POST as delivery methods.

The delivery costs are not included in the sale price and are added at the time where the customer is making the payment. Shipping costs vary according to the country (inside Europe/outside Europe).

Taxes & Duties for international customers ordering a jewelry piece are the Customer’s responsibility.

Without prejudice to the provisions in respect of the availability of the products and of force majeure, we shall make every effort to fill the order of the product(s) specified in each Order confirmation before the delivery date specified therein or, if no delivery date was specified, within the estimated time indicated at the time when the Customer chose the delivery method, and in all cases within a maximum time span of thirty days counting from the date of order confirmation.

If we are unable to meet the delivery date, regardless of reason, we shall inform the Customer thereof as quickly as possible and enable him to either continue the performance of the Contract with a new delivery date, or to terminate the Contract and refund the Customer the relevant sums paid by him.

Delivery timelines do not account for possible delays due to customs clearance procedures, which are outside our control.

The “delivery” shall be deemed to have been made, or the order shall be deemed to have been “delivered” at the time when the Customer or a third party appointed by the Customer is in material possession of the products, as corroborated by their signature on the receipt note of the order delivered at the delivery address agreed.  

ARTICLE 8 – RESERVATION OF TITLE OF OWNERSHIP

The title of ownership over the products sold shall remain the property of LAURENCE VANDENBORRE until payment of the price and delivery costs have been received in full.  

ARTICLE 9 – TRANSFER OF RISK 

The risks relating to the products shall transfer to the Customer at the time when the Customer or a third party appointed by him who is not the carrier/haulier physically takes possession of the products.  

ARTICLE 10 – RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL

- Statutory right of withdrawal

The Customer shall have the right to withdraw from the Contract concluded without stating grounds within fourteen days.

The withdrawal term shall expire fourteen days after the date on which the Customer, or a third party other than the carrier/haulier and appointed by the Customer, physically takes possession of the sold product.

If the contract relates to several products ordered as part of a single order, and if these products are delivered separately, the withdrawal term shall expire fourteen days after the date on which the Customer, or a third party other than the carrier/haulier and appointed by the Customer, physically takes possession of the last product. To exercise his right of withdrawal, the Customer has to notify us his decision to withdraw from the Contract by way of a clear and unambiguous statement to that effect (for instance, by telephone, a letter sent by post, by fax or by e-mail) or use the model withdrawal form included as an appendix to the present Terms and Conditions.

In order for the withdrawal term to be observed, all the Customer needs to do is to send us his communication in which he exercise his right of withdrawal ahead of the expiry of the fourteen-day withdrawal term.

- Effects of the withdrawal

In the event of withdrawal, we shall refund all payments received from the Customer, without undue delay and, in all cases, no later than fourteen days counting from the day we should have been informed of the Customer’s decision to withdraw. We shall transact the refund using the same payment method as that used by the Customer for the original transaction, unless expressly otherwise agreed. In all cases, this refund shall not involve any costs for the Customer.

We reserve the right to defer the refund until receipt of the product(s) or until the time when the Customer has provided us with proof that the product(s) were duly returned, whichever of the above events is the earliest.

The Customer is to send back or return us the product(s), without undue delay and in all cases no later than fourteen days after having advised us of his decision to withdraw. This term shall be deemed to have been observed if the product is sent back to us before the expiry of the fourteen-day withdrawal term.

The direct costs for returning the goods shall be borne by the Customer.

Returned goods are the Customer’s responsibility until they reach us. The Customer must ensure proper packaging and consider buying an extra insurance and using a tracked service provided by a renowned shipping company such as Fedex, DHL or UPS.

The Customer shall not be entitled to any kind of refund if the product delivered was used, is no longer in the same condition than at the time of the original delivery or if the product was damaged. Nonetheless, he shall be entitled to a refund if the physical deterioration of the products is the result of manipulations necessary to satisfy himself of the nature, the quality and the due working order of the products.

To be entitled to a refund, the Customer shall be under obligation to return the products in their original packaging, along with all documents, as applicable, that came with these products, which must include the order detail sheet provided to him upon delivery.

- Exception to the right of withdrawal

By way of an exception, the Customer shall not be entitled to withdraw if the Contract relates to personalised products (for instance, a tailor-made piece of jewellery engraved with an inscription as requested by the Customer, a piece of jewellery specially made for the Customer and under his instructions, a piece of jewellery which has different characteristics that the ones described for the products available on the website etc.).  

ARTICLE 11 — TAILOR-MADE DESIGN DEFINITION

A tailor-made design refers to any jewellery piece that is specifically designed according to the Customer’s wishes, outside of the standard collection. This may include:

• The creation of a unique piece based on a personalised request (e.g. a wedding band inspired by a particular motif, a necklace incorporating a stone provided by the client).

 • The design of an entirely original piece, including sketches, research into shapes, materials, and styles, which are not part of the existing catalogue.

In other words, a tailor-made design is any custom-made piece developed upon the Customer’s request that requires a dedicated creative process (sketches, consultations, quotations, prototypes, etc.). This type of creation involves the jeweller’s artistic expertise and craftsmanship, which justifies the protection of all preparatory designs and ideas.

ARTICLE 12 — TAILOR-MADE DESIGN PRODUCTION TIME

The production time for a custom-made piece / tailor-made design is typically between 15 to 25 business days from the date of final design approval and deposit payment.

Please note that longer lead times may apply for highly complex or exceptional projects. In such cases, an estimated delivery timeframe will be communicated in advance.

ARTICLE 13 — TAILOR-MADE DESIGN PAYMENT TERMS

A 50% deposit is required to confirm any order for a tailor-made design or for any item that is not currently in stock and must be made to order.

Production will only begin once the deposit has been received. The remaining balance is due upon completion of the piece, before delivery or collection.

Please note that the deposit is non-refundable, as it covers the cost of materials, design work, and the time allocated to your project.

ARTICLE 14 — TAILOR-MADE DESIGN & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

As part of the creation of a tailor-made design, all sketches, drawings, mock-ups, graphic proposals, and preparatory designs shared with the client remain the exclusive property of LAURENCE VANDENBORRE, as original works protected under copyright law.

These materials may not be reproduced, used, or shared with third parties by the Customer without prior written consent. LAURENCE VANDENBORRE reserves the right to use these sketches for communication, portfolio presentation, capsule manufacturing, or any other purpose, even if the final project is not carried out.

The commissioning of a tailor-made piece does not entail any transfer of intellectual property rights over the designs or creative elements produced in the process to the Customer.

Even when the design is based on an idea, inspiration, or reference provided by the Customer, the final sketches and design developed by LAURENCE VANDENBORRE remains her property, unless otherwise stipulated by a formal rights transfer agreement.

ARTICLE 15 — REDESIGN PROJECTS « OLD IS GOLD » PROJECT / SPECIFIC TERMS

For redesign projects involving an existing piece of jewellery provided by the Customer, the following conditions apply:

1. Valuation

We only accept pieces that include a central stone of a certain size (min. 0.30ct for a diamond and min. 1ct for a colored stone). Jewellery containing only small stones (such as pavé or accents diamonds, sapphires or other small colored stones) will not be eligible for redesign.

LAURENCE VANDENBORRE reserves the right to assess and accept redesign projects on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of the piece, the quality of the materials, and the overall feasibility of the transformation.

A valuation of the piece provided by the Customer will be provided. Depending on the complexity of the assessment, a fee starting from €50 may apply. The fee will then be deduct from the new redesigned project when approved and ordered by the Customer.

2. Repolishing

If the central stone(s) provided by the Customer can be reused in the new design but is/are scratched or damaged, a quote will be offered for a professional repolishing service, starting from €100 per stone.

3. Gold Weight & Karat Estimation

An estimate of the gold karat (e.g., 14k, 18k) and gold weight from the original piece that may be recycled will be provided. This valuation is based on the current market price of gold at the time of assessment and reflects LAURENCE VANDENBORRE’s internal evaluation, including costs related to the melting and refining process. Please note that only 18k gold can be reused/recycled in the creation of your new piece.

4. New design quote

A detailed quote will be provided for the creation of your tailor-made piece. The estimated value of the recycled gold will be credited toward the final cost of the new design.

ARTICLE 16 — REDESIGN PROJECTS « OLD IS GOLD » PROJECT / WARRANTY & LIABILITY CONCERNING CUSTOMER-SUPPLIED MATERIALS

LAURENCE VANDENBORRE shall not be held liable for the quality, authenticity, purity, or precise composition of any metals, gemstones, or other materials provided by the Customer.

No metallurgical or gemmological analysis is carried out prior to processing. Therefore, the Customer expressly acknowledges that LAURENCE VANDENBORRE cannot guarantee the suitability of such materials for melting, setting, or reuse, and that alterations, damage, material loss, or chemical reactions may occur during the manufacturing process.

By submitting such materials, the Customer agrees that they are used entirely at their own risk. LAURENCE VANDENBORRE shall not be liable in the event that the supplied materials cannot be used, are damaged, or are lost, whether partially or entirely, during handling, melting, or production.

No refunds, replacements, or compensation of any kind shall be owed or provided in relation to the use or outcome of Customer-supplied materials.

In the context of a bespoke project/tailor-made design, any existing jewellery or precious metal provided by the Customer will be fully melted down before being used in the new piece. No transformation, partial modification, or preservation of the original item will be performed. As a result, the original design, structure, and components will be irretrievably lost during the process. The Customer acknowledges and accepts that this process is irreversible and that the original piece cannot be returned in any form.

ARTICLE 17 – REPAIRS & INTERVENTIONS ON THIRD-PARTY JEWELRY

The workshop does not accept any jewellery that was not originally created and designed by LAURENCE VANDENBORRE for repairs, alterations, cleaning, engraving, or any other technical intervention.

No exceptions will be made. This policy is in place to ensure the quality of the work, the traceability of materials, and the liability standards upheld by the workshop.

Repairs included under warranty for items we did create will obviously be accepted by the workshop and covered by LAURENCE VANDENBORRE.

ARTICLE 18 – WARRANTY FOR CONSUMER GOODS (see also our page "WARRANTY")

In compliance with articles 1649bis à 1649octies of the Civil Code, we shall respond to all non-conformities that were to exist at the time of the delivery of the product and which were to appear within two years counting from that date.

However, the defect shall be deemed to be non-existent if, at the time of the conclusion of the contract, the Customer was aware of the non-conformity or could not reasonably have been unaware thereof, or if the non-conformity is to be attributed to him.

It is hereby agreed that the Customer shall be required to notify us of all non- conformities in writing within no more than 60 days counting from the date on which he established the defect. The non-observance of this obligation shall see the Customer forfeit all entitlements by reason of non-conformity.

However, we should specify in this respect that due consideration must go out to the specific nature of our products and that it is for the Customer to take care of the products, with special care being [...] taken to prevent the products from coming into contact with detergents or abrasive substances (such as chlorine, for instance). In addition, normal wear and tear and a certain patina as a result of the frequent and repeated wearing of our products on no account may be considered as a non- conformity within the meaning of the present clause.  

ARTICLE 19 — LIABILITY

Unless expressly otherwise set out in the present Terms and Conditions, our liability under all and any Contracts concluded through our website shall be strictly confined to the price of the products which are the subject of the Contract.

In addition, we waive all and any liability for any of the following reasons: loss of opportunity, loss of revenue or contracts, loss of data and loss of time, …

Moreover, in spite of all due care taken by us, we do not offer any guarantees in respect of the exactitude or the security of the data transmitted or obtained through this website, unless expressly stated otherwise.

In derogation from the above, our liability shall not be excluded or limited in the following cases: (i) death or physical injuries caused by our negligence; (ii) willful misrepresentation; or (iii) in all cases where a limitation of our liability would be unlawful or fraudulent.

We equally waive all and any liability for loss or harm resulting from a virus or any other technological prejudice caused to your IT equipment and your data as a result of the use of our website or resulting from the downloading of files we have sent you.  

ARTICLE 20 — FORCE MAJEURE

We shall not be liable for the non-performance or the delay in the performance of any which of our obligations when the said non-performance is due to a situation of force majeure, to with – and without the following listing being in any way exhaustive – in the event of fire, hail, natural disaster, strike, general lack of supplies, acts, decrees, legislation, regulations or restrictions issued by any governments or public authorities, maritime or inland waterway transport incidents or accidents, the carriage of mail of any other kind of transport.

In the event of force majeure, our contractual obligations shall be suspended throughout the entire duration of the force majeure and our fulfilment deadlines shall be extended by a length of time equivalent to that of the duration of the force majeure, as applicable. If the instance of force majeure should make if definitively impossible for us to perform our contractual obligations, we shall be released therefrom.  

ARTICLE 21 – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN GENERAL

The Customer hereby expressly acknowledges that all intellectual property rights in general and regardless of their nature, in respect of the content of our website shall remain the sole and exclusive property of LAURENCE VANDENBORRE or of the persons from whom we hold a licence.  The Customer shall therefore not be permitted to make any kind of use of the said content without the express and prior permission from the aforesaid parties. However, the Customer shall be permitted to use our website in such ways as necessary to retain a copy of the details in respect of the Contract and his personal details.  

ARTICLE 22 — COMMUNICATIONS

All communications to be undertaken with the Customer shall be deemed to have been properly performed if they are sent to the Customer’s e-mail or postal address as specified by the Customer when concluding the Contract.  

ARTICLE 23 – PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

The personal data of the Customer shall be processed by us for the following purposes:

- the performance of the present agreement;
- customer management, direct marketing and market research studies.

The personal data of the Customer are recorded and held in a file.

LAURENCE VANDENBORRE, whose contact details are set out under article 2, is the owner and administrator of the said file and responsible for the treatment thereof.

These details shall be used solely for the purposes outlined above, without prejudice to the Customer’s right to object to his data being processed and used for direct marketing purposes.

The Customer’s data shall not be transmitted to any third parties.

The Customer may be provided free of charge with a copy of the personal data held of him, as well as seek to have any wrong, incomplete or irrelevant data held of him rectified by sending LAURENCE VANDENBORRE a written, duly dated and signed request to that effect, along with proof of identity. The Customer can also turn to l’Autorité de Protection des données - APD (« Belgian Data Protection Authority »), with rules being governed by the GDPR, to exercise these rights.

All requests in respect of the communication, rectification or deletion of personal data may be brought before the Court of First Instance if the Customer’s request to that effect has gone unheeded for 45 days, or if the Customer’s request to that effect has been denied.

If, at any point in time, the Customer should have any grievances with LAURENCE VANDENBORRE with regard to the respect shown for his personal privacy, he should advise LAURENCE VANDENBORRE by e-mail or by letter sent by post. Every effort shall be made to identify and correct the problem.

If the Customer would like more information on the matter, he may contact the Autorité de protection des données (APD) at the following address:

Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Bruxelles

ARTICLE 24 – NO WAIVER

No waiver by us of any of our rights may be inferred, unless it is expressly and unambiguously stated to be a waiver in writing.  

ARTICLE 25 — NULLITY

The nullity of any one of the clauses of the present Terms and Conditions shall be confined to the clause found to be null and void and shall not affect the remainder of these Terms and Conditions.  

ARTICLE 26 – APPLICABLE LAW

The use of our website as well as all and any Contracts concluded through our website shall be governed by Belgian law. However, the present clause shall not in any way be allowed to prejudice any statutory provisions that offer greater protection to the Customer under his own national law, as applicable.  

ARTICLE 27 – COURTS OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION

All disputes directly or indirectly relating to the use of our website, the conclusion, performance or the interpretation of the Contracts concluded through our website shall be heard by the courts of competent jurisdiction of Antwerpen (Belgium), Division Antwerpen, without prejudice to the application of article 624, 1°, 2° and 4° of the Judicial Code or to the Customer’s rights under his own national law which offer greater protection, as applicable.  

 

Appendix

Withdrawal form (Form to be completed and returned to us only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)

Addressee: LAURENCE VANDENBORRE

Please be advised that I wish to exercise my right of withdrawal from the sales contract for the following items:

- Ordered / received on (*)

- Consumer’s name

- Consumer’s address

- Consumer’s signature (only for hardcopy forms)

- Date

- Help us to improve ourselves. Please mention, without any obligation, the reason of your withdrawal request

(*) Please delete as applicable