Terms of service

Effective as of October 14, 2024

This website and Gem Junior is owned and operated by the International Gem Society LLC ("IGS", "we" or "us"). Please carefully read the following General Terms of Service ("Terms of Service") and our Privacy Policy before using this website ("Site"). By using this Site, you agree to these Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy. In order to use this Site, you must be at least 18 years of age and be able to form legally binding agreements.

By visiting the Site and/or purchasing something from us (the "Service"), you engage in our Service and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/or contributors of content.

These Terms of Service, the Privacy Policy, as well as the information and materials contained in the Site, are subject to change from time to time without prior notice. IGS may periodically modify these Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy, and any such modifications will be effective immediately upon posting. The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy in effect during a particular use of the Site govern. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service or the Privacy Policy, do not use this Site.

Our store is hosted on Shopify Inc. They provide us with the online e-commerce platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you.

Purchase of Gem Junior Subscription Boxes

Gem Junior provides paid access to its subscription services offering real gems and gemology tools delivered to children for educational purposes. Our billing system is set up to automatically renew each plan on a recurring basis based for the selected subscription plan (monthly, quarterly, or yearly). On the anniversary date of your subscription, you will be automatically billed for the next subscription period unless you cancel at anytime before the anniversary date. If you do not wish to be re-billed, you can simply cancel your subscription by visiting your account settings at any time. You will still have access to any services and products for the remaining term of your subscription.

If you were automatically re-billed and did not want to be, and you do not wish to continue as a Gem Junior subscriber, you can cancel your subscription and contact us at support@gemsociety.org. We will promptly issue a refund if a box has not yet shipped. If a box has shipped and you have a quarterly or annual pre-paid subscription, you may keep that box for the price of one (1) box according to the subscription. If you want to return the box and it is unused and undamaged, please contact us at support@gemsociety.org for instructions. Any box that was shipped pursuant to an automatic and unwanted re-bill that has been used or damaged is not available for a return or refund.

Products or Services (if applicable)

Certain products or Services may be available exclusively online through the website. These products or Services may have limited quantities and are subject to return or exchange only according to our Refund Policy.

IGS has made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colors and images of our products that appear at the store. IGS cannot guarantee that your computer monitor's display of any color will be accurate.

IGS reserves the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or Services to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. IGS may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. IGS reserves the right to limit the quantities of any products or Services that we offer. All descriptions of products or product pricing are subject to change at anytime without notice, at the sole discretion of us. IGS reserves the right to discontinue any product at any time. Any offer for any product or Service made on this site is void where prohibited.

IGS does not warrant that the quality of any products, Services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Service will be corrected.

Accuracy of Billing Information 

IGS reserves the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e‑mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors.

You agree to provide current, complete and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made at our store. You agree to promptly update your account and other information, including your email address and credit card numbers and expiration dates, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed.

Accuracy and Completeness of Information

IGS is not responsible if information made available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk.

This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on our site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to our site.

Access Subject to Local Restrictions

The Site and all information and functionality contained within it are not directed at or intended for use by any person resident or located in any jurisdiction where (1) the distribution of such information or functionality is contrary to the laws of such jurisdiction, or (2) such distribution is prohibited without IGS obtaining the necessary licenses or authorizations that have not been obtained.

Limited License and Restrictions on Use

IGS grants you a limited, revocable, nonexclusive, nontransferable license to view, store, bookmark, download, and print the pages within this Site solely for your personal, informational, and noncommercial use or as expressly authorized by IGS in writing. Individual pages and/or sections of the Site may be printed for personal or internal use only, provided that such printouts retain all applicable copyright or other proprietary notices. You are responsible for obtaining and maintaining all equipment, services, and other materials that you need to access this Site. IGS reserves all rights not expressly granted in these Terms of Use.

You may not:

• Loan, share, publish, republish, copy, reproduce, disclose, transmit, display, sell, license, lease, or distribute any portion of the Site or any data thereon to any third party, or use the Site as a basis for a directory or database prepared for commercial sale, use, or distribution.

• Remove any copyright, watermark, trademark, or other proprietary notices contained in the Site.

• Reverse engineer or access unauthorized parts of the Site.

• Utilize any automated methods or crowdsourced labor to contact users or download content.

By using the Site, you agree not to:

• Interfere with the security of the Site.

• Transmit harmful files or viruses.

• Post false, defamatory, or inappropriate content.

• Violate any local, state, national, or international law.

Intellectual Property Rights

The Site and all content on the Site are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Any unauthorized use of such content may violate these laws.

No Warranty

The Site and its contents are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. IGS does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or availability of the Site or its content.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall IGS or its affiliates be liable for any damages arising out of the use of the Site or its services, except to the extent mandated by law. In the event IGS is found liable, its liability shall be limited to the amount of fees you paid in the 12 months prior to the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

Applicable Law and Dispute Resolution

The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts govern these Terms of Use. Any disputes shall be resolved through mediation, and if unresolved, through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

Termination

Your rights to use the Site terminate immediately upon violation of these Terms. IGS reserves the right to terminate access to the Site at any time, for any reason.