Privacy policy

Updated October 14, 2024

Gem Junior, which is owned and operated by the International Gem Society ("IGS"), is committed to protecting your privacy and providing a safe online shopping experience. This Privacy Policy applies to the website located at https://junior.gemsociety.org (the "Site") and governs data collection and usage by the Site or IGS. This Privacy Policy informs you of important information about how we process personal data that we collect in online and offline formats, our privacy policies, the types of data we collect, how we use and secure that data, and how long we retain it.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your information. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, you should not use the Site.

By using the Site, you consent to the collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. Each time you use this Site, the current version of the Privacy Policy will govern your use. Accordingly, check the date of this Privacy Policy (which appears at the top) and review any changes since the last version.

Collection of Your Personal Information

IGS may collect and store personally identifiable information disclosed by you, such as:

  • Account Information. We may collect personal information in connection with the creation or administration of your account. This personal information may include, but is not limited to, your name, email address, and other information you store with your account.
  • Photos and Video.  We may collect personal information from you if choose to upload it in connection with your use of any of our photo or video features or other parts of the Services.
  • Purchases. We may collect personal information and details associated with your purchases, including payment information, and mailing address. Any payments made via our Services are processed by third-party payment processors. We do not directly collect or store any payment card information entered through our Services, but we may receive information associated with your payment card information (e.g., your billing details). We may also collect the names, birthdays and mailing addresses of recipients of your purchases if you choose to provide that information to us.
  • Donations, Gifts and Sponsorships.  We may collect personal information about users in need if you choose to submit suggestions identifying users or groups of users in need.  We may also collect personal information about you if you choose to make a donation, gift or sponsorship on our site to send our Services to users in need. 
  • Your Communications with Us. We, and our service providers, may collect the information you communicate to us, such as through email or our web chat tools.  
  • Surveys. We may contact you to participate in surveys. If you decide to participate, we may collect personal information from you in connection with the survey.
  • Interactive Features. We and others who use our Services may collect personal information that you submit or make available through our interactive features (e.g., reviews and/or feedback of purchases you have made, messaging features, commenting functionalities, forums, blogs, and social media pages).  Any information you provide using the public sharing features of the Services will be considered “public.”
  • Sweepstakes or Contests. We may collect personal information you provide for any sweepstakes or contests that we offer. In some jurisdictions, we are required to publicly share information of sweepstakes and contest winners.
  • Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. We may collect personal information from individuals and third parties to assess and pursue potential business opportunities. 

IGS automatically collects and stores information about your computer hardware and software. This information may include your IP address, browser type, access times, and referring website addresses, used solely for statistical analysis to improve the Site.

This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through the Site; it does not apply to information collected by other users or external websites linked from our Site.

Use of Your Personal Information

You agree that IGS may collect, store, and use your personal information to:

  • Operate and improve the Site.
  • Fulfill your subscription orders for our monthly, quarterly, or yearly gem boxes.
  • Send you marketing communications related to products and services from Gem Junior and IGS.

We may also share your personal information with service providers under contract with IGS to help with our business operations. These providers are required to maintain the privacy of your information as outlined in this policy.

If you receive personal information about another user through the Site, you agree to keep it confidential and use it only for transaction-related purposes.

Use of Cookies

The Site uses "cookies" to enhance your online experience. A cookie is a small file placed on your device by a web page server. Cookies help personalize your experience but cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer.

You can accept or decline cookies through your browser settings. However, declining cookies may limit your experience on the Site.

Security of Your Personal Information

IGS takes reasonable precautions to protect your personal information from unauthorized access. Although we use security measures, no system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the security of our database.

Retention of Your Personal Information

We will retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including providing you with services as long as your subscription is active.

Financial Information

We use third-party payment processors to handle all payment transactions. IGS does not retain any financial information such as credit card numbers. This information is submitted directly to the payment processor.

Your Personal Information Choices

You have control over how your personal information is used and shared. You may update, access, correct, or delete your account information and choose whether to receive promotional communications.

California Residents

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have additional rights regarding their personal information. If applicable, you have the right to request information about the categories of personal information collected, sources, purposes, third-party disclosures, and specific data collected about you. You may also opt out of marketing or the sale of personal information at any time.

Residents of the EU, UK, and Switzerland

If you are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), your personal information will be treated securely and in compliance with applicable laws. If you wish to have your information removed, we will respond to requests within 30 days.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at support@gemsociety.org. We will use reasonable efforts to address your concerns.

Changes to This Policy

IGS reserves the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. All amendments take effect upon posting to the Site. Please check the date of the policy each time you use the Site to ensure you are aware of any changes.