Answers To Common Questions:
Here you will find the answers to questions, general information
and pointers to where to find what you are looking for.
- On-line Ordering System Info
- The Process:
Go to the Ordering System FAQ to find information
on the ordering process, error messages, payment methods accepted and discount codes.
- Order Problems:
If you are having problems placing your order using our secure cart system you will find info on the possible causes at, Ordering System FAQ
You can also use our Alternative Secure Order Form
If you continue to have problems please contact us ASAP so that we can fix it for you
We are also more than happy to take your order in person by phone, fax, email or post.
- Currency:
We have shown our pricing in $US as simply a convenient and easy to understand
currency for many purchasers.
To convert these figures to your own currency pay a visit to: The
Currency Converter
Please Note: The Bone Art Place is based in New Zealand so credit card charges are made in New Zealand dollars. The exchange rate calculation is done on the day the charge is made however if there is an change in the exchange rates at all between the charge being placed and your card company actually processing it, there can be a slight difference.
For the last twelve months the NZ dollar rates have been going up (over 30% in that time) so you will generally see a charge on your credit card statement of around US$1 to US$2 dollars "Less" than you expected.
If however the exchange rates go the other way you may find the charge is the same US$1 or US$2 more than you expected. If this ever does happen please feel free to contact us and we will immediately do a credit to your card for you of any such difference.
- Custom Designs
- Do we carve custom designs?
Yes we do. We can carve your own design or create one specially for
you. Contact Don for details at don@boneart.co.nz
- Are Your Bone Carvings The Real Thing?
- Are your bone carvings the real thing or just machine cut imported copies?
Yes they are, to the best of our knowledge they are carved by either our artists in their own studios around New Zealand or are supplied by other independent artists or the artists agents.
Traditional Maori bone carvings have become very popular in recent years which has resulted in a lot of people now making knock-offs.
Unfortunately most of the carvings offered on the internet (and even in shops in New Zealand) these days are in fact very poor quality fakes which we believe is doing huge damage to the reputation of real New Zealand craft work and artists. Much of the work being sold as "Genuine Maori Carving" has in fact been factory made in Malaysia, Philippines, India or China and a lot of it is not even carved but is stamped out by machines from a bone and resin paste.  To add insult to injury these same people have stolen their designs from the real artists or copied them from our web site (or even copied our entire site).
The poor carvers who make these fakes in the sweat shop factories in some of these countries are paid a couple of dollars a week if that and have to work long hours spitting out as many carvings as possible. The retailers, importers and manufacturers who take advantage of the subsistence pay rates in these countries often try to justify it by saying they are Maori designs or local carvers can't keep up or even that somehow the use of raw materials exported from New Zealand to these factories somehow makes them the genuine article.
Be realistic, if a company in America is selling complex bone carvings at $15
each and making a profit after buying, importing and shipping them to customers, what do you think the artist will be getting paid?
Would you be prepared to work for that kind of money, so why would you expect skilled craftsmen and artists who treasure their culture and their craft accept a few cents an hour for their work?
Yes we are passionate about our culture and our craft, we make no apologies for that. Our carvers are paid well for their skill and dedication which is the least they deserve. Respect for the culture and craft starts with respect for those who do the work.
If you are looking for exclusive, high quality, genuine bone carvings, The Bone Art Place is where you will find them. If however you are looking for cheap, mass produced machine cut replicas, there are a number of companies in Asia and India who can supply these for you.
Either way, you will get exactly what you pay for.
- Cords, Packaging etc.
- What cords and other material are supplied with your carvings?
Every pendant carving is supplied with a traditional black waxed braid cord with a loop and carved toggle fitted, a woven flax presentation case and information on the meaning of the design.
More About Cords & Packing Detail
- Materials used for carvings
- Do you sell carvings made from Whale bone?
We at the Bone Art Place have a great love and respect for our natural
world. As a general rule we do not use whale bone for carvings unless
we know exactly what the source of the bone is and then only for very
special ceremonial carvings. Any bone we use must be from ancient stranding's
and most often is many hundreds of years old. We WILL NOT use any whale
bone from any other source at all and definitely not modern or recent
bone.
There is a world wide black market in recent whale bone which we strongly
condemn. We also do not believe that such a precious material should ever
be used to carve trinkets for sale.
Finally, it is illegal to import whale products into most countries so
if you find someone who will supply whale bone carvings, they are very
likely to be seized by customs and you may be prosecuted as well.
- What type of bone is used for carvings?
In pre-European times there were no cattle or other large land animals
in New Zealand other than a large (now extinct) flightless bird called
the Moa which stood up to 3mtrs tall. Some items were carved from its
bone but it was really too light and porous.
There were therefore only a couple sources of bone available for the
larger carvings. Many large bone carvings were made from whale bone from
stranded whales (the Maori did not hunt whales) which should be cured
for several years before it can be used.
Smaller pieces such as needles, tattooing knives and spear tips were made
from the bones of large birds such as the Albatross and Moa.
The pieces on our site are all carved from cow bone which is now the only
readily available source of bone suitable for carving. The bone has to
be very fine grained, very dense and also thick enough to make the larger
pieces. It is the high density and fine grain of the bone that gives it
the ability to hold such a high gloss polish.
- Are Jade Pounamu and Greenstone the same thing?
The short answer is no.
New Zealand jade is Nephrite Jade which has inclusions of other minerals giving it the interesting colour.
Jade or Greenstone are common names for the jade used to carve Maori designs. These terms include jade sourced from New Zealand and also imported stone from places like Australia or Canada. New Zealand jade is sometimes hard to get so it is common for stock or cheaper carvings to be carved from a mixture of local and imported stone.
We can not 100% guarantee that every stock carving design is carved from New Zealand stone as they are often not made by our own carvers so we simply describe them as "jade"
There is no really a pure black New Zealand jade (very dark but not completely black) so pure black jades are generally Australian jade.
Pounamu however is the term for New Zealand jade so is only used when we have been assured by the carvers that it is really New Zealand jade.
You will find "Pounamu" carvings in our featured artists galleries and "Jade" in our stock carvings listings.
- Care of Bone Carvings
Your bone carving is made of highly polished bone. This is a porous material and over time absorbs oils from your skin turning to a soft honey gold colour wherever it has been in contact with your skin. This is normal and one of the great beauties of bone crafted jewelry.
To bring back the shine on your carving simply buff it with a soft cloth. In ancient times the high gloss polished finish of bone carvings was achieved by the wearer rubbing it with the hands over many months and years.
A bone carving not only looks good but it also feels nice to touch. Handling the carving will not only keep it nicely polished but will also allow your body oils to enter the carving making it a part of you. The Maori people believe it also takes on the spirit of all those who wear it so the more colour it develops the more highly it is treasured.
- Be careful not to spill other coloured liquids onto the carving such as red wines etc as these will also be absorbed into the carving.
- Though bone is a very hard material it can also be brittle and will break if dropped onto a hard surface such as a road or concrete pavement.
- Small carvings should not be worn while sleeping as they may catch on bed clothing and be damaged.
- Check the condition of the cord often.
- Never use household cleaning or polishing compounds on your carving.
- Rain and the swimming will not harm white carvings but avoid sudden or extreme temperature changes such as wearing it in a very hot shower or spa. Swimming with it then allowing it to dry rapidly in the sun is also not good for the carving until it has been worn for at least six months against the skin to “cure” it with your body oils
- Handle the carving often as the oils from your skin will keep the carving in good condition and protect it from the elements.
- Stained or coloured carvings should not be worn in the shower or while swimming as salt water in particular will fade the stained portions of your carving.
- Maori Artists
- Are all the artists Maori?
No, While many are Maori, New Zealand is a true multicultural society like most small nations in the Pacific so our artists reflect that cultural diversity. We have Maori, Part Maori, European and Pacific Island carvers. What is most important is that the artists are masters of their craft and that they are totally passionate about their craft, their heritage and their culture whatever that may be.
- Location of Artists
- Do you only sell work made in New Zealand?
95% of what we sell is made in New Zealand by local artists. We do also however sell work by artists who live and work in other countries in the region such as featured artist Anthony Bray-Heta, a Maori carver now living in Australia. We represent the best of ethnic art, craft work and artists from all around the region but our main focus is on New Zealand.
- Delivery Options & Insurance.
- Do I need shipping insurance and what are the costs?
Loss of packages in the post is very rare but it does happen from time to time so you need to assess the risk yourself.
We have had parcels simply disappear without trace, we have had parcels stolen by neighbors from letterboxes, we have had parcels arrive empty or with damaged contents and we have even had a USA Postal service worker caught steeling them while sorting.
Theft and loss of parcels is more common during the Christmas rush when the postal services are under huge pressure and can make mistakes.
All parcels carry at least US$50 cover automatically but if you are buying carvings with more than that you should consider taking the higher insurance cover or for very expensive pieces, using our fully insured DHL courier service.
If a parcel is lost in the post and you have chosen not to take appropriate insurance cover the maximum we can legally reimburse you is US$50 We can NOT refund payments or replace carvings over the insurance cover limit chosen by you when you place your order. If you do not specify the delivery method you will be given the standard airmail delivery with US$50 cover by default.
All of the rates shown are for international delivery anywhere in the world.
- International Airmail Post.
** Special - Air Post delivery reduced from US$9.50 to just US$6.95 worldwide**
US$6.95 for up to five items in the same pack shipped worldwide.
There is a up to US$50 insurance cover in this option
Delivery time approx. two weeks.
- International Airmail Post (Insured).
US$12.95 for up to five items in the same pack shipped worldwide.
There is up to US$150 shipping insurance cover included in this option
Delivery time approx. two weeks.
- Express Courier.
US$49.95 for up to five items in the same pack.
For six or more pieces please ask for a quote.
Includes full cover shipping insurance regardless of value.
Delivery time approx. three to four days.
For Christmas Delivery Deadlines - Click Here
- Customs Duties or VAT
- Will I be charged customs import duties on my package?
Having to pay customs import duties on your postal package when it arrives is VERY rare.
If you are ordering anything (not just from us) from outside your own country there is always a possibility that your customs service may inspect the parcel and "may" charge a percentage of the value in import duties, quarantine fees or other charges. These will usually be invoiced by the delivery provider on behalf of the your customs service.
Most parcels sent via normal airmail post are never opened by the customs service and no duties are charged. Parcels that are inspected often do not have duties charged if they are under the "tax free" level set by your customs service.
Large or more expensive orders and all orders sent by express courier will always be inspected by your local customs service so it is likely that some customs duties or other fees will be payable.
Customs rules and how they are applied differ widely from country to country and even between customs branches within a country so it is not possible for us to advise what if any duties or fees will or will not be charged.
As we have no control whatsoever over the customs and postal services in your country it is obviously both unfair and unrealistic to expect The Bone Art Place to quote on or cover any such fees charged by your local authorities.
We will therefore not under any circumstances cover or reimburse for any such fees charged by your local customs, courier or postal services.
If this is a concern, check with you customs service before ordering any goods from any supplier outside your own country.
- Privacy and Spam
- We hate spam and refuse to deal with companies that use it.
All information you provide when ordering or corresponding with the Bone Art Place is kept strictly confidential and stored under very tight security.
Personal information including email addresses will NEVER be given or sold to any third party whatsoever and we will NEVER use information we have to send unsolicited spam or advertising material.
Our full privacy policy can be found at Bone Art Privacy Statement
There are some idiots out there who are faking our return address on spam emails selling drugs and software etc, if you receive any of these they are NOT from us but please report it to us so we can take action against them
- Are you associated with other art suppliers.
- We have a number of independent dealers and galleries around the world who sell our works but there is only one official Bone Art Place for ethnic art and this is it.
If you see a site that claims to be The Bone Art Place report it to us.
- Satisfaction Guarantee
We are very proud of the high quality of our work so we are happy to provide a full refund no questions asked return policy.
If on receiving your order you are not 100% happy with your carving for any reason at all, we will provide a full refund of the purchase price (excluding shipping) on return of the carvings in original condition within 30 days.
If the carvings are returned because they are faulty we will also refund the shipping charges or provide a replacement at your option.
The artists, materials and descriptions shown throughout this site are accurate to the best of our knowledge based on information supplied by the artists or their agents.
If there is any error in the artist name, the material used or the description on any piece we will immediately replace or refund in full the purchase price on return of the carving.
The 30 day limit would not apply in this situation.
If you find anything on our site that you believe is not accurately described please let us know ASAP so that we can correct or remove that item immediately.
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