privacy policy

Our Commitment To Your Privacy

At 1carat™ we believe that trust is the foundation of any relationship—whether it’s with our artisans or our valued clients. We are committed to protecting your personal information with the same care and precision we apply to every diamond. This policy outlines how we collect and use and safeguard your information.

What Information We Collect

We collect information to provide you with the best possible service and to enhance your experience with us. This includes:

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

When you make a purchase or book a service or sign up for a course at the 1carat™ Academy or join our community we collect details like your name and email address and phone number and shipping address.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

We use a secure third-party payment processor (Stripe) to handle all transactions. We do not store your credit card details on our servers.

BROWSING DATA

We may collect non-personal data about your visit. This includes your IP address and browser type and the pages you view. We use this information to improve our website’s functionality and your user experience.

How We Use Your Information

Your information is used to:

PROCESS TRANSACTIONS AND DELIVER SERVICES

To fulfill your orders and manage your appointments.

FACILITATE YOUR EDUCATION

To register you for courses at the 1carat™ Academy and provide you with relevant course materials.

COMMUNICATE WITH YOU

To send order confirmations and shipping updates and service updates and respond to your inquiries.

ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE

To personalize our services. To improve our website. To provide you with relevant information about our products and offers.

STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY

To facilitate your participation in the 1carat™ Community and foster a sense of shared passion.

How We Protect Your Information

We implement a variety of security measures to protect your personal information.

Your data is stored on secure servers and protected by encryption technology. We restrict access to your information to a limited number of authorized employees who are trained to handle it with the utmost confidentiality.

All payment processing is handled through Stripe’s secure payment gateway. We never store credit card information on our servers.

Sharing Your Information

We will never sell or trade or rent your personal information to others.

We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers only when it is necessary to fulfill our obligations to you. These may include:

  • Payment processors (Stripe)
  • Shipping companies (FedEx and Japan Post EMS)
  • Email service providers
  • Course platform providers

All third parties are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and are only permitted to use your information for the specific purpose for which it was shared.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

ACCESS AND CORRECT YOUR INFORMATION

You can review and update your personal details at any time by logging into your account or by contacting us directly at info@1carat.net.

OPT-OUT OF COMMUNICATIONS

You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email. Please note that you will still receive transactional emails related to your orders and course enrollment.

REQUEST DELETION

You can request deletion of your personal data by contacting info@1carat.net.

WHAT CAN BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY:

  • Marketing and communication preferences
  • Browsing history and analytics data
  • Optional profile information

WHAT MUST BE RETAINED:

  • Order and transaction records (retained for 7 years for tax and legal compliance)
  • Course completion certificates (retained to maintain certification validity)
  • Payment records (retained for accounting and fraud prevention)

After the required retention period we will permanently delete this data.

If you have concerns about data retention please contact us to discuss your specific situation.

DATA PORTABILITY

You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured and commonly used format.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience.

WHAT ARE COOKIES

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.

HOW WE USE COOKIES

  • Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly
  • Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website
  • Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign effectiveness

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Please note that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and stored on servers located outside of your country of residence. This includes servers in Japan and the United States. By using our services you consent to this transfer. We ensure that all international transfers comply with applicable data protection laws.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. This includes:

  • Order and transaction records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes and legal compliance
  • Course enrollment data: Retained indefinitely to maintain your lifetime course access and certification validity
  • Marketing data: Retained until you opt out or request deletion
  • Account data: Retained until you request account deletion (subject to legal retention requirements)

Children’s Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child without parental consent we will take steps to delete that information immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. We will notify you of any significant changes by email or by posting a notice on our website. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the new terms.

The effective date of this policy is listed at the bottom of this page.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

For users in the European Union we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract performance: To fulfill our obligations under the purchase agreement or course enrollment
  • Legitimate interests: To improve our services and communicate with you about relevant offers
  • Consent: For marketing communications and non-essential cookies
  • Legal obligations: To comply with tax laws and other regulatory requirements

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy please contact us at:

Email: info@1carat.net
Business Name: 1carat International
Location: 17-2 Kabutocho 4F Kabutocho Dai-6 Hayama Building Chuo-ku, Tokyo 1030026 Japan

For data protection inquiries please include “Privacy Inquiry” in your email subject line.

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.

Last Updated: October 2025

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