Shipping/FAQ

How are you handling shipping during the pandemic?

Due to coronavirus lockdowns and quarantines, I am currently unable to ship to some countries, and there are significant delays for shipping to remaining countries.

Please note that it is not unusual for packages to take 9-14 business days to arrive, and in some cases, they have been taking about one month. I have no control over the speed of the post. Thank you for your patience and understanding.


I am not responsible for any taxes/duties/etc. imposed upon the buyer upon the goods' arrival.


RUSSIAN CUSTOMERS: All mail services to Russia have been suspended as of June 3, 2022.

More info can be found here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

UK CUSTOMERS: Due to new VAT legislation that was implemented on July 1, I no longer ship to the UK via my main shop. Any order placed from the UK will be canceled and your money refunded. However, you can still purchase many of my products via my Etsy!

Here is my Etsy shop link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/taimattea/

This is because VAT must now be collected at the point of sale, not point of import. Collection of VAT is currently not possible via my main shop, but Etsy has been designated a "marketplace," and so handles the paperwork and taxes themselves. If you were to order from my main shop without paying VAT ahead of time, you might be subjected to even heavier taxes upon the item's arrival in your country, which I would like to spare you all from.

ALL OTHER COUNTRIES: Your orders will ship via standard-speed registered (tracked) mail, unless you select the Express shipping upgrade by adding the following listing to your cart: Express Shipping: https://www.taimattea.com/product/express-shipping


Thank you again for your patience and understanding!


How quickly will my order ship?

All of my teas are blended, tinned or bagged, and heat sealed by hand, and every parcel is packed with care by yours truly. I assemble orders as I receive them, and I do not have tins and bags and such ready to go, as I never know how many I'll need. And so, a few days of processing time is required.

I visit the post office about once a week, to try and minimize my exposure to Covid, as I am immunocompromised. Therefore, depending upon when your order is placed, it may take up to a week to be processed and shipped. Thank you for your understanding.


How do I brew loose leaf tea?

Easy-peasy! You'll need an empty tea bag or infuser, a clean, heatproof mug or cup, and freshly-boiled water.

Each tin and bag of Taimat Tea comes labeled with blend-specific instructions on how to brew that type of tea, including the water temperature and steeping time. But in addition, every tea order also ships with a general "Tea Brewing Guide" to take you through the basic steps.

Do take care not to use water that is too hot or to let your leaves steep for too long, as this will burn them and increase the tea's bitterness. (If you're steeping an herbal infusion, however, you've nothing to worry about! Those are durable!)


How do I brew tea cold?

Ah, an excellent question! Especially in the summer months! For a cold brew, you have two options:

  1. Brew the tea hot, following the guide, with ½ the amount of water advised. When it’s done brewing, pour it over ice, or mix it with some cold water.
  2. Put a few tea bags into a water bottle (or pitcher, etc.), and stick the whole thing in the fridge overnight.
Ta-da! All done!


Is your glitter really food-safe?

Yes, indeed!

I source the food-safe glitter included in some of my teas directly from a manufacturer that supplies it to industries like food and pharmaceuticals. It is the same glitter you might find dusting a cake or swirling in a fancy drink.

There are no plastics or harmful chemicals, here! Most edible glitters are made of sugar, and that is what bakeries often use as icing toppings. This will not work for teas, of course, as it would simply dissolve in the water. So I use a type of glitter that is made to be insoluble in water. It is made of mica (used in cosmetics and toothpaste) and titanium dioxide (used in food coloring).

It is odorless and tasteless, and I use only a tiny amount when blending a batch of tea. A little goes a very long way!


How do I find my ring size?

You can search the internet for loads of guides on how to measure your ring size using string and a ruler, for example, but I've personally found these to be somewhat inaccurate.

I would recommend visiting a jeweler or a hobby/craft store. You can usually purchase a ring sizer for a reasonable price, but some stores have display units that you can use for free. In addition, a jeweler should offer this service free of charge, as well.

If you'd prefer to use an online/at-home method, I've found that measuring the diameter of a ring you currently own works much better than the string-wrapping method. (Remember, ring size depends upon the space inside the band, so measure from inner wall to inner wall.)


What ring size system do you use?

All of my rings are labeled in US sizes. Many countries use different systems (the UK uses letters, Japan goes directly by the mm measurement, etc.), so you may have to convert from your country's system into US measurements.


My ring size is a half size. What should I do?

Take the next full size up. If you take a size down, then you risk being unable to fit the ring over your knuckle. For example, if you are a size 7.5, choose a size 8, not a size 7. Alternatively, you can wear a ring of any size on a necklace chain, if that’s more to your fancy. :) Stainless steel chains are sold in my shop!

Can you incude a gift message with my order?

Absolutely! Just add the "gift message" listing to your cart.

Messages are handwritten by yours truly, onto a card approximately the size of a business card.

At checkout, in the “Notes” section, please include the text you would like written on the card, exactly as you would like it written.

Messages will not include a “To” or “From” name unless requested in your note.

Because all messages are handwritten, I am unable to include any "fancy" emoji. (But I can add old-school emoticons! ^^)


Can you gift wrap my order?

I cannot "properly" wrap anything in paper and tape and the like, because when sending goods abroad, it is always possible that packages will be opened and inspected by customs, and they must be able to see what is inside a package. If I were to wrap a gift this way, and it got inspected, customs would simply unwrap it.

However, all orders come lovingly packed in branded tissue paper at no extra charge, for both protective and presentation purposes, so your goods should still look nice upon arrival!


Can you make custom teas?

In theory, yes.

However, because I am a small, one-person operation, I only have the ingredients on hand for my already-formulated tea blends.

Creating a new blend involves inventing a recipe, sourcing and importing ingredients (which must usually be done in bulk), testing and potentially reformulating the blend, and commissioning artwork and printing labels.

Such an undertaking usually takes several months and costs several hundred dollars USD, based on my past experiences. This would be for just one single tea. For an entire six-tea gift set, the price would likely increase sixfold.

If this is something you are interested in and willing to pay for, however, I am open to discussions. Feel free to contact me.


Can you further customize/personalize your jewelry?

Apologies, but I cannot. All jewelry is sold as-is, as each piece has already been designed/engraved/etc. according to my specifications, and I do not possess the equipment to further modify steel or tungsten carbide jewelry. (Though you can of course have a gift message included!)