Four careful stages, from your doorstep to ours
Mailing a treasured, broken piece across the world can feel daunting. Here is exactly what happens at every stage — so you always know where your piece is, and what comes next.
Ship — Pack & Send
Wrap each fragment individually in soft paper, then bubble wrap, and nest them in a rigid box with at least 5cm of padding on every side. Include a short note with your name and a description of the piece.
Use an insured, trackable courier (we recommend FedEx or DHL for international parcels). Full packing instructions, address, and customs wording are on our Contact & Shipping page.
Photo by Babak Eshaghian on Unsplash
Assess — Photograph & Diagnose
Upon arrival, your piece is unpacked by hand under studio light and photographed from every angle. Our craftsmen examine the glaze, clay body, and break pattern to choose the right lacquer and gold technique.
Within 5 business days, you receive a written assessment by email: condition notes, a repair plan, a firm price, and an estimated timeline — before any work begins.
Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash
Repair — Urushi Lacquer & Gold
Fragments are rejoined with mugi-urushi, a wheat-flour and lacquer paste, then left to cure for weeks in a humidity-controlled chamber — urushi hardens through moisture, not heat. Gaps are filled, sanded smooth, and lacquered again, often five to seven times.
Finally, the seam is dusted with 24-karat gold powder or leaf while the final lacquer layer is still tacky, then burnished by hand to a soft luster. A single piece typically takes 6–10 weeks from first joint to final polish.
Photo by Pew Nguyen on Unsplash
Return — Insured Return & Certificate
Your restored piece is wrapped in acid-free tissue and returned in custom-fitted padding, insured for its full appraised value with tracked, signature-required delivery.
Each restoration ships with a hand-written certificate noting the date, materials used, and your craftsman's name — along with a simple aftercare guide for washing and displaying your kintsugi piece for generations to come.
Photo by Matt Perkins on Unsplash
You will never wonder where your piece is
We send a short email update at the close of every stage — arrival, assessment, the start of lacquer work, and dispatch for return — with photographs at each milestone. We keep things simple: no complicated apps or client-portal logins to manage. If you ever have a question about your piece, just write to us directly.