These Gemstones, Jewellery and Precious Metals Trading Rules establish the standards for listing, describing, documenting, marketing, and transferring valuable items offered through the KOTLYARS international marketplace and auction platform.
Accurate disclosure, lawful ownership, transparent documentation, and responsible trading are fundamental principles of the KOTLYARS marketplace. Every material statement made about an item must be truthful, verifiable, and supported by appropriate evidence.
These Rules supplement the Terms and Conditions, Seller Terms, Buyer Terms, Auction Rules, Certificate, Provenance and Authenticity Requirements, Prohibited Items Policy, and other applicable KOTLYARS policies. Where mandatory legislation applies, the relevant legal requirements prevail.
- Purpose and Scope. These Rules apply to loose gemstones, diamonds, pearls, coral, jewellery, watches containing precious materials, bullion, coins, precious metals, and all similar items offered for sale or auction through the KOTLYARS platform.
- Seller Responsibility and Applicable Law. Sellers are solely responsible for the legality of the item, lawful ownership, authority to sell, accuracy of the listing, supporting documentation, export and import compliance, delivery arrangements, and compliance with all applicable laws. Publication or review by KOTLYARS does not transfer this responsibility to the platform.
- Minimum Listing Information. Every listing should accurately identify the item type, manufacturer or creator, period, dimensions, quantity, gross weight, gemstone weight, metal composition and fineness, gemstone characteristics, condition, repairs, hallmarks, certificates, current location, and any known import or export restrictions. Material information must be clearly presented and consistent throughout the listing.
- Natural, Laboratory-Grown and Imitation Materials. Sellers must clearly identify whether each gemstone or material is natural, laboratory-grown, synthetic, composite, created, or imitation. Terms such as "natural," "genuine," or geographic origin may only be used where supported by appropriate evidence. Any uncertainty must be disclosed before a purchase or bid.
- Treatments and Enhancements. Known treatments affecting appearance, durability, care requirements, rarity, or value—including heating, irradiation, fracture filling, diffusion, dyeing, impregnation, bleaching, stabilisation, coating, and laser drilling—must be disclosed. Unsupported claims that an item is untreated are prohibited.
- Diamonds and Grading. Diamond characteristics such as cut, carat weight, colour, clarity, fluorescence, and grading should reference recognised gemmological grading standards or competent laboratory reports. Marketing expressions such as "perfect," "investment grade," or similar unsupported quality claims must not be used. Laboratory report numbers should correspond to the specific stone offered.
- Rough Diamonds and the Kimberley Process. Rough diamonds may only be listed where trade complies with applicable Kimberley Process requirements and all required certificates, customs documentation, and tamper-resistant packaging are present. Unsupported "conflict-free" claims are prohibited.
- Coloured Gemstones. Gemstones should be described using recognised professional gemmological terminology, including mineral species, variety, weight, dimensions, colour, transparency, and treatments. Geographic origin should only be stated where supported by reliable documentary or expert evidence.
- Pearls, Coral and Organic Materials. Pearls must be identified as natural, cultured, or imitation, together with freshwater or saltwater origin where known. Coral, shell, ivory, bone, and other animal-derived materials must comply with applicable wildlife protection legislation, including CITES requirements where relevant.
- Precious-Metal Composition and Fineness. Listings must accurately identify precious metal type, fineness, purity, colour, alloy composition, and any components manufactured from different materials. Terms such as "solid gold" or "solid silver" must not be used for plated, hollow, filled, bonded, or composite items.
- Hallmarks and Responsibility Marks. All visible hallmarks, maker's marks, assay marks, sponsor's marks, serial numbers, and other identifying marks should be photographed clearly and described accurately. Their existence alone does not establish authenticity, provenance, legal ownership, or age.
- Plating, Filled and Composite Items. Gold plating, silver plating, rhodium plating, vermeil, gold-filled construction, rolled gold, bonded metals, doublets, triplets, hollow construction, weighted components, and other composite structures must be disclosed together with the underlying materials where known.
- Weight, Dimensions, Counts and Tolerances. Gross weight, net precious-metal weight, gemstone weight, dimensions, stone count, and measurement tolerances should be stated accurately using recognised units of measurement. Estimated measurements should be clearly identified as approximate together with the estimation method used.
- Condition, Repairs and Alterations. Listings must disclose wear, chips, cracks, loose stones, thinning metal, solder repairs, resizing, restoration, replacement components, replating, polishing, and any alterations affecting the item's originality or condition. Condition reports complement but do not replace independent professional inspection.
- Certificates and Laboratory Reports. Supporting documents should identify the issuing organisation, issue date, report number, examination scope, and subject item. Original certificates or agreed copies should accompany the item where promised. Laboratory reports, appraisals, and valuations each serve different purposes and should not be presented interchangeably.
- Title, Provenance and Responsible Sourcing. Sellers must possess lawful ownership and maintain supporting records establishing reasonable provenance, including invoices, contracts, inheritance records, customs documentation, or other evidence. Claims relating to ethical sourcing, recycled materials, responsible mining, or conflict-free origin must be specific, truthful, and capable of verification.
- Sanctions, Conflict Minerals and Restrictions. Listings and transactions that violate sanctions, embargoes, conflict-mineral regulations, export controls, or international trade restrictions are prohibited. Where appropriate, KOTLYARS may request additional information regarding item origin, suppliers, counterparties, or supply-chain documentation.
- Safety and Restricted Substances. Items must comply with applicable product safety requirements relating to hazardous substances such as nickel, cadmium, lead, radioactivity, or other regulated materials. Known safety risks, allergies, defects, recalls, or special handling requirements must be disclosed before sale.
- Photography, Packing, Delivery and Insurance. Photographs must accurately represent the actual item, including hallmarks, identifying features, defects, and supporting documentation where appropriate. Valuable items should be packaged securely, shipped using professional traceable delivery services, and insured for their appropriate value. Delivery responsibilities should be agreed before dispatch.
- Buyer Review, Platform Action and Records. Buyers should carefully review descriptions, photographs, certificates, condition reports, taxes, fees, delivery arrangements, and applicable restrictions before purchasing. Independent gemmological, metallurgical, or legal advice is recommended where appropriate. KOTLYARS may request documentation, require additional testing, suspend listings, restrict accounts, preserve records, or cooperate with competent authorities where necessary.
Core Disclosure Rule. If the nature, treatment, composition, fineness, weight, origin, certification, provenance, or any other material characteristic of an item has not been independently verified, the seller must clearly disclose that uncertainty and must not make an unqualified factual claim. All material information must be available to buyers before a purchase or bid is made.
By listing gemstones, jewellery, precious metals, or related items on the KOTLYARS platform, sellers acknowledge their responsibility to comply with these Trading Rules, applicable legislation, recognised professional standards, and all other relevant KOTLYARS marketplace policies.