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Last International Posting Dates for Christmas 2025
Last Order Dates for Christmas 2025 With the festive season upon us, it's crucial to place your Christmas orders in time to ensure they arrive before the big day. Here are the last recommended order dates for international deliveries from the UK using our tracked shipping services. Royal Mail International Tracked & Signed Services Please note: Royal Mail has declined to publish transparent, specific last order dates for International Tracked & Signed services this year. This suggests they are not honouring their usual delivery timeframes during the busy Christmas period. Given this lack of clarity from Royal Mail, we have set our own recommended deadlines based on standard delivery times to give your parcels the best chance of arriving before Christmas. Outside of these dates, we cannot offer any guarantee that your order will arrive in time. We offer free shipping using Royal Mail International Tracked services to all destinations worldwide except Europe. Due to increased costs from IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) requirements and recycling levies, we cannot offer free shipping to European destinations. Sunday 7th December Last order date for all destinations outside Europe including USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Caribbean, Central and South America Wednesday 10th December Last order date for all European destinations including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, and all other European countries These are our strongly recommended order dates. Royal Mail's refusal to provide official guidance means delivery times are less predictable than usual during the peak season. To give yourself the best chance of delivery before Christmas, we advise placing your order as early as possible. DHL Express Services (Premium Courier) For guaranteed delivery with transparent, published deadlines, DHL Express offers premium courier services. DHL is significantly more expensive than Royal Mail, but there's a reason for that - they maintain their service standards year-round and provide reliable delivery commitments even during the busiest periods. DHL is not included in free shipping - this is a premium courier service with additional costs. However, for customers who need certainty of pre-Christmas delivery, it's the most reliable option. DHL quotes are available at the checkout based on your location. Tuesday 17 December Last order date for USA, Canada, Mexico, and Rest of World Thursday 18 December Last order date for Europe (both EU and Non-EU destinations) Monday 22 December Last order date for United Kingdom Important Information Royal Mail uncertainty: Without official last order dates from Royal Mail, delivery times are less predictable this Christmas. The dates we've provided above are our best estimates, but we cannot guarantee delivery outside these dates. Order early: Given Royal Mail's lack of transparency, we strongly recommend placing international orders in late November or the first week of December to maximise your chances of pre-Christmas delivery. DHL for peace of mind: If you need guaranteed delivery, DHL Express is the more reliable option this year. While it's a premium priced service, you get transparent deadlines, faster delivery, and better service standards during peak periods. Free shipping policy: We offer free Royal Mail International Tracked shipping to all destinations except Europe. European orders will incur shipping charges due to IOSS regulations and recycling levies that have significantly increased costs. Customs delays: International parcels may experience delays at customs that are beyond our control. Always allow extra time for overseas deliveries. Track your order: All our international services include tracking so you can monitor your parcel's journey. Need to Order After These Dates? If you've missed these deadlines, we'll continue processing orders throughout the festive period, but delivery before Christmas cannot be guaranteed for international destinations using Royal Mail services. For customers who need certainty, we recommend choosing DHL Express at checkout, which maintains reliable service standards and transparent delivery commitments even during the busiest time of year. For the most up-to-date information on your specific order, please check your tracking details or contact our customer service team. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas season! Our recommended dates are based on Royal Mail's standard delivery timeframes. Royal Mail has not published official Christmas 2025 last order dates for International Tracked services. DHL dates are official published dates from DHL Express UK, correct as of November 2025.
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Our Black Friday Sale: Shop Early for Christmas
Our Black Friday sale is here, but we want to be upfront with you about what to expect this year.
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Why is Gold Jewellery So Expensive in 2025
Why is Gold Jewellery So Expensive in 2025? I get asked this question most weeks when customers are looking to treat a loved one to something in gold, and honestly, I completely understand why people are shocked when they see the price of a solid gold piece, even just in 9ct gold which I use for most of my jewellery. If you've been browsing jewellery online or been fetched a Facebook or Pinterest Ad for cheap/reduced price 'gold' bracelets or necklaces for £20 and wondered why a 'proper jeweller' is charging ten times that (or more). Let me try to explain what's happening. Gold Prices Are at Record Highs At the heart of this is the gold price - gold bullion itself is more expensive than it's ever been. As I write this in late 2025, gold bullion is sitting at record prices. We're not talking a small increase either - gold has climbed significantly over the past few years and shows no signs of dropping. This year it's climbed over 50% alone. When you buy solid gold jewellery from me (or any legitimate jeweller), you're buying the actual precious metal. I can't just decide to charge less because I fancy it - the gold costs what it costs. If I'm making stock of 9ct gold signet rings, I'm buying gold at market price, and that cost gets passed on. There's no way around it. Here's the chart for this year so far, and economists predict it's only going to get more expensive. Every time some sort of economic turmoil happens in the world, or financial crisis, gold usually jumps higher. It may drop slightly but these high prices are likely here to stay. What You're Actually Paying For This is what goes into the price of a real gold piece of jewellery when you buy it from me: The Metal Itself This is the biggest chunk. Gold is weighed and priced per gram. A small pendant or gold charm might only be a few grams, but multiply that by the current gold price and you're already at a significant cost before I've even touched it. And that's just the raw material. The Craftsmanship Most of my gold pieces come in as small batch castings, they get cleaned up, hallmarked, and engraved (which I do for free on most pieces - that alone takes time and skill). If it's a ring, I'll size it to fit you perfectly. There can be hours of skilled work involved. You're not just buying a lump of gold, you're buying years of experience and the care that goes into making each piece wearable and personal to you. Hallmarking Every piece of solid gold (and silver) jewellery in the UK over a certain weight must be hallmarked by an official assay office. This costs money and takes time, but it's your guarantee that what you're buying is actually the precious metal it claims to be. It's a legal requirement and a protection for you as the buyer. How Do Big Retailers Sell Gold Cheaper? Some large high street & online jewellers seem to have lower prices than independent makers like me. There's a reason for that, and it's not because I'm overcharging. Big retailers buy enormous quantities of gold jewellery months or even years in advance, some even have their own vaults where they buy and store large amounts of gold so they can take advantage of buying when prices are lower. When they order 1,000 identical pieces from a factory, they can negotiate better prices and lock in gold prices before they rise. They've also got the cash flow to sit on huge stock levels, so they can delay raising prices even when gold shoots up. As a small independent jeweller, I'm working with small batch castings and buying gold pieces in small quantities I need them. I don't have a warehouse full of pre-made stock bought at last year's prices. When gold prices jump, I feel it right away. I'm making your piece with this month's gold prices (or at least last months due to casting lead times!) Where I can, I stock one or two pieces so I'm able to offer an Express Delivery service when you need it quickly, but once those pieces are gone, I'm remaking at the current gold price. It's a bit like the difference between a major supermarket buying 50,000 tins of beans at a discount and your local shop buying a few cases at a time. The products may be different in my case but the economics of it are much the same. So What About That £20 "Gold" Necklace? If you've seen adverts or websites offering something that seems impossibly cheap for gold, it's because it's very likely not real gold. Or it's a tiny amount of gold plating over base metal such as brass, steel or copper, that'll likely wear off in weeks. Sometimes it's described as gold-tone, gold-coloured, or "gold-style" - all creative ways of saying "not actually gold." Often you'll find it hard to even see what materials these pieces are made of with vague descriptions citing 'hypoallergenic' but no actual material definitions. Fashion jewellery has its place. There's nothing wrong with costume pieces if that's what you want. But they're made from inexpensive materials - brass, copper, zinc alloys - and mass-produced in huge quantities. They might look pretty and the price might be tempting especially when we are all feeling the pinch, but they're not precious metals and they won't last. The price difference between a £20 fashion piece and a £200 solid gold piece isn't markup or greed - it's literally the difference between a cheap base metal and actual gold. Why Buy Solid Gold Then? If fashion jewellery exists, why spend more on the real thing? Solid gold won't turn your skin green and can last for decades with basic care. While 9ct gold can sometimes develop a slight dullness over time (because of the alloy metals in it), a quick polish brings it right back. It has intrinsic value - if you decided to melt it down tomorrow (please don't), the gold itself is worth something. And when you buy hallmarked British jewellery, you know exactly what you're getting. Fashion jewellery can be fun and trendy, and is ideal for easy cheap and cheerful gifts, but it's disposable, it can't be recycled easily and will likely just end up in landfill. Solid gold is an investment piece you'll still own in 20 years, and at the end of it's life the metal in it will certainly be worth something at scrap value at the least. In Summary Gold jewellery is expensive in 2025 because gold itself is expensive, and making quality pieces takes time and skill. There's no secret markup or jewellers getting rich - we're working with one of the most valuable materials on earth, and the price reflects that reality. If you see solid gold at suspiciously low prices, ask some simple questions. Look on the website to see if you can see what it's really made from rather than fall for fluffy descriptions or huge discounts. Check for hallmarks. If you think you've bought something gold and it's not hallmarked make sure you're getting what you're paying for. If you feel you've been mislead into buying something take action. And if you're investing in a real piece, know that you're buying something that will genuinely last. Any questions about precious metal pricing? Drop me a message - I'm always happy to explain what goes into your jewellery. Stevie
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