Terms of sales

These terms and conditions (T & Cs) are applicable to all items for sale on www.cristosud.com and concern private individuals and professionals. Any purchase on the site implies acceptance by the purchaser of the T & Cs.

I. Nature and representation of the items for sale

Cristosud is a company specialized in the trade of mineralogical specimens of collection with a pronounced aesthetic, scientific or historical interest. Mineralogical specimens are natural objects of various kinds: they can be isolated or groups of crystals, free or positioned on a matrix made up of rock or massive minerals. Most of collector's specimens display well-formed crystals (called 'euhedral'), but a cut and polished sample of ore or fine stone, a stalactiform concretion, a crystalline structure of pareidolic shape, a beautifully faceted stone or an old sample, partly massive and accompanied by a historical label can be prized collection specimens. The diversity of pieces for sale on www.cristosud.com reflects the great variety of these natural history objects and the collections that stage them.

Unless otherwise stated, all items offered for sale are completely natural. Any repair, restoration or physico-chemical treatment that aims at modifying the natural appearance of the objects are expressly mentioned in the description. Please note, however, that for the sake of readability, any preliminary physical (reduction, high pressure stripping, micro-piercing, etc.) or chemical (deoxidization, selective dissolution, stabilization, etc.) preparation work that aims at enhancing the natural object, to improve its conservation over time and to make it fit the modern standards of collection, within the limits commonly accepted by collectors, is not necessarily described.

The pictures of the specimens are shot using an ultra-high resolution digital camera, under a lab-calibrated broad spectrum 'daylight' lighting. Despite the considerable care put in displaying a faithful and accurate representation of the specimens for sale, the rendering of colors might be slightly different from the true color, depending on the mineral species pictured and the settings of your device monitor. Any substantial deviation due to the camera captor settings or sensitivity is expressly mentioned in the description. The size of the specimens is expressed in centimeters and the measurements can deviate by a half to several millimeters to reality, depending on the object geometry and constraints in the measuring process.

II. Availability & errors

The website www.cristosud.com is continuously updated. The newly updated pieces of information about the items for sale and their availability are displayed within a short period of time, a delay can especially occur during the events (exhibitions, shows, appointments) that Cristosud attends. If an ordered item is actually unavailable for any reason of the above, a full refund will be issued as soon as possible.

All information about the specimens for sale is checked before posting; errors, omissions or inaccuracies concerning the price, description or availability of the items on sale can however occur. These information might therefore be subject to correction and changes at any time, without prior notice.

III. Price

The price of the items for sale is indicated in euros (€, EUR) and American dollars ($, USD), before postage charges. The VAT is non applicable (article 293B of the French CGI).

IV. Payment terms

The following means of payment are accepted:

- Bank card (Visa, Mastercard, BC, American Express) via Stripe, immediately after order confirmation (for worldwide users).

- PayPal transfer within 7 days, to the address cristosud@hotmail.com (for worldwide users).

- SEPA wire transfer within 7 days (for residents in European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). Bank details and account information will be provided after order confirmation.

- Bank check within 10 days (for French users), to Cristosud and to be sent at:

An invoice is automatically sent out by email after order confirmation. If the payment is not received within the above agreed period of time, the order might be canceled.

For orders of high value, setting a payment by installments is possible. Contact us for more information.

V. Packing, shipping and carriers

The utmost care is put into packing and protecting the sold specimens. Several types of material are used and can be combined in order to customize the packaging to each specimen and optimize its protection during the transportation: soft plastic wraps, flexible or stiff, bubble wrap, protective boxes, PVC or cardboard sheets. The packed specimens are then placed inside a stiff cardboard transportation box (tested and certified for crushing) or inside a soft, letter-sized package for smaller and non fragile items.

The packing is a delicate operation that requires time and focus. For these reasons and depending on the ordered specimens, the order preparation time on www.cristosud.come might be slightly longer than usually experienced on general e-commerce websites.

The handling and materials used for packing are offered for free. 

The shipment of your parcel takes place in the days following the payment receipt. Please note that depending on the order influx and various schedule constraints, the preparation and shipment time may vary from from 1-3 days to 5-7 days. In the event of mishaps or postal services disruption (in particular during the end of year holiday period), we reserve the right, with the client's agreement, to delay the shipment by several weeks, in the purpose of protecting the specimens bought and allow your order to be delivered in the best conditions possible.

The parcels are handled by La Poste (for domestic and lightweight international shipments), Fedex or Chronopost (higher value or heavier domestic and international shipments). Irrespective of the selected carrying company, the shipping service will always include a tracking number that will be specified upon handling and linked to your order, as well as a delivery at home (hand-delivered or in your mailbox). Based on the order value and specimen fragility, we reserve the right to select on behalf of the buyer the most adequate shipping service. At our discretion or at express request of the buyer, an insurance for parcel loss, theft and damaging might be subscribed.

The delivery time varies depending on the destination and the chosen service. Here are, for information, the most commonly experienced parcel travel times:

- 2 open days with Colissimo, Lettre Suivie and any express service to France,

- 5 to 7 open days to the main European destinations with priority tracked parcel,

- 6 to 14 open days to worldwide destinations with priority tracked parcel,

- 4 to 10 open days to worldwide destinations with express tracked parcel.

The withdraw in hands of the specimens is also possible, during a show that Cristosud attends or by appointment. Please, contact us to organize a direct delivery.

Cristosud can not be held responsible for any parcel or specimen loss, theft or damaging: by choosing at his own discretion a delivery service accompanied, or not, by an insurance contract, the buyer tolerates the (very limited) associated risks.

The parcel loss, theft or damaging is reported to the carrier and subsequently internally investigated by the transportation service. In the outcome, liabilities are established:

- if an insurance has been subscribed, a full refund is possible,

- if the parcel has not been insured, no refund is laid down.

In any case of the above, the client must declare and report the dispute to us within 24 hours after the parcel receipt, with supporting photo evidences. A written statement upon delivery by the postman is highly recommended. Each and every mean at our disposal will be used to solve the dispute and find an acceptable compromise.

VI. Right of withdrawal and return policy

According to the applicable French law (article L221-18 of the Consumer Code) and European consumer directives, the buyer has a withdrawal right for 14 days as of the order receipt date. The return fees are at the buyer's expense. The refund of the order will be issued within 48 hours after receipt of the returned parcel and checking the good conditions of the specimens.

VII. Protection of personal data

Cristosud commits to respect the privacy of the website users and the confidentiality of the clients personal data. These personal data (name, shipping address, email and phone number) are needed to ship the ordered items, asked for every order and shared with the carrier company. We remind that by choosing to complete an order using PayPal, the client agrees to share his data with the payment platform and link it to the order.

Beside the shipment of ordered items, Cristosud may use these data (name, shipping address, email and phone number) for invoicing purposes. In accordance with the applicable tax rules, the company is required to keep the invoices and attached nomative data for a 10 years period of time. User's email address might be used for communication purposes (newsletter) or distributing promotional offers. Cristosud commits to not cold calling.

The users of www.cristosud.com have examining, opposition and withdrawal rights regarding their personal data. To assert one or several of these rights, the claimant can submit his query in writing to the website owner at the following address:

Cristosud

1 place Georges Girardet, bat 10-2

69190, Saint-Fons (France)

or by emailing at: cristosud@hotmail.com