Where to buy mystery jewellery jars in Europe
Most mystery jewellery jars sold online ship from the United States or Asia, which is why a €25 jar can arrive three weeks later with a customs charge attached. Buying from within the EU or UK removes both problems, and it changes what is in the jar: European estate lots are full of continental 800 silver, mid-century Spanish and Italian costume work and British makers you rarely see in American stock.
The customs maths
Since 2021 there is no VAT-free threshold for goods entering the EU. A parcel from outside the union attracts import VAT at the destination rate plus, very often, a clearance fee from the carrier that can be €10–€20 regardless of the parcel's value. On a €25 jar that fee can be most of what you paid. Inside the EU there is no customs step at all.
What European stock looks like
Sourcing follows the deceased estates of the country you are buying in. Continental lots produce 800 and 835 silver rather than the 925-or-nothing pattern of American stock, a lot of 1960s–80s Spanish and Italian costume work, marcasite, and the enamelled pieces that were a European speciality. British lots run heavier on Sphinx, Exquisite and Attwood & Sawyer. If you are collecting a particular era or country, where the jar is filled matters more than the seller's photography.
What shipping should cost
Small parcels move within Western Europe for €4–€8 and arrive in a few days. Free shipping on a cheap jar from a long way away is not generosity — it is in the price, and it usually signals bulk stock where the postage is the real cost of the transaction.
Where we ship, and what it costs
We pack in Catalonia and ship to Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Czechia and the United Kingdom, plus the United States and Canada. Flat €4.95, free over €50, dispatched within two working days. Typically 2–3 working days in Spain and 4–8 elsewhere. Orders inside the EU have no customs step; UK, US and Canadian orders may attract local import charges, which we do not collect and cannot waive.
Checks before you order from anywhere
Where the parcel physically ships from, not where the shop's domain is registered. Whether the piece count and the categories it can contain are stated. Whether returns are possible on an unopened jar and who pays the postage. And whether the listing photo is of the actual product line or a stock image — reverse image search takes ten seconds and answers most of the question.
The dealer's notes
Will I pay customs on a jar shipped within the EU?
No. Goods moving between EU member states clear no customs and attract no import VAT. Our prices already include Spanish VAT where applicable.
Do you ship to the UK after Brexit?
Yes. UK orders may attract UK import VAT and a carrier handling fee, which are charged by the carrier on delivery and are outside our control.