FAQ - HOW CAN WE HELP

Order and Shipping

If you have received two identical order confirmations, it may have been a double order. Please contact us at hello@ouaw.se and we will help you.

We ship worldwide. 

Kindly note that there may be regions, countries, or cities that the courier service we work with is unable to deliver to. If you want to send to an address in an area where you know that no or few postal services operate in please contact us before placing an order at hello@ouaw.se

If you wish to make a change in your delivery address, please contact us. We’ll do our best to assist you.

Please note that a request to change the delivery address may delay the delivery.

You will receive an email with your package’s tracking number as soon as your order ships from us. To follow your package, simply use the tracking number provided in your order confirmation email.

Use your shipments tracking number, stated in your confirmation email to follow your order. Your local office for the shipment service can likely inform you of the status of the delivery. If you still need our help contact us as hello@ouaw.se

If the maximum number of working days for the delivery has not yet passed, we ask for your patience.

If the shipping address is other than a residential address, as to a company address, make sure to include the company name, or appropriate.

Unfortunately, our shipping partners cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes, Army Post Office (APO), or Fleet Post Offices (FPO).

We’re sorry! If you receive your package, and it’s not as you ordered, please contact us at hello@ouaw.se for help.

Please note that our experienced warehouse partner monitors and controls the weight of all packages before shipping.

We offer a 60-day return period. If you wish to return a product, contact us at hello@ouaw.se to get an address to ship to.The returned products must be non-used, in original packaging with all material intact. All must be in the same, new condition as when received.Please note that the customer is responsible for the return shipping cost and is responsible for the product until it is delivered back to OUAW. We strongly recommend that you send the package with trackable postal service.Once your return package is received at our warehouse, it’s processed and inspected. If your return is approved, a refund will be issued for your order. You can expect your refund to be visible in your account within 5-10 business days.If you want to exchange please return what you have received and place a new order. If you have paid customs fees for the product you wish to return, please contact your local post office for information on how to receive a credit or refund.

You should receive a confirmation email minutes after placing an order and finishing the payment process. If you have placed an order without receiving a confirmation email:

  1. Please check your spam email box to see if the confirmation is here. If yes, whitelist the mail to not risk missing further order information. If not:
  2. Contact us via hello@ouaw.se for us to assist BEFORE placing a new order.

If you wish to change or cancel your order, please contact us right away, and we’ll do our best to help.

Kindly note that once your order is in the packing process, we’re unable to change your order.

We’ll do our best to send your order as soon as possible. We usually ship orders within 24 hours or on the next working day.The delivery time depends on where in the world your order is to be delivered.
  • Sweden – within 1-3 business days.
  • EU – Delivery within 3-6 business days.
  • Outside of the EU – delivery within 4-9 business days.
Kindly note that public holidays and weekends can mean extra delivery days.You will receive a confirmation email with your package’s tracking number when it ships.Use the tracking number in the shipping confirmation email to follow your order as it heads toward you.External factors outside OUAW and the courier’s control, such as extreme weather and technical failures, can cause delays. If that occurs, we ask for your patience and understanding.

We offer free shipping.

Payment and Security

All transactions are handled directly by the payment service providers.

If your payment is declined check to see if: 

  • there are sufficient funds on the choosen card
  • the card open for internet purchases?
  • card is open for international payments
  • possible daily limit already is reached
  • card is blocked by your bank for safety reasons
  • funds are in a different account than the card is linked to
  • the personal info you enter match bank records

If the above does not resolve the issue, please consider using an alternative card or payment method.

The information we collect about you will be used to fulfill your order.

Information may be shared with partners involved in the processing and delivering your order as the shipping service. Your information will not be shared for marketing purposes outside OUAW. For more please see read our full privacy policy.

If you agree to an email subscription, we’ll email offers, updates, and services once in a while. You can opt out of these at any time.

You can pay by credit or debit card. We accept all major cards like VISA, MasterCard and American Express.

The prices are in SEK plus shown directly converted to EUR and USD. It includes Swedish VAT of 25%.

For shipment outside the EU the Swedish VAT of 25% will be taken off at check out before payment.

OUAW is not responsible for any discrepancies in currency values or conversation rates that your bank or credit card company may use. Should you have questions on this, please contact your bank or credit card company.

If your shipping address is within the European Union there’s no additional fees or taxes. For shipping destinations within the EU, Swedish VAT of 25% is included.

For shipment outside the EU the Swedish VAT of 25% is taken off at check out before payment. Non-EU countries can have their own laws and regulations. Please note that you are responsible for any customs charges that may be applied by your country.

Please contact the customs in your country for information about possible fees and taxes

Your transaction and payment details are directly handled by the payment service providers, with secure encryption, and under strict banking standards. In the checkout you can clearly see who the payment service providers are.

Your card or bank details cannot be seen or accessed by OUAW.

Product Information

Recycled silver and gold are the same quality as new, simply more environmentally friendly. It’s made from re-melted old jewelry, medical equipment, and electronics.

The materials differ from piece to piece. Please see the specifications next to each product.

Use & Care

After use, gently wipe your jewelry with a soft cloth to remove make-up residue, oils from your skin, or other.
Silver jewelry: If necessary, use a polishing cloth and possibly a silver dip
NOTE: Do NOT dip the jewelry in the AKIN collection (with sand behind sapphire glass) as the liquid can penetrate the locket.

The jewelry in the AKIN Collection, with sand between sapphire glass, is water resilient but NOT waterproof.

If you forget to remove the jewelry before contact with water, water may enter into the lockets.

If water gets in the sand will get damp, and a mist can form between the glass. It can take quite some time for the water to evaporate out of the locket and the sand to dry but with time it will. You need only wait.

If the temperature changes abruptly, slight condensation may form between the glass. If this happens, it will disappear by itself in a short time.

If you forget to remove the jewelry before contact with water, water may enter into the lockets and dampen the sand. A mist can form between the glass as a result. If this is the case it can take quite some time for the water to evaporate out of the locket and the sand to dry. With time it will. You need only wait.

Your OUAW piece and every piece of fine jewelry will stay beautiful longer if cared for. Air pollutants, dust, perspiration, perfumes, and other natural elements can dull the appearance of precious metals. Care recommendations to help preserve all your jewelry:

  • After use, gently wipe every piece with a soft cloth to remove make-up residue or oils from your skin. 
  • Store your jewelry in the box it came in in or in a soft jewelry pouch. (the small ziplock bags at the bottom of the box itr came in are handy to store your silver jewelry in if you want to reduce the need for polishing).
  • When in storage, arrange chains in loop shapes to avoid damage.
  • Don’t sleep with your jewelry on.
  • Never force or pull chains. 
  • No metal, neither silver nor gold, does well in as,lt or chlorinated water.
  • Never wear any type of jewelry in natural hot springs, as found in volcanic areas, it severely discolors most metals.
  • If necessary, polish your silver jewelry using a polishing cloth and possibly a silver dip
    NOTE: Do NOT dip the jewelry in the AKIN collection (with sand behind sapphire glass) as the liquid can penetrate the locket.

Specific care advice for the AKIN Collection (sand behind sapphire glass)

  • Take off your sand locket before contact with water to avoid water getting into the sand. It’s s water resilient to everyday use and to light rain but NOT waterproof.
  • Do NOT dip the jewelry pendant as the liquid can penetrate the locket.

Sand and Sand Grains

The secret ingredient is sand nr 196. Sand nr 196 is a blend of sands that I, the founder, think add in something extra. It can be geographical locations, extreme points, places of special meaning, important places for different religions, or just any sand from places or phenomena that struck awe.The story behind some included sands are or will be mentioned and described in our blog others not. It wouldn’t be a secret if we/I were to say it all!Other sands are too important to not mention right away. As sand from Taiwan and Kosovo that by nearly all are considered sovereign nations. And there’s sand from most territories that by some or at occasions, as during sport events are seen as nations such as Aruba,Cook Islands and West Sahara. And then there’s Greenland, although a part of Denmark, too huge not to stand for itself here.The secret ingredient blend is not static. You have the power to fill it with more awe. Connect to share your suggestions, connection or sands. Sand from the Mariana trench, for example, is high up on the wanted list… Please note that collecting sand from certain places may be restricted or require a permit.

To express yourself, complete an outfit, and make a statement!

In addition to style – to remind you of the big in the small. And the small in the big. That nothing is too tiny or ordinary to matter.

Sand can reflect the similarities, uniqueness, and beauty of places, nations, and people. It connects to science, culture, sports, philosophy, historical events, and more. 

A piece of jewelry with sand or shaped after sand can connect to and symbolize what you are passionate about.

The grains of sand connect to the place they were found, all the places it has been, all the people whose hands have handled it, and to you.

OUAW jewelry either holds sand from 195+ nations. This includes each and every UN member plus some more. Or focus on individual grains, nature’s often unseen masterpieces.

To me, OUAWs founder, jewelry can be more than an accessory. It can connect and reflect something beyond the self. 

But this is all about you. If you’d choose to wear sand, what’d be your why? Please share your thoughts!

Yes. We LOVE discovering new sand. And I LOVE that you’re curious of the answer.

Do you have a favorite location or a place that holds special meaning?

Or perhaps come across an old relative’s sand collection and think it deserves a better fate than ending up on the side of a road?

There is room for more sand here 🙂 As long as you know WHERE the sand is from, all sand is interesting.

If sending sand, please make sure to:

  • pack the sand (anything from a few tablespoons and up) in double ziplock bags or in used plastic bottles
  • please share a photo of the location that describes it. Seeing you or the person collecting in a photo brings in something extra, but is, of course, up to you.
  • use your mobile device to get the GPS coordinates or take notes and share the address or location. Unmarked sand is a no-no!
  • follow all rules and regulations. While it’s allowed to collect small amounts of sand in most places (sand mining in big scale is something else), it’s, for example, illegal to collect sand from beaches of Hawaii, and Sardinia, Italy. 
  • mark the envelope/box with “Decorative sand — no value” on possible customs form and post to OUAW, Gamla Berget 60, 791 61 Falun, Sweden

Feel free to share something personal about the place – not a must but adds a dimension.

Once here, your sand will be placed under the camera and likely be spotlighted in one way or another, like on Instagram. In addition, the sand will be added to the sand collection and perhaps become a part of a piece of jewelry.

Additionally, the sand will be added to the sand collection and perhaps become part of a piece of jewelry.

Top of the sand wish list? Sand from epic sports venues, from the seven summits, from deep seas like around the Mariana Trench, Necker Island, Niue, and why not space?!

If you have questions, get in touch via the contact form or via email hello@ouaw.se

Normally no. But then again, everything is doable.

Do you want help finding a suitable grain of sand from a sample you have from a special place? Or have you found a particular grain of sand that you want an exact model of? 

We can help find a few special grain of sand out of your sample for you to choose from. Once you’ve made your selection, we’ll book a session at an advanced laboratory to create a detailed model in silver or gold of your chosen grain. 

Delivery time is roughly 14 weeks.  Prices begin at USD 2500. 

Interested? Get in touch via email at hello@ouaw.se

 

Do you want to add your own sand to the jewelry with moving sand behind sapphire glass? In the variant made entirely in 18k gold, it is possible. You can add your special sand and add a customized engraving.

The base is still sand from 195+ nations. You cannot choose to remove any country, the whole thing is the world united.

Delivery time is approximately 14 weeks, prices start around USD 2300 depending on the current gold price. Interested? Get in touch via email at hello@ouaw.se

The idea of ​​bringing grains of sand from every nation together was a challenge. It took me, the founder, on a 5-year long sand-quest. But it is far from a one-man show, rather a thousand-man one.

The world is full of warm-hearted people making it possible. Ambassadors, entrepreneurs, geological institutions, tourism organizations as well as travelers, and locals have assisted.

Collecting sand from around the world is one thing. Collecting legal sand from around the world is very different.
Sand may appear to be in abundance but is in fact in short supply. To protect our environment, there are many national, regional, and local regulations associated with sand.
Many professionals at geological, mineral, and environmental institutions have helped with finding ways and issuing permits to collect and send sand from respective countries.
The short answer is yes. But it’s a tricky question to answer.How many nations there are in the world depends on who is doing the counting. Some say 193, many 195 and 197, others 201, 204, or even 249.The number of nations with full membership in the UN is 193. In addition, there are two permanent observer states. Sand from these 195 countries is the OUAW base to stay out of political discussions.But there’s more.You will see mentioned that OUAW has sand from 195+ countries. The + stands for sand from countries that often or at times qualify as nations.Additional states (which sand from is included) are Taiwan, West Sahara and Kosovo. Then there are independent territories that for example in sports are considered countries at other times not. Plus areas self-declared as nations without recognition from the international communities.OUAW is inclusive, sand from most of the “might-be nations” are part of the “secret ingredient”.it doesn’t end there.On top there’s an additional list of micronations or country projects. (not to be confused by microstates or unrecognized states). Micronations are small fictive self-proclaimed entities, created by groups or individuals as an artistic expression, for personal entertainment, theoretical experimentation or political protest.An example of the latter is the Republic of Molossia, claiming sovereignty over a small piece of land near Dayton, Nevada, USA, (sand from here is in part of the secret ingredient) and Rose Island, Italy (as seen in a Netflix documentary “Rose Island”.
For the AKIN Sand collection in silver, the founder of OUAW carefully hand-picks a teaspoon of sand grains from 195+ jars to make small sand batches. The sand is well blended before, little by little, being placed between sapphire glass to make the silver sand lockets.There are many times more than 195 grains per piece of jewelry. Exactly how many sand grains each piece of jewelry contain in total I leave to you to count 😉 If you want grains of sand to be hand-picked grain by grain, look at the premium solid 14k gold AKIN Sand lockets. For every individual piece of AKIN Sand, Gold locket sand is meticulously selected, one or a few grains at a time. It’s done by hand by the founder of OUAW to ensure every nation and the “secret ingredient”  sand gets included.The 195 jars represent and contain sand from every country and observer state in the United Nations. The final one, the secret ingredient, has sand from places of special interest. In the CONCRETE collections, a teaspoon of sand grains is carefully handpicked by the founder of OUAW from 195+ different jars to make small sand batches. The sand is blended to become an intrinsic part of the concrete.
The sand for the jewelry in the AKIN collection, with sand set between glass, is a blend of sand from every corner of the world. From over 195 nations, united as one.Sand from deserts, mountains, rivers, and oceans, from villages and cities. From places you’ve been or want to go to, places you’ve heard of, and places still unknown. The vague “more than 195 countries” may require some explanation.OUAW’s base is sand from the 195 UN member states to stay out of political discussions. The addition stands for a list of extras consisting of nations that often or at times qualify as nations. Plus some locations added  – OUAW’s secret ingredient to spice it up. Under “sand origins” in the top menu, you can explore the worldwide collection sites. To see where each grain in the GRAINS collection is from, see each piece’s product description. 

Other Questions

After use, gently wipe your jewelry with a soft cloth to remove make-up residue, oils from your skin, or other.
Silver jewelry: If necessary, use a polishing cloth and possibly a silver dip
NOTE: Do NOT dip the jewelry in the AKIN collection (with sand behind sapphire glass) as the liquid can penetrate the locket.

The jewelry in the AKIN Collection, with sand between sapphire glass, is water resilient but NOT waterproof.

If you forget to remove the jewelry before contact with water, water may enter into the lockets.

If water gets in the sand will get damp, and a mist can form between the glass. It can take quite some time for the water to evaporate out of the locket and the sand to dry but with time it will. You need only wait.

If the temperature changes abruptly, slight condensation may form between the glass. If this happens, it will disappear by itself in a short time.

If you forget to remove the jewelry before contact with water, water may enter into the lockets and dampen the sand. A mist can form between the glass as a result. If this is the case it can take quite some time for the water to evaporate out of the locket and the sand to dry. With time it will. You need only wait.

Your OUAW piece and every piece of fine jewelry will stay beautiful longer if cared for. Air pollutants, dust, perspiration, perfumes, and other natural elements can dull the appearance of precious metals. Care recommendations to help preserve all your jewelry:

  • After use, gently wipe every piece with a soft cloth to remove make-up residue or oils from your skin. 
  • Store your jewelry in the box it came in in or in a soft jewelry pouch. (the small ziplock bags at the bottom of the box itr came in are handy to store your silver jewelry in if you want to reduce the need for polishing).
  • When in storage, arrange chains in loop shapes to avoid damage.
  • Don’t sleep with your jewelry on.
  • Never force or pull chains. 
  • No metal, neither silver nor gold, does well in as,lt or chlorinated water.
  • Never wear any type of jewelry in natural hot springs, as found in volcanic areas, it severely discolors most metals.
  • If necessary, polish your silver jewelry using a polishing cloth and possibly a silver dip
    NOTE: Do NOT dip the jewelry in the AKIN collection (with sand behind sapphire glass) as the liquid can penetrate the locket.

Specific care advice for the AKIN Collection (sand behind sapphire glass)

  • Take off your sand locket before contact with water to avoid water getting into the sand. It’s s water resilient to everyday use and to light rain but NOT waterproof.
  • Do NOT dip the jewelry pendant as the liquid can penetrate the locket.