F.A.Q
Who Owns Tskies?
T.Skies Jewelry is a southwestern jewelry store founded by Mathew James, Mathew continues to run the day-to-day operations in the shop.
The Non Profit co-op is run by the jewelry artists who work in the shop and the current president is Navajo Silversmith Devin Edison. If you want to support a local artisan, join our live shows and buy from an artist directly.
How does T.Skies give back to the coop?
T.Skies donates 5% of profits from the Signature Collections to the T.Skies co-op. These funds are used to sponsor students and provide training for local artists to preserve Indigenous craft. To learn more about the co-op or to donate directly to the cause, please visit the co-op website here: tskiescoop.com
Where is the jewelry made?
Every piece of jewelry is meticulously handcrafted by a local artisan in Albuquerque, NM (located on ancestral Tiwa homeland).
What does transparency mean to T.Skies?
We’re relentless in our stewardship of local and southwestern culture—you can expect 100% transparency about our practices. Our promise to you is that every piece is handcrafted by a local artisan in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Who Makes T.Skies Jewelry?
Turquoise Skies has become a hub for Native New Mexican, Indigenous, Spanish and Chicanx descent. Our jewelers are all local the Albuquerque ,NM area and are encouraged to continue learning and practicing their cultural art forms. Though at one time 100% of the artisans making jewelry were Native American, we do not discriminate and do not hire jewelers according to their race or skin color. Our family or jewelers are mixed, making a rich style for our jewelry and a beautiful community around the T.Skies workshop.
Returns: Turquoise Skies Inc. offers some of the best quality authentic, southwest jewelry. We believe in our products and are confident you will be happy with your purchase. We understand that it can be difficult to shop online. We offer a 30-day 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back. We simply ask that you let us know about any problems within 14 days of receiving your order. To start, contact us and we will give you a return address to mail it back. Once the item arrives, you will be refunded for the full purchase amount minus shipping fees.
Late returns: on items after the 30 day period will be subject to a 25% restocking fee. In other words, if a return request is submitted 15 or more days after receiving your order, you will be refunded 75% of the purchase price.
Black Friday & Holiday Offers: Free gifts must be returned with qualifying purchase or the value of the gift(s) will be deducted from the return.
Exchanges: If you’d like to exchange your piece for a different size, simply contact us. We’d love to help you find the right size! Exchanges are subject to a $5 shipping fee and your replacement will be shipped when the original arrives at our warehouse.
Defective Product: Simply contact us for a replacement at hello@tskies.com. Your replacement will be shipped when the original arrives at our warehouse.
When will my order ship?
Please allow for one business day for processing time before your package ships.
How do I track my order?
When you place an order, we send you an order confirmation email that includes a link to view your order. Simply click "View Your Order" to see the status of your order.
If you have an account, you can also view tracking information by going to Your Account and clicking the order number you want to track.
How do I take care of my jewelry?
When not wearing your jewelry, store it in a safe place separate from other jewelry pieces. This helps prevent scratching and maintains the color. Remove your jewelry when applying scents, lotions, and sprays and before showering. To maintain that like-new shine, gently rub the surface with a jewelry polishing cloth, paying special attention to use a softer cloth for gold vermeil pieces so as not to prematurely remove the layer of gold.
To learn more about how to maintain the beauty and shine of your sterling silver piece, read Four Things Not to Do with Your Silver Jewelry.
If you purchased a one of a kind piece from a live show, make sure to read 8 Tips for Maintaining Your Native Jewelry.
Does Gold vermeil oxidize?
Although gold vermeil will not tarnish like silver, it may fade with wear. Vermeil is thick gold-plated on silver and frequent wear and abrasive cleaning can wear off the gold prematurely, revealing the sterling silver.
Does Sterling Silver oxidize?
All sterling silver will oxidize over time and under the right conditions. Our sterling silver is .925, meaning our jewelry is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal alloys which make the silver hard enough to shape into jewelry. It is the way the other metals (mostly copper) interact with the environment that cause a piece to oxidize. The amount of oxidation depends on the level of detail and the habits and care of the person who wears the jewelry.
To learn more about how to maintain the beauty and shine of your sterling silver piece, read Four Things Not to Do with Your Silver Jewelry.
Can I shower with my jewelry on?
Showering can speed up the tarnishing of silver jewelry and can expedite the wear of gold vermeil pieces. We recommend removing your jewelry prior to showering to maintain the beauty of your jewelry.
Does T.Skies offer custom jewelry, repair or resizing services?
Yes! We have a customer jewelry and repair service. Depending on your situation, we would like to know a little more about what you need. Please contact us and share some more details so we can help you out. Please have a picture available to give us a better idea of what we are working with. https://tskies.com/pages/contact
Can I combine discounts?
No, all of our discount codes are to be used alone and can’t be combined with other codes or offers.
How do I redeem my gift card?
After purchasing your gift card, you should have received a 16-digit gift card code via email. To redeem the card, input the code during checkout and it will be applied to your order. The value of your gift card will be automatically deducted from the order. Should a balance be owed, you can use a credit card or PayPal. Kindly note that you can only use (1) one gift card per transaction.
Something not a lot of people know is that at TSkies, we build dreams. You know that idea you’ve had in the back of your mind for years? Here is your chance to bring it to life! Contact hello@tskies.com to reserve a spot on our custom jewelry waitlist. Please include a detailed description, preferably with photos or sketches. There is a non-refundable 50% deposit required before we can begin your order. Custom orders are only available for New Mexico residents and In-shop at this time. Requests on our signature jewelry is also an option, contact hello@tskies.com with your modification ideas.
T.Skies Gallery
8106 Menaul Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Open 12-6pm Tuesday – Saturday
Open Sunday TBA for Special Events
Always Open Online!
Email
hello@tskies.com
Phone number
(505) 862-9443
Come say hello! We love to chat!
What does your Non-profit do?
The T.Skies Co-Op is a 501(c)3 non-profit where local southwest jewelers can learn, work, sell and develop industry skills. Through education and opportunities for artists, we seek to preserve the quality and authenticity of handmade jewelry. You can learn more about our programs at tskiescoop.com.
What is the K.I.T.A program?
The Keeping Indigenous Traditions Alive (KITA) program is a scholarship for Native American students interested in jewelry. It was set up in partnership with CNM’s Bench Jewelry program and the Fuse Makerspace to help students from underserved Native American communities pay for school.
Native students often face what seem like insurmountable obstacles in furthering their education. The financial help provided by the KITA program will fill the gaps in funding and allow students to finish their classes. The Scholarship will go towards: school tuition, tools and materials needed for the jewelry program, transportation, and lodging.
To apply for the KITA program, please visit: https://tskiescoop.com/programs/
What is the T.skies Internship?
The T.Skies Internship is an opportunity for students that are in school and would like to get school credit for real-world experience in the jewelry industry. Students will also be paid for their time. The internship time and credits acquired will be coordinated with the school. Students must meet all standards required by their school to apply for the program.
If you are a student in the CNM Bench Jewelry program or in a local high school in the local Albuquerque area and you are interested in the program, please apply here: https://tskiescoop.com/programs/
How do I Donate to the Non Profit?
You can donate in 3 ways. You can donate here https://tskiescoop.com/donate/
Or you can donate jewelry that will be sold on our Live Show of which 100% of the money raised this way will go to the Non-Profit.
Also, when you buy a signature piece of jewelry from T.Skies, a portion of your purchase will go to the non-profit.
Your Donations support programs like the K.I.T.A. program and internship.
What is your Live Show?
T.Skies Live Shows are the largest, longest-running, most-followed authentic Native American jewelry show online. Our Live Show is the place to buy unique, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted jewelry from our local Native American artisans and old pawn vintage jewelry.
When are your live shows?
Live shows are currently every Friday at 4:30pm MST (3:30 PST/ 6:30 EST) and every other Saturday at 3:30pm MST (2:30 PST/ 5:30 EST).
How do I pay for the jewelry I purchased on a live show?
During our Friday Live Show, items are listed and ready to add to your cart on tskies.com/collections/tskies-live-shows
During our Saturday Guest Artist Live Shows, you can claim your item buy typing "Sold item#" in the comments in this post to buy. Email us at hello@tskies.com if you’re new or have not received your invoice.
You can find and claim after show items available in our private Facebook group! If you're not already an Inner Circle member, you're invited to join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/557883974957610
How do I buy one-of-a-kind jewelry from a local Native American artist?
We often have guests on our Live shows, many of the artists in our local area are Native American and you can buy from them directly. The guest artists on our show own their jewelry and we just charge a small fee to make sure the customer is taken care of.
How to your guest artists get paid?
Artists get paid once a buyer has completed a transaction. We can hold the jewelry for up to a week after the show to wait for buyers to finish their transactions and to give later viewers a chance to buy the jewelry. If you are an artist and are interested in doing a show, please contact us here.