Privacy policy

This policy explains how Mike Ching ("I", "me") handles personal information when you use mikeching.com - gem capture services, the catalog, blog, and contact forms. I operate gem capture and digital catalog services for the trade, with bases in Sydney, AU · Prague, CZ · Colombo, LK.

What I collect

• Contact and inquiry forms. Name, email address, message content, and any details you choose to provide (for example stone interest, sourcing specs, or project scope). Gem inquiry links may pre-fill a stone reference.
• Sourcing requests. Species, budget, timeline, and related fields submitted through the sourcing form.
• Technical data. Standard server and CDN logs (IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps) collected by my hosting provider to deliver the site securely.
• Local preferences. Your light/dark theme choice is stored in your browser's local storage only - not on my servers.

How I use it

• To respond to inquiries about stones, capture work, catalogs, or sourcing.
• To operate and improve the website and its content.
• To comply with legal obligations where applicable.

I do not sell your personal information. I do not use your data for third-party advertising profiles.

Form delivery

Contact and sourcing forms are delivered through Web3Forms, a third-party form handler. Information you submit is transmitted to that service and forwarded to my inbox. Please review Web3Forms' privacy policy for how they process submissions.

Catalog and client stones

Stones shown on this site may belong to clients or to my own stock. Listing a stone does not create a contract until agreed separately. Media (video, stills, 360° views) is provided for visual assessment - buyers should confirm details directly before purchase.

Retention

I keep inquiry emails and related correspondence for as long as needed to respond, manage projects, and meet reasonable business or legal record-keeping requirements. You may ask me to delete correspondence that is no longer required.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information I hold about you, or to object to certain processing. Contact me via the contact page and I will respond within a reasonable time.

Children

This site is intended for adults in the gem trade. I do not knowingly collect information from children under 16.

Changes

I may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top will change when I do. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

Questions about privacy: use the contact form and mark your message "Privacy".