The cost of air freight for jewellery from India depends on chargeable weight, the route, the season and the charges added at each end. Chargeable weight is the greater of the actual weight and the volume weight of your cartons, so bulky, light packaging can cost more to fly than the jewellery inside it.
Rates change often, by carrier and by season, so ask a forwarder or courier for a quote on your actual cartons rather than relying on a published figure.
Chargeable weight explained
Airlines and couriers convert carton size into a volume weight. Air cargo commonly divides length times width times height in centimetres by 6,000 to get kilograms, while express couriers often divide by 5,000, which makes the same box count as heavier. You pay on whichever is higher, the actual or the volume weight.
Jewellery in polybags is dense and usually charged on actual weight. The same jewellery in rigid gift boxes may be charged on volume. That is why many buyers ship pieces flat and box them at destination.
What makes up the bill
- The freight rate per kilogram, which usually falls as the shipment gets larger.
- Fuel and security surcharges, which change with oil prices and airline policy.
- Origin charges: collection from Rajkot, export clearance and terminal handling.
- Destination charges: terminal handling, import clearance and delivery.
- Duties and import taxes, billed separately at destination.
- Insurance, if you buy it, usually based on the declared value.
What moves the price
Season has a large effect. Air capacity tightens before Western holidays and around peak e-commerce periods, and rates rise. Routes with direct flights from major Indian gateways are usually cheaper and faster than those needing transfers. Incoterms also matter: under ex-works or FOB terms you pay most of these charges, while under CIF or DAP the supplier includes some of them in the price.
How to keep it down
- Ship in dense packs and use standard carton sizes.
- Consolidate several makers' goods into one shipment.
- Book outside peak weeks where your calendar allows.
- Compare courier and air cargo once you pass a few dozen kilograms.
- Ask for an all-in quote so origin and destination charges are not a surprise.
Ask for quotes on a door-to-door basis as well as airport to airport. A low freight rate can hide high destination charges, and a courier's door-to-door price can turn out cheaper than cargo once every fee is added. Compare the total for the same cartons and the same delivery address.
What this means for a buyer
Look at landed cost per piece, not the freight rate alone. See how imitation jewellery prices are calculated for the factory side. Creston & Co works for buyers only, for a fixed fee agreed in writing. We plan packing for air at Rajkot workshops, check carton weights and supervise packing. Start with a free sourcing review.