How to Ship Jewellery Internationally from India

Shipping jewellery internationally combines everything that makes general international shipping tricky (customs, documentation, valuation) with the extra scrutiny that naturally comes with high-value, easily-concealed goods. Here's how to do it correctly.

Step 1: Register properly

Before exporting jewellery commercially, get an IEC code from DGFT, and register with the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) for an RCMC (Registration-cum-Membership Certificate). This isn't optional bureaucracy — it's what lets you access courier-mode export properly and claim any applicable export benefits.

Step 2: Know the value rules

A significant recent change: the ₹10 lakh (₹1,000,000) value cap that used to restrict how much jewellery could be exported via registered courier was removed effective 1 April 2026, meaning higher-value jewellery shipments that previously required cargo-mode export can now move through courier. GJEPC continues to advocate for extending the same simplified, risk-based norms available to other courier exporters to jewellery specifically.

Step 3: Choose the correct shipping bill

Use CSB-V for any commercial jewellery export — CSB-IV (the simplified, non-commercial route) is not appropriate for jewellery given its value density, even for small quantities. See CSB-IV vs CSB-V.

Step 4: Prepare jewellery-specific documentation

• Commercial invoice with an accurate, defensible valuation (jewellery valuation is scrutinised more closely than most product categories)
• A Kimberley Process Certificate if the shipment contains rough diamonds (issued by GJEPC) — cut and polished diamonds don't require this certificate itself, though buyers increasingly want sourcing documentation
• BIS hallmarking documentation for gold jewellery where applicable
• See Jewellery Export Documentation for the full list

Step 5: Pack and insure appropriately

Jewellery needs discreet, tamper-evident, well-cushioned packaging — see How to Pack Jewellery for Shipping — and insurance that actually covers the declared value, not a generic minimum.

Step 6: Understand destination customs

Many countries apply specific duty rates and additional scrutiny to precious metals and gemstones on import, independent of general merchandise duty rules — check the destination country's specific rules (for US-bound jewellery, see Restricted or Prohibited Items (USA) and Customs Information for Shipping to USA).