Shipping
Global Shipping
Insured, tracked, fully declared. Stones ship from the United States with a commercial invoice and the customs classification on the outside of the box, so nothing gets held at the border.
Before it ships, every stone is graded and disclosed — see how we grade. Stones over one carat travel with a laboratory report.
How it ships
Insured for the full value, tracked, signature required
Everything ships from the United States. Nothing leaves without insurance covering the full purchase price, tracking from door to door, and a signature on delivery. We do not ship valuable stones to be left on a doorstep, and we will not mark a package as anything other than what it is.
| What | How we handle it |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Full purchase value, arranged specifically for gemstones. General carrier coverage caps out well below the value of a good stone and commonly excludes gems and jewellery outright — which is exactly why a specialist policy rather than a carrier’s standard declared value is the only sensible basis. |
| Tracking | Provided the moment the package is lodged, before it moves. |
| Signature | Required on every shipment. No exceptions and no authority-to-leave. |
| Packaging | Discreet outer packaging with no indication of contents, and internal protection appropriate to a fractured gemstone rather than a generic padded envelope. |
| Declared value | Accurate, always. See below — this is not negotiable. |
The one request we always refuse
We will not under-declare your shipment
Buyers ask, usually as a favour and usually to reduce import duty. The answer is no, and it is worth explaining why it is in your interest rather than just ours.
- It voids the insurance. A claim pays out against the declared value. Under-declare a $3,000 stone at $200 and that is what you recover when it is lost — and it does occasionally get lost.
- It is customs fraud in your name. As the importer of record, the false declaration is legally yours, not the sender’s. Penalties, seizure and forfeiture land on you.
- It destroys your provenance. A paper trail with a fictional value is worse than none when you come to insure or resell the stone, and it undermines the documentation that makes it worth a premium.
A seller who cheerfully agrees to under-declare for you is a seller who is comfortable putting your name on a false document. Consider what else they are comfortable with.
Customs
What to expect when it crosses a border
Cut and rough emeralds fall in the HS 7103 family — precious and semi-precious stones other than diamonds — with the specific subheading depending on whether the material is unworked, simply sawn, or otherwise worked. We classify and document correctly and include a commercial invoice matching the declared value exactly.
- You are the importer of record. Duty, import VAT or GST and any handling fee are payable by you on arrival and are not included in our price.
- Rates vary widely by country. Some jurisdictions admit loose gemstones at little or no duty while charging full import VAT; others tax jewellery considerably more heavily than unmounted stones. Check your own country’s schedule before you commit — we can tell you how a shipment will be classified and declared, but we cannot tell you your national tax rate and will not pretend to.
- Mounted versus loose matters. A set stone is often classified and taxed differently from the same stone unmounted. If you are having it set, ask us before deciding where the setting happens.
- Clearance can add time. Valuable goods get looked at. That is normal and not a problem with the shipment.
If something goes wrong
Loss, damage and the claim
- Tell us immediately, and before anything else photograph the packaging as it arrived — outer, inner and the stone in place. A claim without packaging photographs is a much harder claim.
- Do not discard any packaging until the claim is closed. Insurers ask for it.
- If a package arrives visibly opened, damaged or underweight, note it with the carrier at the point of delivery and do not sign clean.
- We open and run the claim — it is our shipment and our policy. You are not left to argue with a carrier alone.
Because the declared value is accurate, a claim recovers what the stone actually cost. That is the entire practical argument for declaring properly, and it is why we hold the line on it even when a buyer would prefer otherwise.
Questions
Shipping, insurance and customs
Which countries do you ship to?
Most of the world. The limits are sanctions and screening rather than preference: we will not ship to sanctioned jurisdictions or parties, and some destinations are impractical because no carrier will insure valuable gemstones into them. Ask about your country before you order and we will give you a straight answer rather than take payment and discover it afterwards.
How long does it take?
Domestic US shipments move quickly. International depends far more on customs clearance than on transit, and valuable goods are inspected more often. We will give you a realistic window when you order rather than an optimistic one, and you will have tracking from the moment it is lodged.
Who pays import duty and tax?
You do, as importer of record, and it is payable on arrival separately from what you paid us. We do not collect or remit foreign duty, and any quote we give you is before your local charges. Ask us what the declared value and classification will be and you can check your own rate in advance.
Can I collect in person instead?
For substantial purchases this can be arranged and is worth discussing — it removes transit risk entirely and lets you examine the stone in daylight before paying. Contact us rather than assuming either way.