Buying Moissanite and Lab Grown Diamond Jewellery in New Zealand

New Zealand is a straightforward market with one unusual mechanic and one genuinely strong piece of consumer law. Both are worth understanding before ordering a ring from overseas.

1. GST, duty and the backwards threshold

Most countries set a de minimis by the value of the goods. New Zealand works differently: Customs collects when the total revenue owed — duty plus GST plus any levies — exceeds a set figure. Below that, they generally do not bother.

The practical effect is the same for an engagement ring, which will comfortably exceed it either way. But it explains why a small pair of studs may arrive with nothing to pay while a ring does not.

• GST applies to imported goods. Since 2019 offshore suppliers over a registration threshold charge it at the point of sale on low-value goods, so it may already be in the price.
• Customs duty applies depending on tariff classification. Many goods enter duty-free; jewellery classification should be confirmed rather than assumed.
• An Import Entry Transaction Fee and biosecurity levy are applied where a formal entry is required.

Confirm current figures with New Zealand Customs and Inland Revenue rather than relying on any retailer’s summary, including ours.

2. No hallmarking requirement

New Zealand has no compulsory assay office system. There is no legal step where a state body marks a ring before it can be sold as gold.

What applies instead is the Fair Trading Act: describing a piece as 14K gold when it is not is a misrepresentation, and that is the enforcement route. An overseas maker’s 585 or 750 stamp is normal and legitimate here.

For insurance, an independent valuation from a qualified valuer serves the role a hallmark would elsewhere — and it is what an insurer will actually ask for.

3. The Consumer Guarantees Act

This is New Zealand’s real strength. The CGA provides guarantees that apply automatically to goods supplied to consumers, and a supplier cannot contract out of them in a consumer sale — any term claiming otherwise has no effect.

Situation	Where you stand
Ring arrives faulty	CGA guarantee of acceptable quality applies
Metal or stone not as described	Guarantee of correspondence with description
You changed your mind	No statutory right — seller policy only
Custom piece, changed your mind	Almost always excluded
Overseas seller, no NZ presence	Guarantees exist; enforcement is harder

That last row is the honest caveat. The CGA is genuinely strong, but pursuing a supplier with no New Zealand presence takes effort. The practical protection is choosing a seller who resolves problems without being pushed — which is why how a workshop answers your questions before you order is worth as much as the legislation.

Delivery timing — the distance is real

Ask for production and transit separately. For our work: about seven to eight days on the bench, then 10–12 days standard transit or 6–8 expedited.

New Zealand is among the longest routes we ship, and the final leg to smaller centres and rural addresses adds meaningfully. Realistically, allow a fortnight of slack against a fixed date rather than a week — and if the date is fixed and close, expedited shipping is worth the difference here more than almost anywhere else.

Ring sizing

New Zealand uses the alphabetical system shared with the UK and Australia, not US numbers. The two scales do not step identically, so converting introduces error — especially if it happens twice.

Give the workshop the inner diameter or circumference in millimetres, or the letter and let them convert once. A resize on a piece shipped from outside New Zealand means a second round trip on one of the longest routes there is, so this is worth getting right first time.

A local wearing note

Two things worth knowing for New Zealand conditions.

Coastal living and salt. Salt air accelerates tarnish on sterling silver noticeably. If you are near the coast and want daily wear, 14K gold is the lower-maintenance choice, or accept more frequent cleaning.

Outdoor life. Tramping, water sports, gardening — if that is your life, a lower profile and a bezel or half-bezel setting will survive it far better than a raised solitaire. This is worth deciding at the design stage rather than discovering later.

General information about importing into New Zealand, not legal advice. Rates, thresholds and rules change — check New Zealand Customs, Inland Revenue and the Commerce Commission before relying on any of it.

Frequently asked questions