Paying from the UK: prices shown and charged in pounds
Every product is priced in New Taiwan dollars (NT$), and when you browse from the UK the site shows a pound (£) figure as a conversion. If another currency appears, choose GBP in the currency menu at the top of the page. Before you confirm payment, the checkout shows the exact amount and the currency that will be charged. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay payments are charged in pounds; PayPal is charged in New Taiwan dollars and PayPal converts.
International shipping is already included in the displayed price, and nothing is added for delivery at checkout. The one condition on overseas orders is a minimum order of NT$1,500.
- Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
- Priced in NT$, shown in pounds (£) from the UK
- Shown before you confirm: the exact amount and currency of the charge
- Charged in pounds by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay; PayPal is charged in NT$ and converted by PayPal
Import VAT: what to expect before the parcel is handed over
A bracelet sent from Taichung to a British address is an import. Goods bought from overseas are generally subject to UK import VAT, and the courier may collect VAT and a handling fee before delivery. We do not charge UK VAT at checkout, and we do not collect or absorb any duty, tax or courier handling fee at the destination; those are paid by the recipient.
We won't quote figures here, because the rules are not ours to state; HMRC and GOV.UK are the authoritative sources. In practical terms, watch for a message from the courier once the parcel reaches the UK, and if you are sending a gift straight to somebody else, warn them that a payment request may arrive before the parcel does.
Two clocks: making time and courier time
When people ask how long shipping from Taiwan to the UK takes, they usually mean the whole wait, and the whole wait has two parts. The first clock runs in our Taichung shop, where each made-to-order bracelet is strung by hand. The second starts when SF Express collects the parcel.
For birthdays, Mother's Day, Christmas or Lunar New Year, add both clocks together and order early. We do not publish cut-off dates, because we never promise an arrival date.
- Made-to-order bracelets: about 7–14 working days of hand-stringing
- In-stock pieces: no making stage, so they dispatch sooner
- SF Express transit to the UK: about 3–7 business days after dispatch
- All timings are estimates only; customs clearance can add time that neither we nor the courier control
Tracking, and who to ask when it goes quiet
Every overseas order travels with SF Express international and is trackable end to end. If the tracking sits still for a while after the parcel reaches the UK, it is usually waiting on clearance, not lost.
Taiwan is several hours ahead of Britain, but a first reply does not depend on the clock. Message WhatsApp +886 965 826 321 and an AI assistant replies instantly, at any hour, in English and Chinese. Complicated cases are passed to a real person, who follows up during Taiwan business hours.
Get the size right, because made-to-order can't go back
A made-to-order piece cannot be returned because the size was wrong, so measure carefully: a soft tape once round the wrist, the actual circumference in centimetres, and that exact number chosen on the site. Sizes run from 11cm to 22cm in 0.5cm steps.
Do not round the number up for comfort. The system already calculates the slack from the bead size, and a padded measurement is the usual reason a bracelet turns out too loose. If you think in inches, multiply by 2.54: 6.5 inches × 2.54 ≈ 16.5cm, and 11–22cm is about 4.3–8.7 inches.
- Bead diameters: 6mm, 8mm and 10mm
- Wrist sizes: 11cm to 22cm, in 0.5cm steps
- No minimum bead count on custom pieces
- Custom bracelets are built mainly around clear-bodied natural crystal; choose a clear, mixed or opaque feel
Returns, and what counts as a defect
In-stock items can be returned or exchanged within 7 days of receipt. Made-to-order bracelets are strung for one wrist and one set of choices, so they cannot be returned except for genuine defects.
Each bead's stone type and size is listed, and colour and texture vary from bead to bead: ice cracks, cloud-like inclusions called veils, and slight colour differences. These are normal, not defects, so they are not grounds for a return.
One shop in Taichung, none in Britain
Qi Yi Crystal has one physical shop: No. 37-22, Yuying Road, East District, Taichung, Taiwan, with a 5.0-star Google rating. There is no UK shop, counter, pop-up, stockist or pickup point, and nothing is held in Britain, so every order is placed online and couriered from Taiwan. We deliver to 60+ countries and regions in the same way.
Designing happens online too, through five routes: trait-based matching, BaZi five-element matching, Chinese zodiac and star sign formulas, a bead-by-bead custom builder, and style collections chosen by colour. The readings behind the first three are AI calculation, an algorithm; there is no fortune-teller or human reader. Five-element, zodiac and star sign pairings are folk culture and symbolism with no scientifically proven effect.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Ships from | Taichung, Taiwan, by SF Express international, trackable end to end |
| Making time (made to order) | About 7–14 working days, hand-strung in the Taichung shop |
| In-stock pieces | No making stage; dispatched sooner |
| Transit to the UK | About 3–7 business days after dispatch (estimate only; no arrival date is promised) |
| Delivery cost | Already included in the displayed price; nothing added at checkout |
| Minimum overseas order | NT$1,500 |
| Currency | Priced in NT$, shown in pounds (£) from the UK. Exact amount and currency shown before you confirm; cards are charged in pounds, PayPal in NT$ |
| Payment methods | Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal |
| UK import VAT | Not charged at checkout. The courier may collect VAT and a handling fee before delivery; paid by the recipient. HMRC / GOV.UK is the authoritative source |
| Bead diameters | 6mm / 8mm / 10mm |
| Wrist sizes | 11cm–22cm in 0.5cm steps; give the actual wrist measurement, or the bracelet will be too loose |
| Returns | In-stock: within 7 days of receipt. Made to order: not returnable except for genuine defects |
| Collecting in person | Not possible: there is no shop or pickup point outside Taiwan. The only shop is No. 37-22, Yuying Road, East District, Taichung, Taiwan |
| Support | WhatsApp +886 965 826 321 — AI assistant, instant replies in English and Chinese; complicated cases go to a real person |
Three ways to design yours online
FAQ
How long does shipping from Taiwan to the UK take?
SF Express transit is about 3–7 business days after dispatch. If the bracelet is made to order, add about 7–14 working days of hand-stringing in Taichung before that; in-stock pieces dispatch sooner. These are estimates only and we do not promise an arrival date.
Will I have to pay VAT on a bracelet sent from Taiwan?
You should expect to. Goods bought from overseas are generally subject to UK import VAT, and the courier may collect the VAT and a handling fee before delivery. It is paid by the recipient, not included in our price, and HMRC and GOV.UK are the authoritative sources.
Do I pay the VAT to you or to the courier?
Not to us. We do not charge UK VAT at checkout and we do not collect or absorb import charges. If VAT and a handling fee are due, the courier may collect them from the recipient before delivery.
Are prices shown and charged in pounds?
Yes. Prices are set in New Taiwan dollars, and the site shows a pound (£) conversion when you browse from the UK or choose GBP in the currency menu. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay payments are charged in pounds at the amount shown before you confirm; PayPal is charged in New Taiwan dollars and converted by PayPal.
Is delivery to the UK charged on top of the price?
No. International shipping is already included in the displayed price, and nothing is added for delivery at checkout. The only condition is the minimum overseas order of NT$1,500. Import VAT and any courier handling fee are separate and are paid by the recipient.
Can I track my parcel all the way from Taiwan?
Yes. Orders travel with SF Express international and are trackable end to end. If it stops moving once the parcel is in the UK, check whether the courier is waiting for a VAT payment, then message WhatsApp +886 965 826 321 if you need help.
Can I collect my order somewhere in the UK instead of having it delivered?
No. Qi Yi Crystal has no shop, counter, stockist or pickup point in the UK or anywhere else outside Taiwan. The only physical shop is in East District, Taichung, and UK orders are never collected in person; they are delivered by courier to the address you give.
What happens if the bracelet arrives and doesn't fit?
An in-stock item can be returned or exchanged within 7 days of receipt. A made-to-order bracelet cannot be returned except for genuine defects, and a size chosen in error is not a defect. That is why we ask for the actual wrist circumference and nothing extra: the system already calculates the slack from the bead size, and padding the number makes the bracelet too loose.
UK buying guides
Five-element and zodiac pairings come from Chinese folk tradition and symbolism; they are not scientifically proven effects.