Shipping policy

Last updated: 8th March 2026

 

 

Every À Vie commission is dispatched using an insured, fully tracked courier service. Delivery is included in the cost of your commission — there are no additional shipping charges for UK or international orders.

 

Because each piece is handcrafted and hallmarked to order, dispatch happens at the end of the production process rather than immediately after payment. This policy explains when your piece will be dispatched, how it will be sent, what it will arrive with, and what to do if anything goes wrong.

 

1. When We Dispatch

Your piece will be dispatched once two things have happened:

 

–     The balance payment (30% of the total commission cost) has been received in cleared funds.

–     The piece has passed our full quality and setting check — including inspection of prong integrity, stone security, surface finish, ring size accuracy, and hallmark legibility.

 

Every piece is also hallmarked at a UK Assay Office before dispatch, which typically adds 3–5 working days to the production timeline. We will not dispatch a piece that has not been independently hallmarked.

 

We will send you a dispatch confirmation by email on the day your piece is sent, including your tracking reference and the courier's tracking link.

 

2. Delivery at a Glance

 

Destination	Courier	Cost	Estimated transit
United Kingdom	Royal Mail Special Delivery	Included	Next working day
Europe / EU	FedEx International Priority	Included	2–4 working days
USA / Canada	FedEx International Priority	Included	3–5 working days
Australia / NZ	FedEx International Priority	Included	4–6 working days
Rest of world	FedEx International Priority	Included	Confirmed at commission stage

 

Transit times are estimates from the date of dispatch and may vary due to customs clearance, local public holidays, or courier delays outside our control.

 

3. UK Delivery

3.1  Service and courier

All UK orders are dispatched via Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed — a tracked, signed-for, next working day service with insurance cover appropriate for high-value items. You will receive a tracking reference on the day of dispatch.

3.2  Signature required

Royal Mail Special Delivery requires a signature on delivery. If you are not available when delivery is attempted:

 

–     Royal Mail will leave a notification card with details of your local delivery office

–     Your piece will be held at that delivery office for up to 18 days

–     You can arrange redelivery or collect in person — details will be on the card and in Royal Mail's tracking system

 

Please ensure someone is available to receive the delivery, or let us know in advance if you would prefer to arrange delivery to an alternative address such as a workplace.

3.3  Delivery date requests

If you have a specific date in mind — for example, you are planning a proposal — please tell us at the design stage or as early as possible during production. We will do our best to time dispatch so that delivery falls on or before your preferred date. Royal Mail Special Delivery also offers a Saturday Guaranteed service, which we can use on request.

 

 

4. International Delivery

4.1  Service and courier

All international orders are dispatched via FedEx International Priority — a fully tracked, insured express service. You will receive a tracking reference and a link to FedEx's tracking portal on the day of dispatch.

4.2  Import duties, taxes, and customs

À Vie Diamonds ships from the United Kingdom. When your piece arrives in your country, it may be subject to import duties, customs fees, and local taxes imposed by your country's authorities. These charges are entirely outside our control and are not included in your commission price.

 

 

If a parcel is held at customs and you choose not to pay the applicable duties, it may be returned to us. In this situation we will contact you to discuss your options — we will not simply retain the piece or the funds.

4.3  EU customers — post-Brexit

Since January 2021, goods shipped from the UK to EU countries are treated as imports and are subject to EU customs procedures. This typically means EU import VAT (charged at your country's local rate) and potentially a customs duty of up to 2.5% on jewellery. These charges are levied by your local customs authority, not by us.

 

We will complete all required export documentation accurately. We will not under-declare the value of a shipment — doing so is illegal and invalidates the courier's insurance cover on the parcel.

4.4  Restricted territories

We are unable to ship to countries subject to UK, EU, or UN trade sanctions, or to territories where the import of precious metals or gemstones is restricted or prohibited. If you are unsure whether we can ship to your location, please ask before commissioning.

 

5. Packaging and Documentation

5.1  Presentation packaging

Your piece will be presented in a jewellery box appropriate to the commission. This is placed inside a secure outer box for transit. The packaging is designed to protect the piece during shipping while arriving in a condition befitting a bespoke commission.

5.2  Documentation included with every piece

Every À Vie commission is dispatched with the following documentation:

 

–     Grading certificate — GIA or IGI grading certificate for your stone, confirming its specifications

–     Hallmark documentation — confirmation from the UK Assay Office of the metal purity of your piece

–     Signed quality check record — our internal check confirming the piece passed inspection before dispatch

–     Original invoice — required for insurance purposes; keep this in a safe place

 

 

6. Risk and Insurance

6.1  When risk transfers to you

Your piece is our responsibility until it is delivered to you and a signature is obtained. Risk passes to you at the point of delivery. Until that moment, the piece is covered by the courier's insurance under our account.

6.2  Insuring your piece after delivery

Once the piece is delivered, we strongly recommend that you insure it as a named item on your home contents insurance policy from the day of receipt. Fine jewellery is typically covered as a named item rather than under general contents cover — contact your insurer to confirm.

 

Your original invoice, grading certificate, and hallmark documentation are the documents your insurer will need to set the insured value. Keep them somewhere safe and separate from the piece itself.

6.3  If something goes wrong in transit

In the unlikely event that your piece is lost or damaged in transit, please contact us immediately at enquiries@aviediamonds.com with your commission reference and tracking number. Do not accept a visibly damaged parcel without noting the damage with the courier at the point of delivery.

 

We will manage the courier claim on your behalf and work to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Because the piece is our responsibility until delivery, you will not be left out of pocket for loss or damage that occurs in transit.

 

7. If Your Piece Does Not Arrive

7.1  Tracking

Both Royal Mail Special Delivery and FedEx provide real-time tracking. Your tracking reference will be emailed to you on dispatch. If the tracking shows a delay or an unexpected status, please check the courier's website first — most issues are resolved without any further action needed.

7.2  If delivery is attempted when you are not in

For UK orders, Royal Mail will leave a notification card and hold the parcel at your local delivery office for up to 18 days. For international orders, FedEx will attempt delivery up to three times and will contact you directly to arrange a suitable time if the first attempt is unsuccessful.

7.3  If your piece appears to be lost

If tracking has shown no movement for more than 5 working days (UK) or 10 working days (international), please contact us at enquiries@aviediamonds.com. We will raise an investigation with the courier immediately. Courier investigations typically take 5–10 working days to conclude.

 

Until delivery is confirmed, the piece remains our responsibility. If a parcel is confirmed as lost in transit, we will work with you on the appropriate remedy — replacement, repair, or refund — depending on the circumstances.

 

8. Inspecting Your Piece on Arrival

When your piece arrives, please take a moment to inspect it carefully. Check:

 

–     The outer packaging is undamaged — if it is visibly damaged, note this with the delivery driver before accepting

–     The piece matches the approved design in all material respects

–     The stone is secure in its setting

–     Any engraving is correct

–     The ring size is correct (if applicable)

 

If anything is not right, please contact us within 30 days of delivery. Write to enquiries@aviediamonds.com with your commission reference, a description of the issue, and photographs where possible. Your full rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply — please refer to our Refund Policy for detail on how we handle defects and remedies.

 

9. Contact Us

For any question about delivery, a dispatch update, or a transit issue:

 

Email                                  enquiries@aviediamonds.com

Post                                    À Vie Diamonds Ltd, Bartle House, 9 Oxford Court, Manchester, England, M2 3WQ

Website                               aviediamonds.com

 

Please always include your commission reference number (AV-XXXX) so we can locate your order quickly.

 

 

À Vie Diamonds Ltd  ·  Company No. 16096594  ·  Registered in England and Wales

Bartle House, 9 Oxford Court, Manchester, England, M2 3WQ  ·  aviediamonds.com