Education
Buying Moissanite and Lab Grown Diamond Jewellery in Japan
Consumption tax, a sizing system unlike anywhere else, and a platinum tradition worth planning around.
Written by the Mapple Gems workshop, Surat Β· Updated 30 August 2026
Short answer
Imported jewellery attracts consumption tax and possibly customs duty, collected by the carrier before delivery. Hallmarking is voluntary, through the Japan Mint. Japan has no statutory cooling-off period for mail order β the sellerβs stated returns policy governs, and if none is stated a limited default applies. Two Japan-specific practicalities: the ring sizing system is its own scale, and platinum is the traditional bridal metal here in a way it is not in most Western markets.
Japan is a well-regulated and generally smooth market to import into. The friction, when it happens, is almost never about tax β it is about sizing and about metal expectations, both of which are easy to get right if you know about them in advance.
1. Consumption tax and duty
- Consumption tax applies to imported goods, assessed on the customs value.
- Customs duty depends on tariff classification. There are value thresholds below which small personal imports clear simply, but an engagement ring will normally exceed them.
- Carrier clearance charges are added for handling the declaration and advancing the tax.
These are typically collected by the courier before delivery unless the seller has prepaid. Confirm current rates and thresholds with Japan Customs rather than relying on any retailerβs summary, including this one.
Japanese ring sizes are their own scale β do not convert them yourself. Japan uses a numbered system running roughly from 1 to 27, and the numbers do not correspond to US sizes, UK letters, or millimetre circumference the way European systems do. A Japanese size 13 is not a US 13 and not 13Β mm of anything. This is the single most common source of sizing error we see from this market, and the consequence is a resize on a long international route with a second customs clearance. Give the workshop your inner circumference or diameter in millimetres, or give the Japanese number and let them convert once β never convert it yourself before sending it.
2. Hallmarking is voluntary
Japan has no compulsory hallmarking requirement. The Japan Mint operates a voluntary quality marking service, and pieces bearing that mark have been independently assayed β but its absence is not a warning sign, because most jewellery sold in Japan does not carry it.
What does apply is general consumer and labelling law: describing a piece as Pt900 or K18 when it is not is a misrepresentation. An overseas makerβs stamp is normal here.
Note the local notation. Japanese jewellery typically marks gold as K18 or K14 rather than 750 or 585, and platinum as Pt900 or Pt950. If you are used to reading those marks, a piece stamped 750 is the same thing as K18 β just written in the European convention.
3. Returns: the policy is the rule
This is where Japan differs meaningfully from Europe. There is no general statutory cooling-off period for mail order purchases β the cooling-off provisions in Japanese consumer law apply to certain transaction types such as door-to-door sales, not to ordinary distance selling.
What governs instead is the sellerβs clearly stated returns policy. If a seller states its terms plainly, those terms apply.
| Situation | Where you stand |
|---|---|
| Changed your mind, stock item | Sellerβs stated policy governs |
| Changed your mind, custom piece | Almost always excluded |
| Item defective or not as described | Consumer protection applies |
| Overseas seller, no Japan presence | Rights exist; enforcement is harder |
The practical instruction is simple: read the returns policy before ordering, because here it really is doing the work rather than sitting behind a statutory backstop.
The platinum question
Worth raising because it catches out buyers ordering from international sellers.
Platinum has a long-established place in Japanese bridal jewellery, and Pt900 and Pt950 are commonly expected for engagement and wedding rings in a way they are not in most Western markets, where 14K and 18K gold dominate.
Most international jewellery e-commerce is built around gold. So if platinum is what you or your family expect, ask specifically whether the seller works in it before falling in love with a design β not every workshop does, and it is not a simple substitution.
If gold is fine, note that Japanese notation is K18 and K14, and that 14K is the more durable choice for daily wear even though 18K carries more prestige.
Delivery timing
Ask for production and transit separately. For our work: about seven to eight days on the bench, then 10β12 days standard transit or 6β8 expedited.
Japan Customs is efficient and domestic delivery is fast and reliable, so real door-to-door times are often at the better end. Allow a week of slack, and note that delivery slows around Golden Week, Obon and the New Year period.
Checklist for a buyer in Japan
- Give your ring size in millimetres, or the Japanese number unconverted.
- Ask whether consumption tax and duty are prepaid or payable on delivery.
- If platinum matters, confirm the seller works in it before designing.
- Confirm the metal notation you will receive β 750 and K18 are the same thing.
- Read the returns policy carefully; there is no mail-order cooling-off to fall back on.
- Get production and transit quoted separately.
General information about importing into Japan, not legal advice. Rates, thresholds and rules change β check Japan Customs and the Consumer Affairs Agency before relying on any of it.
Keep reading
- Buying jewellery in Singapore
- Buying jewellery in New Zealand
- Why gold scratches β and how platinum differs
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay customs on jewellery imported to Japan?
Generally yes for a ring-sized purchase. Consumption tax applies to imported goods, customs duty depends on classification, and carriers add clearance charges. There are thresholds below which small personal imports clear simply, but an engagement ring will normally exceed them.
How do I convert a Japanese ring size?
Do not convert it yourself. Japan uses its own numbered scale running roughly 1 to 27, which does not correspond to US numbers, UK letters or millimetre circumference. Give the workshop your inner circumference or diameter in millimetres, or give the Japanese number and let them convert once.
Is there a cooling-off period for online purchases in Japan?
Not generally for mail order. Japanese cooling-off provisions apply to certain transaction types such as door-to-door sales rather than ordinary distance selling, so a sellerβs clearly stated returns policy governs. Read it before ordering, since it is doing the work rather than sitting behind a statutory backstop.
Is K18 the same as 750 gold?
Yes β the same 75% gold content written in different conventions. Japanese marking uses K18 and K14 where European marking uses 750 and 585. Platinum is marked Pt900 or Pt950, and it holds a stronger traditional place in Japanese bridal jewellery than in most Western markets, so confirm whether a seller works in it before designing.
Shipping to Japan from our Surat workshop.
Send your size in millimetres rather than a converted number β it is the single easiest way to avoid a resize.
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