Precious Metals, Stones and Jewellery from the United States: Export Buying Guide

Buying precious metals, stones and jewellery from the United States starts with a clear specification and an identified receiving market. Wigmore Trading can assess a sourcing or logistics brief and clarify what is needed for a written offer. A guide or product list is not confirmation of stock, supplier appointment or approval to trade a particular item.

Define the requirement before requesting prices

Identify whether the requirement is for investment-grade metal, industrial compounds, recyclable material, loose stones or finished jewellery. Specify purity, form, quantity and intended use. These product types have different verification, valuation and transport requirements; a quoted spot price cannot replace a complete commercial offer.

Validate the seller and the material independently

Establish the seller’s identity, authority and provenance records. Agree independent assay, stone grading or product inspection where appropriate, and state how discrepancies affect acceptance and payment. For scrap, define sampling and recoverable content. For precious-metal compounds, require chemical identity, concentration and safety documentation; precious content alone does not describe the product.

Products to distinguish in your enquiry

The following are separate specification lines. Identify the exact product, grade or model and intended use rather than requesting an undifferentiated mixed shipment.

• Diamonds
• Platinum
• Precious Metal Scraps
• Jewellery
• Precious Metal Compounds
• Other Precious Metal Products
• Precious Stones

Keep custody and commercial terms clear

Determine where title and risk transfer, who controls the goods during inspection and which secure carrier and insurance arrangements apply. Avoid paying on the strength of photographs, certificates that cannot be authenticated or unverifiable warehouse claims. Ask for a written transaction structure with transparent fees, testing, release conditions and destination requirements before considering a purchase.

Compare the full commercial scope

Ask each supplier to quote the same specification, quantity, condition, packing basis and named delivery point. List the currency, quote validity, inspection scope, payment milestones and treatment of non-conforming goods. Request actual packed dimensions and gross weights before comparing freight options.

Keep product price separate from collection, export preparation, freight, insurance, destination charges, duties, storage and final delivery. Identify the party responsible for each stage. Do not pay for a shipment whose destination acceptance or essential technical specification is still unresolved.

Prepare a sourcing brief

Send the specification or catalogue reference, quantity and expected repeat demand, receiving location, required date and any supporting drawings or quality requirements. Say whether the enquiry is for an approved replacement, a new production input or resale. Ask for the manufacturer and origin to be identified; a source-country dispatch address alone does not establish origin.

Use the US sourcing directory to compare related product guides, or the US commercial shipping guide when preparing cargo details.

Reviewed 1 November 2026. Gallery images illustrate procurement and logistics; they do not identify offered stock.