Sourcing diamonds from China

0% duty, strict entry conditions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 7102 covers diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set. All five lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

Laboratory-grown diamonds are synthetic stones of heading 7104, covered in our lab-grown diamonds guide, and industrial diamond powder is in our diamond powder guide. A natural stone declared as lab-grown, or the reverse, is a misdeclaration, so confirm the commodity code with a grading report.

Kimberley Process and Russia sanctions

The tariff restricts the import of rough diamonds (7102 10, 7102 21 and 7102 31): they are prohibited unless they travel with a Kimberley Process certificate validated by a participant country, in tamper-resistant containers whose export seals are unbroken, and the certificate clearly identifies the consignment, which is then submitted for verification under retained Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002.

Every line of 7102 also carries restrictions under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. Specified Russian diamonds processed in third countries are prohibited from import into the UK from 1 September 2024 if they weigh 0.5 carat or more, subject to licensing provisions. The general trade licence requires stones of 1 carat or more, and any diamonds processed to produce them, to have remained outside Russia since before 1 March 2024; for stones of 0.5 carat or more but smaller than 1 carat, the corresponding date is 1 September 2024. A Kimberley Process certificate is not an acceptable alternative to sanctions compliance. Ask the supplier for origin evidence for every stone and parcel.

Grading and disclosure

Specify natural or laboratory-grown, carat weight, colour, clarity and cut grades, the grading laboratory, and treatments such as high-pressure high-temperature processing or fracture filling. Treatments and lab-grown origin must be disclosed to buyers, so they belong in the invoice and the grading report.

Set diamonds in jewellery are finished jewellery, with UK hallmarking rules for the precious metal; see our jewellery guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 200 carats of cut and polished natural diamonds, 0.1 to 0.3 carat each under 7102 39 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £300 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £40,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £40,300, so it is £8,060. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: check each stone or parcel against its grading report and use screening to separate natural from laboratory-grown stones before payment.

Documents: check the Kimberley Process certificate and seals for rough goods, and the origin evidence required by the Russia sanctions for every line.

Parcel: check carat weights, counts and sizes against the invoice. See our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Diamond orders fail on identity, origin and grading. Laboratory-grown stones are mixed into natural parcels, treatments are not disclosed, grades on the supplier's own report do not match an independent laboratory, and stones of unclear origin are held under the Russia sanctions.

Cambridge China Bridge sources diamonds and gemstones for UK jewellers with grading and origin evidence agreed before payment. See factory verification.