Lifetime Manufacturing Warranty
At Aura Diamonds, every piece is crafted with care. This page sets out exactly what's covered, for how long, and how to make a claim. Coverage is organised by metal, since that's what actually determines how a piece ages. For returns, refunds and exchanges, see our Returns & Refunds Policy.
Australian Consumer Law
Our goods and services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. For major failures with the service, you are entitled:
- to cancel your service contract with us; and
- to a refund for the unused portion, or to compensation for its reduced value.
You are also entitled to choose a refund or replacement for major failures with goods. If a failure with the goods or a service does not amount to a major failure, you are entitled to have the failure rectified in a reasonable time. If this is not done you are entitled to a refund for the goods and to cancel the contract for the service and obtain a refund of any unused portion. You are also entitled to be compensated for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage from a failure in the goods or service.
The Aura Diamonds Manufacturing Warranty is provided in addition to these rights and does not limit, replace, or exclude them in any way, on any product regardless of metal or price point. For more information, visit the ACCC at www.accc.gov.au.
Warranty Provider
This warranty is provided by Aura Diamonds Pty Ltd (ABN 31 691 748 928).
- Email: shop@aura-diamonds.com.au
- Phone: 0450 000 077
- Postal address for claims: provided when your claim is confirmed, as we operate a secure mail-in service from Melbourne
Please contact us by email in the first instance, ideally with photos of the issue, and we'll guide you through next steps from there.
When These Guarantees Don't Apply
Consumer guarantees do not apply if you:
- received exactly what you asked for, but simply changed your mind, found it cheaper elsewhere, or no longer had a use for it;
- caused the problem yourself through misuse;
- were told about the fault, or could reasonably have known about it, before purchase;
- asked for something to be made or done a certain way against our advice.
Manufacturing Warranty Coverage
| Material | Warranty Term | Coverage Details |
|---|---|---|
| Gold & Platinum | Lifetime | Structural manufacturing defects: metal porosity or blemishes, uneven settings identified at delivery or servicing, or plating faults identified at delivery or servicing. Excludes general wear & tear. |
| 925 Sterling Silver | 1 Year | Structural manufacturing defects: insecure settings, failed solder joints, faulty clasps, or rhodium plating faults (patchiness, discolouration) identified at delivery. Excludes general wear & tear. |
| 960 Silver–Germanium | 1 Year | Same structural coverage as 925 Sterling. This alloy is unplated (higher tarnish/scratch resistance) and uses secure settings only. Excludes general wear & tear. |
| Moissanite & Lab-Grown Diamond | Matches the metal term the stone is set in | Covers stone loss caused by a genuine setting defect, plus the stone characteristics (cut, colour, clarity, carat) selected at the time of sale. Excludes general wear & tear, misuse, intentional or accidental physical harm, theft, loss caused by misuse, lack of care or carelessness. |
Misdescription is also always covered: if your piece doesn't match its listed specifications (stone type, carat, cut, colour, clarity, metal, dimensions), that's covered under the Australian Consumer Law on every product we sell, regardless of warranty term. See our Returns & Refunds Policy for the process.
Gemstone note: Moissanite and lab-grown diamond are extremely hard, but no gemstone is unbreakable. A knock at the wrong angle can still chip or crack a stone regardless of hardness. This does not cover chipping, cracking, or breakage from impact, or stone loss caused by wear, accident, or mishandling. Bezel-set stones (our 960 silver range) are structurally more secure against loss than prong-set stones, though this affects likelihood of a claim, not the coverage term itself.
What's Not Covered (Wear and Tear)
Some things are the nature of wearing fine jewellery daily, not a manufacturing fault. Cosmetic wear like plating thinning or minor bending happens at different speeds for different people. It depends entirely on how a piece is worn and cared for, so the timelines below are general guides, not guarantees. This doesn't affect your 1-year (or lifetime) manufacturing warranty term itself, which is fixed regardless of wear. It only affects how soon you might notice cosmetic wear that sits outside that warranty.
All metals:
- Impact damage: chips, cracks, or breakage on stones caused by an accidental knock against a hard surface such as bench-tops, door frames, gym equipment, or a dropped piece.
- Setting wear: prongs or bezels that loosen, bend, or wear down through normal daily contact.
- Surface wear: scratches, dents, or surface marks from keys, bench-tops, gym equipment, or general handling.
- Clothing-snag damage: bent prongs, warped bands, or stretched/broken clasps from jewellery catching on a sleeve, jumper, or scarf and being pulled against the snag.
- Gradual loss: loss of a stone caused by gradual wear on the setting rather than a defect present from manufacture.
- Third-party work: damage from a repair, resize, or alteration carried out by anyone other than Aura Diamonds. This also voids the warranty on the affected area.
- Loss or theft.
Sterling silver, 960 silver–germanium, and plated pieces specifically:
- Tarnishing: silver reacts naturally with sulphur compounds in the air, in perfumes, in some cosmetics, and even in foods like eggs and onions, producing the dark or yellowish film known as tarnish. This is a normal chemical reaction, not a defect, and happens faster in humid climates or near the ocean. Our 960 silver–germanium pieces resist this significantly better than standard sterling, but no silver alloy is tarnish-proof.
- Gold vermeil and plated pieces: vermeil and gold/white-gold plated jewellery have a sterling silver base beneath the plating. As the plating naturally thins with wear, the exposed silver can tarnish like any other silver. This is normal plating wear, not a fault. Jewellery doesn't need to be worn to tarnish either: silver-based pieces react with air even in storage, which is why we recommend airtight or anti-tarnish pouches.
- Rhodium plating wear-through (925 sterling only): our sterling silver pieces are rhodium-plated for extra brightness and tarnish resistance. Like any plating, it's a thin surface layer that thins with handling, typically over 6–18 months as a general guide, though this is an estimate only. How long plating lasts depends heavily on how a piece is worn and handled day to day: someone who wears a ring constantly during manual work will see plating wear far faster than someone who removes it for hands-on activities. Once it wears through, the silver underneath looks duller and tarnishes more easily. This is expected plating wear, not a manufacturing fault, and is resolved with a re-plating service rather than a warranty claim. Our 960 silver–germanium pieces don't carry this risk, since their natural white finish isn't plated.
-
Softness, bending, and pressure damage: sterling silver is a soft metal, and this is the single biggest factor in how a silver piece holds up over time. Common causes we see include:
- Wearing a ring or bracelet during heavy lifting, manual labour, or gym work: direct pressure and gripping can bend a band or loosen a setting far more easily than with gold or platinum
- Catching jewellery on clothing while dressing or undressing, then pulling against the snag, a frequent cause of bent prongs, warped bands, or a stretched or broken clasp
- Everyday gripping (steering wheels, garden tools, heavy bags) can gradually reshape a soft silver band over months of regular contact
- Impacts or knocks against hard surfaces (bench-tops, door frames, gym equipment)
- Chemical exposure: chlorine (pools, spas, some tap water), household bleach, and harsh cleaning products can pit, discolour, or accelerate tarnish on silver far faster than on gold or platinum. This includes hand sanitiser and some sunscreens with high chemical concentrations.
- Contact discolouration: some skin chemistries, particularly with higher acidity from certain medications, supplements, or body chemistry, can cause silver to discolour faster on the wearer's skin than in general storage.
- Sulphur exposure in storage: storing silver in or near rubber bands, latex, wool felt, or unlined leather can accelerate tarnish, as these materials off-gas sulphur compounds.
Regardless of metal, we recommend an annual check to catch a loosening setting before a stone is lost. Our Ring Care Guide covers cleaning and storage in more detail.
Warranty coverage requires proof of purchase and applies only where the piece hasn't been altered or repaired by a third party.
How to Claim
Aura Diamonds is a mail-in service. Here's the process:
- Email us at shop@aura-diamonds.com.au describing the issue, ideally with a photo. You're welcome to call 0450 000 077 if you'd prefer to talk it through first.
- Pack securely. We'll confirm next steps and provide a secure shipping address. Pack your piece with the original invoice, your contact details, and any stone certificates, in a padded shipping satchel, as we can't be responsible for items damaged due to inadequate packaging.
- Postage deposit. A postage deposit applies, calculated based on your item's value rather than a flat fee: insuring a $5,000 ring for transit costs more than insuring a $500 pair of earrings, so the deposit reflects that. We'll confirm the exact amount with you before you send anything. This deposit isn't refunded if the issue is found not to be a manufacturing defect.
- Free assessment. We aim to complete assessments within 5 business days of receipt. If it's a covered manufacturing defect, your postage deposit is refunded in full and the repair is completed at no charge. If it's not covered, we'll send a repair quote. If you'd prefer not to proceed, your deposit covers return shipping.
Jewellery Care
- Hands-on activities: take your rings and bracelets off for the gym, sports, gardening, and cleaning, and before swimming; chlorine and salt water are especially hard on silver. A good habit: jewellery is the last thing on before you leave, the first thing off when you're home.
- Storage: store silver pieces in an airtight or anti-tarnish pouch away from rubber bands and unlined leather, and give them a gentle wipe with a soft polishing cloth after wear to slow tarnish build-up.
- Maintenance: we recommend an annual check to catch a loosening setting before a stone is lost.
For our full cleaning and storage instructions, see our Ring Care Guide. More questions? Our FAQs cover warranty, care, sizing and delivery, or contact our team anytime.