The cost of sending/receiving jewelry/gems...

[m76steve]

I just received a stone from a seller in Bangkok, it is a nice ruby, won on an auction. The stone was listed on the invoice to customs as imitation jewelry, synthetic sapphire. With this description, noted value of $50.00, it passed customs with no problems. My gravel has been stopped before but very rarely, or not. My question is, has anyone had problems with customs in other countries with gemstones or finished jewelry? I understand loose gems into the country, usa, are not subject to custom fees, but finished jewelry is, I think because gemstones are considered jewelry in progress, and being assembled here in the states, while finished jewelry can be bought here already, so if one brings in an item, the govt gets a piece of the action. Also the value may have something to do with the customs regs-am asking-any comments, experiences-stevie...

[Lydia]

Well, I'm in Canada, so don't know the US rules. But in Canada, you can bring in rough or a finished stone with no duty, but taxes do apply over $20. Jewelry attracts duty and taxes. Lots of vendors use strange descriptions and even label items as gifts to "help" the purchaser avoid the duties and/or taxes. If shipped to me through the mail, most everything has been ignored. (Don't think they [Customs] don't look at each item, they do - it's just not worth their time to chase every little thing.)

[SwordfishMining]

Yes I noticed that. The company wanted me to declare thousands in opal rough as 50$ and specimens without ever telling me how much it would be to be completely above board and use actual value for complete protection. I took all the risk and got 165 HK for a pound of dry gem when the post office lost it coming to me. Something was mailed. Parcel disappeared between the Sunning factory- was the year Chinese took over HK, and me. Opals do not have a duty in or out of US to be worked or loose but i thought a lot other gems did and if it was set duties were due. Most agents are not appraisers obviously. Oh UPS specifically excludes opal rough from insurance coverage -warning! Sri Lanka had a set import and export fee. No trouble from NWG Lapidary other than the cheap cuts i paid for lol. Work was good, but they were cut heavy with windows you know how that goes. It was not Hargrave or Dyer type rough. Wonder how much more expensive things would be if everybody did not lie and paid their fair share in taxes on everything money was made on. Love your insights. I cant get around much.

[PinkDiamond]

Key words on the package or customs declaration generally determine whether they inspect a package or not. That's why it's recommended that a return address not say 'so-and-so jewelers', and is why so many say the items are gifts or specimens of little value; because customs workers aren't always honest, and some have sticky fingers so things can get 'lost' real easy.

So it's a tossup between being totally honest, and slapping a red flag on your parcel that ensures it will be held up and opened, and believe me; they don't repack things. They just throw them back in the box and send it on, with or without an assessment you have to pay.

I used to buy from ThaiGem, and the last order was opened by them and when it was all said and done, FedEx charged me an additional $35 for getting the package thru customs, and yet I don't believe any of that was tax, although it could have been partially.

Either way, that $35 wasn't part of the plan, adding to my cost and increasing the amount I would have to turn them for if I were selling, so it was a good lesson learned for me, and I never ordered from ThaiGem again.

[Brightlights]

I used to love Thaigem! Then they quickly went downhill in quality and the prices were rigged with the auction thing that would have mysterious last second bids on stones that were under a certain premium. Kinda like when.... Anyway I got some good deals but eventually had to move on.

[SwordfishMining]

I will say my inspected items also were basically shoved back in the hole and they taped just over the cut. I've gotten boxes of agates I swear they just rolled along with their foot. Shill auctions deserved to be blacklisted I agree. The money from excessive mailing/restocking fees is a big red flag also. There are plenty of honest dealers out there so that ignoring the stolen goods prices and sales factories is easier. Wish they close accounts after so many valid complaints tho' to thin out the bad elements to only newer accounts without track records.

[Lydia]

Stuff that comes in via courier incurs a brokerage charge for clearing the package. That's why most vendors us the post.