Chocolate FAQs | Storage | Shipping | Order Changes | Refund Policy

Chocolate FAQs

A sample of the most commonly asked questions:

What is the "best consumed before" date for our chocolates?

We do not use preservatives, so our chocolates have a shorter shelf life than other brands. We recommend enjoying our gananche-filled chocolates within four weeks of purchase, and our caramel-filled chocolates within two months. 

Our chocolate bars, nuts, and dried fruit products have much longer shelf life and are best enjoyed within four months...assuming you can resist that long!

Are our chocolates gluten-free?
Yes, they are except for our creations that contain natural black liquorice.

Where does our chocolate couverture come from?

Our chocolate couverture comes from France and Switzerland. The cocoa comes from Latin America and Africa. 

What brands of chocolate do we use?

We use Valrhona and Maranõn couvertures. 

How do we get our chocolates to shine?
We are often asked how we get our chocolates to be so shiny, marble-like. There's nothing artifical (or easy) about a bit...manual labour to polish our moulds by hand combined with well-tempered chocolate make our chocolates shine naturally!

What is tempered chocolate?
Tempering is the process chocolatiers follow to melt and reshape chocolate through a three stage process to heat, cool and then heat chocolate again so cocoa butter crystalizes. Easy ways to determine if chocolate is well tempered: it will have a glossy appearance, snap when broken and will maintain its form. 

What is ganache?
It is typically a blend of cream and chocolate and can also have a bit of inverted sugar and butter as well. Ganache is the smooth filling inside chocolate shells and can also be used with cakes. Ganaches can also be made using water, soy or other cream substitutes. Our ganaches are made with infusions from fruit, vanilla beans, spices, and other natural ingredients. 

Does Gem Chocolates have vegan-friendly products?
Most of our products do contain some form of dairy products. However, the good news is we do offer some vegan-friendly options, too. Non-dairy options include a variety of dark chocolate bars, naturally flavoured dark chocolate truffles made with coconut oil, as well as chocolate dipped candied orange peel, ginger and licorice. We use dairy products in our ganaches and caramels, so our chocolate collection can only act an eye candy to our vegan friends. 

How many cocoa beans are needed to make 1kg of chocolate?
About 270 cocoa beans.

How does Gem Chocolates enter chocolate competitions?
Unlike the drama of food network shows, we make our chocolates at the shop and mail them to the competitions we enter. There they are judged for quality and we are thrilled to have been received several accolades for our chocolates. Generally we enter three or four chocolates each in various competitions...usually selecting from those most popular with customers. So a big thank you goes to our customers for being the ultimate judges since you buy them! Like anyone, judges may have their personal bias towards flavours, likes and dislikes. They may evaluate entries on such things as appearance, technique/formation, texture, pairing (filling with the shell) and flavours. 

How long does it take to make a chocolate?
There are several stages to making our chocolate. First we polish our moulds by hand, then we make the shell and allow the chocolate to crystallize (several hours). Then we make and pipe the ganache or caramel into the shell, allowing it to rest from 6 to 24+ hours so the filings properly crystallized. Then we seal the chocolate with the bottom layer of chocolate, and let the chocolate rest another 6+ hours. Once removed from their moulds, the chocolates we may had a final decoration of food lustre or other finishing. We don't rush the process, so in general a single chocolate takes anywhere from 24 to 72 hours (elapsed time) to make. 

Storage

We make our chocolates by hand with the freshest ingredients possible. No preservatives, additives or artificial flavourings are used. Because we use fresh ingredients and no preservatives, we recommend eating your chocolates within 30 days of purchase or receipt - though most people don't find this difficult once they taste their first gem. Keep your chocolates in a cool, dry place (ideally a cupboard, not the refrigerator). Chocolate is sensitive to temperature changes cool to warm to cool, etc. and will adversely impact the condition.

Shipping Policy

Customer satisfaction is a priority with us. We want our chocolates to arrive in the same condition as they leave our shop. Orders are shipped out within 24 hours of receipt of payment confirmation, however, we don't ship on Fridays to avoid chocolates sitting in shipping warehouses over the weekend. 

While we normally use Canada Post's Expedited Parcel delivery services to economically and efficiently ship your order, due to the current strike at Canada Post, we must now use courier services to ship your orders until the CUPW strike is over.  Once your order is processed, we will confirm completion by email with the courier service's tracking number. Please contact us with any special delivery instructions. We do not use "safe drop" instructions to avoid packaging being mishandled at the door. 

Shipping information is the responsibility of the customer, so please ensure that the information is complete (including a telephone number) and accurate to ensure successful and timely delivery. 

Cancellation / Order Changes

If you cancel or change your order prior to it being shipped, there is a 3% processing fee to cover the point-of-sale processing fees (charged to us by Shopify) for your purchase and the refund. 

During the hot summer months (July through mid-September), we unfortunately cannot guarantee safe arrival to destinations with hot climates so do not process orders during that time period. We recommend waiting until autumn when temperatures are cooler to place your order. If possible, order online for pick-up at the shop so your purchases are waiting for you. Any shipping during the summer is at the purchaser's risk given we cannot guarantee safe arrival.

Refund Policy

We take special care in making our products and shipping them. If you have an issue with your purchased product, please contact us. We will refund purchases if it is due to the handling within our control, and proof of purchase (receipt) is required to confirm age of the product.

Enjoy!