Shipping & Payment
How to send your rough stones to Sri Lanka for cutting, heat treatment or jewellery work, and how we get your finished stones safely back to you.
Four steps, start to finish
Follow these in order. The first two happen at your end before you ship, the third once your parcel is on its way, and the last is handled by us.
Prepare & pack
Get your stones ready and gather the details we'll need for customs and for your order. Before you seal the box, note the following for every item:
- Kind of stone — the name or type of each stone (for example sapphire, spinel, garnet).
- Weight — total weight in grams or carats.
- Quantity — how many pieces of each stone type (for example sapphire 50 pcs, garnet 37 pcs).
- Declared value — for customs purposes only (see the guide below).
Fill in the commercial shipping invoice with these details, print it, and place a copy inside the parcel. Keep a digital copy too — you'll upload it when you submit your order in Step 3. Then label the outside with our address and the correct customs description. The invoice template, address and full customs wording are in the sections below.
Get the commercial shipping invoice & address →Ship to us
Send the parcel by Postal Express (EMS) or courier (FedEx, UPS, DHL). We recommend EMS or FedEx — both are faster, safer and easy to track online. Use the address shown in Resources below.
You can prepare your customs label at home and take it straight to the post office or courier drop-off — no need to fill anything in on site.
Submit your order
Once the parcel is on its way, complete the order submission form with all your details — including the tracking number, the shipment contents (stone type, weight, quantity), and a copy of your commercial shipping invoice. This gives us everything we need on file before the stones arrive, and lets us respond quickly if Sri Lankan customs asks for shipment information.
Go to order submission form →We process & return
We cut, treat or set your stones to your instructions, then email you a detailed invoice including shipping and any clearing charges. Once payment is received, we ship your finished stones back with online tracking and send you the tracking number.
Customs & declaration
You'll need these when preparing your invoice and labelling the parcel in Step 1. Getting them right helps your parcel clear customs without unnecessary penalties or delay.
How to declare value
Place a short commercial shipping invoice inside the package listing the stone names, weight, piece count and a declared value — the same invoice you prepared in Step 1. Declare a value for customs purposes only, using the guide below based on parcel weight.
| Order size | Weight range | Declared value (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Small order | 25 g – 100 g | $10 – $50 |
| Small order | 100 g – 300 g | $50 – $100 |
| Medium order | 300 g – 500 g | $100 – $150 |
| Large order | 500 g – 750 g | $160 – $250 |
| Extra large order | 750 g – 1000 g | $250 – $350 |
| Bulk order | 1000 g + | $350 – $500 |
What to write on the customs form
- Description: Mineral Rough Specimens — do not write "raw gems" or "rough gems", for security purposes.
- HSN code: 710310
- Note that the stones are being sent for cutting, heat treatment or jewellery work and will be returned to the sender after processing. This gives customs useful context.
Everything you'll need
The shipping address, the commercial shipping invoice, and a printable checklist — everything for Step 1, in one place.
City Gems Lapidary & Jewelry Mfg
Akurana, Sri Lanka
Zip code: 20850
Commercial shipping invoice
Prepared for customers sending gemstones for cutting, polishing, heat treatment, or jewellery manufacturing. View a filled-in example, or download the blank version to complete and include with your shipment.
It opens on Windows in Microsoft Word, on Mac in Word or Pages, and on iPhone, iPad or Android in the Microsoft Word or Google Docs app — so you can fill it in on screen. You're also welcome to print it and fill it in by hand.
Shipping instructions & checklist
A printable step-by-step guide covering everything from packing to submitting your order, with a checklist for each step — handy to keep next to you while you pack.
Not sure what to pay for your rough stones? Read our pricing guide →
Return shipping
We ship within 4–7 business days of receiving payment. All return shipments include online tracking. Choose your return method:
Postal Service (EMS)
Registered air-mail, delivered by your postman — sign and receive, no further formalities.
Courier (FedEx)
Fully operational from Sri Lanka. Requires a physical address — no P.O. Boxes.
Please note: all orders ship F.O.B. Sri Lanka. Once a shipment has been handed to the carrier, responsibility for transport rests with the shipping company, and any freight, insurance, handling or import charges become the customer's responsibility. We strongly recommend purchasing insurance for valuable shipments. Customs charges vary by country, and you are responsible for any fees if a shipment is rejected over clearance charges.
How to pay
Once your order is processed, we email a detailed invoice including any clearing and shipping charges. We ship as soon as payment is received. Choose any method below.
PayPal
Send to sithygems@sltnet.lk using any card, debit, eCheque or bank transfer at paypal.com.
Credit / Debit Card
We send a secure payment link with your invoice — pay by Visa, Mastercard, Amex or Discover.
Western Union
Send to Sainul Mohamed, Sri Lanka, then email us the control number and sender's full name & address.
MoneyGram
Send to Sainul Mohamed, Sri Lanka, then email us the reference number and sender's details.
International Money Order
Write your email address on the money order so we can credit your account correctly.
Bank Wire Transfer
Wire payment directly to our bank account — contact us for the bank details.
Please note: your finished goods are shipped only after payment is received.