Aussies help! How have you sent stones to the US?

[santorini]

I've purchased a stone from the US, and I need to send it back to the US to be set. The jeweller has told me they aren't able to send an international reverse shipping label.

Any Aussies who can help me with what options I have to post it back, whether I need documents for exportation, and how I can have it properly insured? I can't seem to find any information on this but surely this has to have happened before. Thanks!

(Also, sorry for the hassle to move it if this isn't the correct board - I didn't know which category this question falls into.)

 

[arkieb1]

Depends how much the stone is worth. Reverse shipping label so the vendor who you bought it from's insurance covers it is the easiest and cheapest option, or returning it for a customs refund.

Otherwise your best bet will be working with a vendor that will make the setting based on the mms of the stone and get it shipped here and someone to set it here.

Places like Malca Amit are the only ones that will insure fully and they are super dooper expensive. If it cost under $1500.00 Aussie post is the easiest.

 

[susimoo]

Arkieb1 gave great advice.

To answer your question, I have sent diamonds to various U.S. vendors from here in Australia. It has never been an issue. Mostly I used fedex and the vendors who were setting my stones ( Good Old Gold, Jewels by Grace, Victor Canera, Old World Diamonds) sent me, via email, fedex labels. All I had to do was take the packaged diamonds to the local fedex office and they did the rest.

Recently when the fabulous Grace was making me a pair of her famous bezel bangles, I sent the diamonds via Auspost. It was cheaper to do it this way then FedEx. I sent them, fully insured, with tracking (not great) and signature on delivery. It is a slow but sure approach and I was very happy with the service. I believe you can send up to the value of $5000. The price increases, as the value of the item does.

I would also say that if your diamond is over the $5000 limit it may be very difficult to send it without help from your vendor.

Good luck with everything. Please let us know how you get on.

 

[santorini]

Great help – thanks for your replies.

I thought I’d report back for those who may look this up in the future. As the vendor wasn’t able to send me a reverse shipping label, I’ll use AusPost Express Courier International.

This has international tracking and signature on delivery. Delivery is in 2-4 days. The small 500g satchel is large enough for me. To the US, it costs AU$56.05 currently.

I can add extra cover of up to AU$5,000. Extra cover protects against loss or damage during transit, and costs $9.60 for the first $100 or part thereof plus $2.50 for every additional $100 or part thereof.

The alternative option with AusPost is the Express Post International service. Based on what I’ve read, this seems exactly the same as Express Courier International but a bit slower taking 3-7 days for delivery. It was more expensive as the smallest size is a 2kg satchel. So it’s only more cost effective if you have heavier or larger items to post.

There doesn't seem to be any other cost effective ways to send items with over $5,000 insurance cover.

P.S. The next hurdle for me in this saga: to get the set stone back into Australia without paying GST again on the stone value (GST on just the setting)! I believe the invoice will just show the setting value, and I’ll pay GST on that only, but I have to ask the vendor to ensure that the insured value will have to be setting + stone. With the dollar dropping, I'm really not looking forward to another round of GST!

 

[susimoo]

Hi again.

Just a warning to say please don't send your diamond underinsured. Although auspost is very reliable the odd mishap happens and you don't want to lose thousands of your hard earned dollars.
If your diamond cost more than $5000 AUD I would urge you to rethink your vendor.

Onto your other point. As long as you get your vendor to be very thorough in their return paperwork it should be ok. Ask for a copy of all these documents before its sent as you may need them later on.
Also they must complete a AUSFTA declaration amongst other things. This will exempt you from 5% duty.

Your package total value will be more than the actual value you are due to pay GST on.

Ie package value total = diamond + setting
GST due on setting only.

Therefore they have to detail this in the paperwork.

My experience is that customs normally, in the first instance, calculate GST on the total package. Easier than reading the paperwork.
This is then requested from you via FedEx. This has happened to me several times.

When I explained that it was incorrect, I was then required to submit (again) the copies of the paperwork from my vendor. It can take a day or two to correct and I think about $60 in recalculation fees, but I eventually only paid GST on my setting value, not including my diamonds.
You may also be required to submit documentary evidence of the diamond being shipped out of Australia to the US. So hang into to that.

Just be aware it's not the quickest process and it can be frustrating. If you take your time, have all your paperwork ready it is totally doable.

Good luck!! I hope you will come back and tell us how it all went. Pictures would be fab too!!!

 

[nomissjane]

I doubt that you'll be able to get the completed ring back without paying GST on the stone all over again.
I spent about a month speaking to numerous departments at customs a couple of years ago trying to get my original engagement ring stone sent to Victor Canera to go into a new setting and returned to me in Sydney and the final word from Customs was that once a stone has been put into a new setting it is considered to be 'modified' and therefore subject to GST on the total amount (stone and setting) on its return to Australia. I tried to argue that I had already owned the stone for 7yrs and had receipts to show that I'd already paid GST on it when I initially purchased it to no avail. It seemed ridiculous to me then as it does now and so I ended up having the fabulous Victor make the new setting with only the GIA Cert specs to guide him and I had it set down into the new VC setting here in Sydney...and of course it was flawless and perfectly sized for my stone.
I hope you have better luck than I did but I would recheck with customs in case you get a shock on its return.
I'm terrible at linking to old threads but maybe have a read of the thread I posted about this in rocky talk previously.

Good luck.