Shipping

Every order leaves our hands in Ashland, Illinois, packed like it's going to someone we know.

Here's how it works.

The short version

Free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

Otherwise: $5.95 for small pieces, $8.95 for standard pieces, $14.95 for large or heavy pieces. Your cart shows the rate before you pay.

Free local pickup in Meredosia, Illinois.

We ship USPS Ground Advantage with tracking. Most packages arrive 2 to 5 business days a er they ship.

   All orders ship within 1 to 3 business days. Order by noon Central on Friday to have it out the door that week.

                 Every package is insured. If it arrives broken, we make it right.

Where we ship

Right now we ship anywhere in the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, PO boxes, and APO/FPO military addresses.

We don't ship internationally yet. Crystals are heavy and fragile, and we want to get the packaging and customs side right before we offer it. If you're outside the U.S. and want something, email us at nicole@moonstonesandembers.com and we'll see what we can work out, or join the newsletter to hear when international opens.

Processing time

Every order, including Crystal Capsule Grabs and live-sale orders, is packed and shipped within 1 to 3 business days (Monday through Friday, not counting holidays).

Friday cutoff: orders placed before noon Central on Friday are processed that week. Orders placed a er noon Friday, or on a weekend or holiday, start processing on Monday.

Capsule pulls happen in order and are usually done on camera, so those orders tend to land at the 3-day end of the window. If anything is going to take longer than 3 business days, we'll email you. We'd rather over-communicate than have you wondering.

Delivery time

We ship USPS Ground Advantage, which typically delivers in 2 to 5 business days once the package is on its way. Illinois and neighboring states tend to land on the early end; the coasts take the full 5.

Delivery estimates are USPS's, not a guarantee. Weather, holidays, and the December rush can add a day or two. If you need something by a specific date, email us before you order and we'll tell you honestly whether it's realistic.

Holiday shipping: for delivery by December 24, please order by Monday, December 14. We'll update this date if USPS publishes different cutoffs.

Tracking

You'll get an email with a tracking number the day your package ships. If the tracking doesn't update for a day or two right a er it's scanned, that's normal for USPS; packages o en move without scanning and then update all at once. If it hasn't moved in 10 business days, get in touch and we'll start a trace.

How we pack

Crystals break when they can move inside the box, so our whole packing method is about making sure nothing can.

   Every piece is wrapped individually in bubble wrap, with extra layers on points, tips, and thin edges like butterfly wings and tower tops.

   So stones like selenite and Caribbean calcite get a layer of tissue first, so nothing marks the surface.

   Anything fragile or over $50 is double-boxed: a snug inner box inside an outer box with cushioning on every side.

   We fill every gap and shake the box before taping it. If we hear anything, we open it up and add more.

   Each order includes a small care card for the stones inside, and we tuck in something extra when we can.

We reuse clean packing material when it's in good shape. It's better for the planet and it keeps shipping prices down. If your box looks a little lived-in on the outside, what's inside is not.

Local pickup (Meredosia, Illinois)

Choose Local pickup at checkout and we'll email you within 1 to 3 business days to set a pickup day. Pickups are at 10 a.m. at the public park in Meredosia, Illinois. Bring your order confirmation email (on your phone is fine) and we'll have your order wrapped and ready.

If 10 a.m. doesn't work for you, reply to the pickup email and we'll find a time that does.

If something arrives damaged

It happens rarely, but it happens. Every package we send is insured, so you're covered.

1.     Email nicole@moonstonesandembers.com within 7 days of delivery.

2.     Include your order number, a photo of the damaged piece, and a photo of the box and packing material. Please keep everything until we've sorted it out, because the carrier may ask to see it.

3.     We'll send a replacement if we have one, or refund you in full, your choice. We cover the shipping either way.

You never have to fight with the post office. That's