FAQs

Made from semi-oxidized Camellia sinensis leaves, oolong falls between the more commonly known green (minimally oxidized) and black (fully oxidized) teas, and is roasted to varying degrees. As you might guess, that leaves a whole lot of in-between space for oolongs to express themselves. And we think their spectrum of flavors — from buttery & mellow to fruity & sweet to dark & toasty— is best appreciated with loose leaves.

Green tea is also made from Camellia sinensis, but the leaves are heat-treated immediately after harvest to keep oxidation to a minimum. Steaming is the traditional “kill green” technique for Japanese green teas, and creates a brighter flavor and color than roasted teas.

Yes, our oolong and green teas all contain some caffeine. TBH, it’s a little tricky to pinpoint exactly how much, because the caffeine level of a given tea leaf can vary by varietal, growing location, the season's growing conditions, position where it grew on the plant, how its batch was roasted, etc. We’ve probably all heard at some point that caffeine levels in black tea > oolong tea > green tea > white tea, but these generalizations are exactly that — extremely general, and honestly not very helpful! In reality, plenty of green and white teas have more caffeine than black and oolong teas (and vice versa). 

The way you brew your tea also has a huge impact on how much caffeine is extracted from the leaves. In general, shorter and cooler brewing = less caffeine in your cup, while longer and hotter brewing = more caffeine.   

It's safe to say our teas have less caffeine than coffee. But if you're generally caffeine-sensitive, we'd recommend avoiding our teas just before bedtime, and saving them for a gentle morning or afternoon boost instead :) 

Our Bug-Bitten White Tip, Duck Shit, Golden Branch, Lightning Strike, Midnight Blossom, and Smoked Cassia Rock Oolongs are all certified organic under the USDA NOP program. It's a long, arduous, and expensive certification process that our growers have recently completed! However, Three Gems Tea as a company has not applied for organic certification ourselves (see: long, arduous, expensive), so we can't use the USDA organic seal on these teas. However, you'll see in the ingredient lists that these 6 teas are 100% organic oolong.

Our Bamboo Peak Milk Oolong is grown with organic practices, but our grower for this tea has not applied for organic certification.

Check out our Brew Guide for suggestions!

Water has a BIG effect on flavor. Traditionally, the best water for a tea was thought to be spring water collected close to where the tea was grown. Since that’s pretty hard for most of us to get, the best alternative is usually filtered water. If you live somewhere with exceptionally hard, minerally tap water, you may want to consider alternatives like bottled water. Try steeping the same tea with a few different types of water, and have your mind blown by the differences in taste! In general, if you like sipping the water on its own — is it refreshing? clean-tasting? feels good on your tongue? — then it’s good enough for your tea leaves too.

We recommend cleaning our teaware with gentle dish soap and a soft brush or sponge.

Tea stains are harmless but can be removed with a little vinegar or lemon juice!

Yes, for all physical goods! Just let us know under "Order Notes" in your cart and we'll include your message in the shipment. We're working on adding this feature to our gift cards, too.

Yup! By default, we don't include prices in shipments — no need for a special request.

Orders are typically processed within 2-3 business days (M-F excluding major holidays), but it may take our small team a little longer during busy periods, like the holiday season. We always aim to get your orders out the door as quickly as possible, but appreciate your patience and understanding during these busy stretches! 

We offer free shipping on all US orders of $75 or more.

For US orders under $75, we offer Standard and Express shipping options. After order processing, delivery times typically range from 3-7 business days for Standard, and 2-3 business days for Express, although we are currently experiencing some shipping delays related to COVID-19. 

You'll be able to choose from USPS and UPS international shipping options at checkout. Rates will be calculated based on your shipping address.

International shipments are subject to customs duties that vary by country and order value.

Delivery times vary by your selected shipping option and typically range from 2-21 business days. Please note we are currently experiencing some shipping delays related to COVID-19.

You'll receive an email with tracking info once your order has shipped. Unfortunately, we have no control over USPS or UPS deliveries after they take custody of your package. If you have questions about the delivery of your items after you've received the tracking email, please get in touch with USPS or UPS directly. 

Orders are typically processed within 2-3 business days. During busy shipping periods, however, your order tracking page may show "pre-shipment" status for an extended period of time, as carriers work through high volumes of parcels in their facilities. (We've noticed this most often with USPS First Class packages.) This is normal, especially during the holiday season. You should expect a status change within a week-ish — but if you don't see a change around then, please let us know!

Please contact us within 15 days of receiving your order if your tea purchase doesn't delight you.

If something went wrong, we'll work with you to decide whether issuing a refund or shipping a replacement would make it right. Please reply to your order confirmation email or use our contact form here.

Refunds are credited to your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.

Please contact us within 15 days of receiving your order if your teaware purchase doesn't delight you.

Customers are responsible for the cost of return shipping. We can only accept returns of teaware in their original, unused condition.

We will issue a refund once we receive and inspect the returned merchandise. Refunds are credited to your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.

If your teaware was damaged in transit, please reach out to us ASAP.