Sourcing gemstones from China
Natural precious and semi-precious stones from China, rough or cut and polished, including rubies, sapphires, emeralds, amethyst and topaz, pay 0% UK duty on all three lines of heading 7103, with no anti-dumping duty. The risks are identity, undisclosed treatments and synthetics mixed into parcels, so buy against a grading or identification report.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 7103 covers precious stones (other than diamonds) and semi-precious stones, not strung, mounted or set. All three lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Synthetic and reconstructed stones are heading 7104, covered in our lab-grown and synthetic stones guide, and diamonds have their own heading, covered in our diamonds guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precious and semi-precious stones, unworked or simply sawn or roughly shaped | 7103 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Rubies, sapphires and emeralds, otherwise worked | 7103 91 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other precious and semi-precious stones, otherwise worked | 7103 99 00 00 | 0% | None |
Identity and treatments
Many gemstones are routinely treated by heating, filling, dyeing or coating. Treatments and synthetic origin must be disclosed to buyers, so write the treatment status into the order and the invoice, and ask for an identification report from an independent gem laboratory for higher-value stones.
Specify species and variety, size and calibration, cut, colour range, clarity, and the tolerance on weight or millimetre size for stones that will be set in standard mounts. Set stones in finished pieces are jewellery; see our jewellery guide.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 5,000 cut and polished amethyst and topaz stones for jewellery setting under 7103 99 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £300 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,300, so it is £1,860. 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: screen parcels for synthetics and glass, and check reports against stones.
Calibration: measure sizes against the mount tolerance and check counts and weights.
Quality: check colour consistency, chips and polish under standard light. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Gemstone orders fail on identity, treatment and calibration. Synthetics or glass are mixed into natural parcels, treatments are not disclosed, colours vary across a parcel, and stones are off-size for the mounts.
Cambridge China Bridge sources gemstones for UK jewellers with identification and treatment disclosure agreed before payment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on gemstones from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, all three lines of heading 7103 carried 0% from China.
Are synthetic gemstones in the same heading?
No. Synthetic and reconstructed stones are heading 7104.
Do gemstone treatments have to be disclosed?
Yes. Treatments and synthetic origin must be disclosed to buyers, so write them into the order and invoice.
How do I check stones fit standard mounts?
Specify the calibrated size and tolerance, then measure samples against it before shipment.