About our jewelry
Will my jewelry come on a Transistor Sister card?
Are the components real?
Are the ceramic circuit boards durable?
Are the circuit boards really gold, platinum & palladium?
How did you acquire the components?
What are the ear wires and posts really made from?
What are hand crafted ear wires?
Where can your work be purchased?Shopping
How do I place an order?
How long does it take to receive an order?
What payment methods do you accept?
How do I redeem a gift certificate?
How do I redeem a coupon or credit?
Do I have to pay sales tax?Shipping
How do you ship orders?
Do you ship to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada?Returns / Exchanges / Repairs
What is your return policy?
What if I want to exchange my item?
Where do I send my return or exchange?
What if my item needs to be repaired.
Can I buy a single earring to replace the one I’ve lost?
What if I want to change an item or place a special order?Gift Services
What gift wrap / box / card services do you offer?
How do I purchase a gift certificate?Contacting Us
Will my jewelry come on a Transistor Sister card?
Yes, every computer jewelry item comes with one of our cards. We mark each card identifying what component(s) the design is made from. The earrings are additionally marked with the type of ear wires used. There is a great view of our cards on the TV spot under the press menu. Click here for view.Yes the components are real and extremely unique. Most components are over 20 years old. Many have been replaced by their predecessors numerous times evolving into the truly micro electronics of today. From an artist view: nothing like the pickings in the good old days.
Are the ceramic circuit boards durable?
Yes they’re very durable. The ceramic material used is extremely dense and strong. If we haven’t broken a circuit during processing, polishing and drilling it’s good to go! We do break some. Mostly while painstakingly drilling holes in them using a high speed drill and diamond drill bits. If you do break one we will replace it for free.
Are the circuit boards really gold, platinum & palladium?
Yes the circuit boards are made with gold, platinum & palladium. Used due to their resistance to oxidization and corrosion. Many of the circuit boards we have were made in the late 1980s liberally using platinum & palladium (approx. $130 per ounce) instead of gold which was (approx. $300 per ounce). Now approx. 20 years later – June 2008, platinum is over $2000 per ounce and palladium was recently over $1800 per ounce & gold is a mire $1000.
How did you acquire the components?
We started our business in 1984 with our first expense being a trip to Silicon Valley. We found enough interesting stuff to get things started. The hunt for components was on and we were soon doing business with electronic surplus and scrap dealers up and down the coast. As they acquired interesting stuff they would send us samples. If cool enough we were usually glad to pay the premium asked for them. Another great source was the Hamvention in Dayton Ohio. The nation’s largest ham radio convention. They loved our computer geek gifts.
What are the ear wires and posts really made from?
We believe we buy the best gold filled, sterling silver & surgical steel hooks available! Made in the USA by Rio Grande in Albuquerque New Mexico. A quality manufacturer of jewelry supplies since 1944.
What are hand crafted ear wires?
We buy stock ear wires with a strait end. This allows us to accent the ear wires and turn the desired size and style of loop required for a particular design.
Where can your work be purchased?
At this time. Only on this site! It’s likely you’ll soon see our work on other computer gift and computer geek gift web sites.
You can place an order through our secure shopping cart. We accept Visa, Master Card & Discover credit cards and debit cards with a Visa or Master Card logo.
How long does it take to receive an order?
All of our jewelry is hand made in the Seattle area. The majority of our items ship within 5 business days however in some instances shipping may take as long as 10-15 days. If this is the case, we will email you so you know when to expect to your order.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept Visa, Master Card & Discover credit cards and debit cards with a Visa or Master Card logo.
How do I redeem a coupon or promotional credit?
Coupons & Credits can be redeemed online by entering your code upon check-out. Please note, only one code can be applied to an order.
How do I redeem a gift certificate?
Gift certificates can be redeemed on the web site. To redeem a gift certificate on the website just enter the gift certificate code upon check-out.
All orders shipped to a Washington State address will be charged 8.00% sales tax. Orders shipped outside the Washington State are not subject to sales tax
Most items ship within 5 business days after the order is placed. We ship all orders through the United States Post Office. Options include Priority Mail (2-3 day delivery) and Express Mail (overnight).
Do you ship to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada?
Yes
Jewelry may be returned within 30 days of receipt, in the original, unused condition. You must first email us to obtain a return authorization number. Please include a copy of your invoice or packing slip with your return. We will process your return promptly, although it may take one to two billing cycles for a refund to appear on your credit card statement. Your refund will be processed to the same credit card used to make your purchase.
Sorry, shipping fees are not refundable. In addition, no refunds or exchanges are provided for custom orders.What if I want to exchange my item?
Exchanges are handled just like returns. Please notify us within 30 days of receipt that you would like to exchange your item. We'll issue you an authorization number as well as place an order for the new item. Any difference in the purchase amount will be charged/ credited accordingly. Once the exchanged item is received, we'll ship the new item. Please note, shipping fees are not refundable on exchange items.
Where do I send my return or exchange?
Please send your return or exchange to the following address:
Transistor Sister
9712 44TH Ave. SW
Seattle, WA 98136Please be sure to send your jewelry in a box for safe keeping during transit. Please also insure your package, as we cannot accept responsibility until your items are returned to us.
What if my item needs to be repaired?
We hope you'll never need a repair. However, in the unlikely event you do, we are happy to repair and return your item free of charge. Please email us first then return the item to us.
Can I buy a single earring to replace the one I've lost?
We certainly want to help if we can. If possible we will replace a single earring, for half the original price of the pair. Please email us and we will follow-up with you. As the components we have are limited in quantity it’s possible we may be unable to match your earring.
What if I want to change an item or place a special order.
We aim to please. Please email us with your request. Most earrings are available in sterling silver, 14kt gold fill & surgical steel hooks.
What gift wrap / box / card services do you offer?
Need a gift box & card for your computer gift? We’ll take care of it - free of charge! Just indicate your message on checkout. Offered on orders sent to an address different than the purchasers address.
How do I purchase a gift certificate?
Gift certificates are not available for purchase on line at this time.
You may contact us by email, regular mail or phone. We have an easy to use email contact submission form in the shopping cart portion of our site.