Frequently asked questions and delivery information
How do we grade stones?
There is no overall universal grading system for the majority of our products. As such, the grades we use are internal only. They simply refer to higher and lower qualities, but they may be entirely different grades to other websites. C grade pieces are of lower quality than B grade, which is lower than A grade.
How does our ordering and delivery process work?
You place an order via the website. When it’s been picked and packed, your order will be marked as completed and dropped off at our local post office. We have an account with the post office called a “Drop and Go” account, which allows the post office staff to process our parcels when they have free time, rather than me queuing up and delaying everyone else.
I get tracking information etc online when this has been completed. I typically do not send tracking information to customers unless they request it – but if you’ve requested tracked postage, it has been sent tracked! If you have any worries or concerns about your parcel being delayed please feel free to get in touch and I’ll send the tracking info over! We also get delivery confirmations for parcels over 25MM thick by default.
Why don’t you ship to my country?
If you’re an EU member state, unfortunately EU regulations prevent me shipping to you. The GPSR requires an EU resident representative to deal with the safety of any imports, which for a business selling hundreds of species of minerals is entirely impossible. In addition to this, providing accurate information regarding every mineral specimen I sell would require RAMAN analysis of every individual specimen.
There is no low threshold for the GPSR, meaning it applies if I only export £5 worth of items to the EU in a calendar year. The last quote I got for a resident representative willing to take responsibility for even exclusively the non-toxic minerals I sell was in the thousands. As a result, I no longer ship to the EU.
It’s possible there just isn’t a shipping rule set up for your country – if you think this is a mistake please get in touch and I’ll see if shipping to your location is possible.
How do international orders work?
The purchaser is liable for any import taxes, tariffs, charges, customs fees, etc. These are calculated differently by every country, and I’m afraid I can’t offer specific advice really.
In the UK when an item arrives at customs, you are charged the local tax rate based on the documentation provided to customs, plus sometimes a carriers fee. Of course, this varies between personal single item and business entire container ship purchases, but thats the jist of it.
No postage refunds will be given for any items returned by your customs agency, delivery company, etc – this is usually due to unpaid fees on the importers part.
How do US tariffs work?
For American customers – your new tariffs are applied based on country of origin, not country of shipping. This means you will pay varying fees depending on where the item you purchased is originally from.
We are not responsible for and cannot control these tariffs; they are essentially an import tax charged by your government.
You can find a list of current tariffs here, valid 10/04/25 – it may not be updated though.
Currently, if you were to buy a £10 piece of fluorite, the tariffs would vary based on where it came from:
UK source – 10% tariff – £11.00
Chinese source – 145% tariff – £24.50
No refunds will be given due to delays in customs, additional fees, taxes, tariffs etc at customs – these are solely the importers responsibility. If you fail to pay the taxes/tariffs, I do not know what will happen – the goods may be destroyed by customs or returned to the UK. No postage refunds will be given for any items returned by your customs agency, delivery company, etc. Refunds will also not be issued if items are destroyed or withheld by customs.
I’d like to return my order for a refund.
No problem at all – just get in touch and we’ll arrange it. You can read our full returns policy here.
What payment methods do you accept?
I can accept Paypal, Stripe, cheque, and direct bank transfers. Paypal and Stripe will both allow you to pay with credit and debit cards.
Can you deliver to my neighbour or a safe place?
I can put a note on the parcel with instructions for the postman/courier, but obviously I can’t control exactly what they do. Unfortunately any request to leave a delivery in a safe place will mean we cannot guarantee tracking or delivery due to the risk of theft.