Resources · Glossary
BVC Logistics Glossary
Simple, plain-English meanings of the logistics, precious cargo and customs terms we use every day — so anyone can understand how secure shipping in India and worldwide really works.
A
- Airway Bill
- An airway bill is a receipt and contract that an airline gives when cargo flies with them. It works like a ticket for the package — it lists what is inside, who sent it, who will receive it, and how it should be handled. Without this document, the shipment cannot board a plane.
- AD Code (Authorised Dealer Code)
- A bank-issued code registered with customs that lets an exporter receive foreign-currency payments against shipments.
- AEO (Authorised Economic Operator)
- A customs accreditation giving trusted traders faster clearances and fewer inspections.
- All-Risk Cover
- Insurance that protects against all causes of loss or damage except those specifically excluded — the standard for high-value jewellery transit.
- Alloy
- A metal made by combining gold or silver with other metals to change hardness, colour or purity (22K gold is a gold-copper-silver alloy).
- AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
- Regulations requiring dealers in precious metals and stones to verify customers and report suspicious transactions.
- Armoured Vehicle
- A purpose-built, reinforced transport vehicle with secure cargo compartments, tracking and trained crew for moving valuables.
- Art Fair Logistics
- The gallery-to-fair-to-gallery loop: pickup, booth delivery, installation, de-installation and safe return after the fair.
- Assay
- The laboratory test that determines the precious-metal content (fineness) of an item before hallmarking.
- Assaying & Hallmarking Centre
- A BIS-recognised centre that tests jewellery purity and applies the hallmark.
- ATA Carnet
- An international customs document allowing temporary duty-free import of goods (e.g. exhibition jewellery) into member countries.
B
- B2B (Business-to-Business)
- B2B means one business sells or sends goods to another business, not to a regular shopper. For example, when a jewellery maker sends a big batch of rings to a retail store, that is a B2B shipment. Orders are usually bigger, more planned, and delivered in bulk.
- B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
- B2C means a business sends goods straight to a regular customer — the person who will actually use the item. When you order a watch online and it arrives at your home, that is a B2C delivery. These shipments are smaller, faster and go to many different addresses.
- Bill of Entry
- A bill of entry is an important form filed with Indian customs when goods arrive in the country. It tells the government what is being imported, how much it is worth, and how much duty (tax) should be paid. Without it, imported goods cannot legally leave the port or airport.
- Bonded Warehouse
- A bonded warehouse is a special storage building approved by customs, where imported goods can be kept safely without paying import tax right away. The tax is only paid when the goods are taken out to be sold. It is useful for businesses that need time before releasing their stock.
- Bullion
- Bullion is pure gold or silver kept as bars, ingots or coins. Its value comes from how much it weighs and how pure it is — not from any design on it. Banks, traders and jewellers buy and move bullion, and it always needs very high-security transport.
- Background-Verified Personnel
- Staff cleared through police and reference checks before they may handle high-value consignments.
- Bank-Grade Vault
- A strong room built to banking security standards — reinforced structure, time-locked doors, layered access control, continuous monitoring.
- Bill of Lading (B/L)
- The carrier-issued document for sea freight that is receipt, contract of carriage and document of title in one.
- BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)
- India's national standards body — operates the mandatory hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery.
- Bonded Storage
- Customs-controlled storage where imported goods wait with duty deferred until cleared for the domestic market.
- Brink's Global Services
- The world's largest secure-logistics network for valuables — BVC's joint-venture partner for international movements.
- BVC Prepaid Wallet
- BVC's recharge-and-ship account for jewellers — book and pay for secure shipments against a preloaded balance.
C
- Chain of Custody
- Chain of custody is a clear, written trail that shows every person who touched a valuable shipment from the moment it was picked up until it was delivered. Every handover is signed, time-stamped and recorded, so nothing can go missing without anyone noticing. Think of it like a relay race where every runner signs before passing the baton.
- Customs Brokerage
- Customs brokerage is a licensed service that takes care of all the paperwork, taxes and legal checks when goods cross borders. A customs broker talks to government officers on your behalf so your shipment is cleared quickly and correctly. Without them, imports and exports can get stuck for days.
- Carat (ct)
- The unit of gemstone weight — 0.2 grams. Distinct from karat (K), which measures gold purity.
- Cargo Manifest
- The complete list of consignments aboard a vehicle or flight, verified at every custody handover.
- Certificate of Origin
- A trade document certifying the country where goods were manufactured, affecting duty rates under trade agreements.
- CHA (Customs House Agent)
- A licensed agent who files customs documentation and clears goods for importers and exporters — now formally "Customs Broker".
- Challan
- The transport/tax document accompanying goods movement within India — e.g. a delivery challan for stock transfers and job work.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight)
- A trade term where the seller pays cost, insurance and freight to the destination port; risk transfers on loading.
- CITES
- The international convention restricting trade in endangered species — relevant for ivory, coral and certain antique jewellery materials.
- Commercial Invoice
- The seller's invoice used by customs to assess value and duty on a shipment.
- Condition Report
- The documented physical state of an artwork before and after transport — the baseline for any insurance claim.
- Consignee
- The party to whom a shipment is addressed and delivered.
- Consignor
- The party who sends the shipment (also: shipper).
- Consolidation
- Combining multiple consignments into one secured movement to reduce cost — common in cluster-to-cluster jewellery runs.
- Control Room
- BVC's 24×7 monitoring hub tracking every vehicle, route deviation and panic alert in real time.
- Courier Shipping Bill (CSB-V)
- The simplified export declaration for e-commerce courier exports from India.
- Crating
- Building custom protective crates around artworks and fragile valuables for transport.
- Customs Bond
- A financial guarantee to customs that duty obligations on bonded or temporarily imported goods will be met.
- Customs Clearance
- The full process of declaring goods, paying applicable duty and obtaining customs release on import or export.
- Customs Duty Deferral
- Postponing duty until goods leave a bonded zone or FTWZ for the domestic market — pay only on what sells.
D
- Doré Bar
- A doré bar is a rough, semi-pure bar of gold mixed with silver and a little bit of other metals. It comes directly from a mine before it is cleaned up. Refineries later melt and purify these bars into the shiny pure gold and silver bullion we know.
- Dead Stock
- Inventory that hasn't sold within its expected cycle — moved between stores or returned via secure transfer.
- Declared Value
- The value the shipper states for a consignment, driving insurance cover and customs duty.
- Dedicated Vehicle
- A secure vehicle assigned exclusively to one client's movement — effectively a vault on wheels for routes without flights.
- Demurrage
- Charges levied when cargo stays at a port, airport or customs area beyond the free period.
- DGFT
- Directorate General of Foreign Trade — issues import-export codes and administers India's foreign-trade policy.
- Diamond Assortment
- Sorting rough or polished diamonds into parcels by size, shape, clarity and colour — often done inside FTWZs for re-export.
- Digital Gold
- Gold bought in fractional units online, backed by physical metal in a vault — redeemed as coins or bars delivered securely.
- Door-to-Door
- Service covering the entire journey from the shipper's premises to the consignee's, under one custody and one insurance cover.
- Duty Drawback
- Refund of import duties when imported materials are re-exported, e.g. in jewellery made for export.
- Duty-Free Re-Export
- Returning unsold imported goods (after an exhibition or FTWZ display) without duty ever becoming payable.
- Duty-Paid Release
- Clearing individual pieces out of a bonded zone into the Indian market, paying duty only on what is actually sold.
E
- E-Way Bill
- The electronic document required under GST for moving goods above a value threshold within India.
- Escorted Movement
- A shipment accompanied by trained security personnel for its entire journey.
F
- FTWZ (Free Trade and Warehousing Zone)
- An FTWZ is a special tax-friendly warehouse zone in India where goods from around the world can be stored, repacked, labelled or sent back out — all without paying import duty while they sit inside. Duty is only paid if the goods finally enter the Indian market. It helps exporters and global brands save money and time.
- First-Mile Pickup
- The initial secure collection from the shipper's premises — often the highest-risk leg of a valuables journey.
- FOB (Free on Board)
- A trade term where the seller's responsibility ends once goods are loaded onto the vessel or aircraft.
- Force Majeure
- Contract clause excusing performance during extraordinary events beyond either party's control.
- Freight Forwarder
- An agent who organises shipments across carriers and borders — for valuables, always paired with secure custody.
- Fulfilment Centre
- A facility that stores inventory and picks, packs and dispatches orders — BVC's SFC adds vault-grade security to the model.
G
- Grading Report
- A grading report is an expert certificate, most often for diamonds or coloured gemstones, that explains the stone's quality. It lists things like the weight (carat), colour, clarity and cut. Buyers trust these reports because they come from independent labs and prove that a gem is exactly what the seller says it is.
- Gemmological Certificate
- A lab report identifying a gemstone and grading its characteristics (from labs like IGI, GIA, SGL, HRD).
- Geo-Fencing
- Virtual geographic boundaries around a route that trigger control-room alerts if a tracked vehicle deviates.
- GIA
- Gemological Institute of America — the lab whose 4Cs grading system is the global diamond standard.
- GJEPC
- The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council — India's apex body for the gems and jewellery trade.
- Gold Bar
- Refined gold in standard bar weights, valued by weight and fineness — vaulted and moved under specie insurance.
- Gold Coin
- Minted gold in coin form — the standard redemption unit for digital-gold platforms and festive fulfilment.
- GPS Tracking
- Continuous satellite location monitoring of vehicles and consignments, streamed to the control room.
- GST
- India's Goods and Services Tax — governs the documentation (invoices, e-way bills, challans) for every domestic goods movement.
- Gross Weight
- Total weight of goods including all packaging — used for freight; valuation uses the goods alone.
H
- Hallmarking
- Hallmarking is an official tiny stamp placed on gold or silver jewellery after it has been tested for purity. In India, the BIS hallmark promises that the metal is really the quality the shop claims. It protects buyers from being cheated with fake or mixed-metal jewellery.
- Handover Protocol
- A handover protocol is the step-by-step checklist that two people must follow every time valuable cargo changes hands. They check seals, match documents, count items, and both sign before the shipment moves on. This stops mistakes and makes sure everyone is responsible for their turn with the goods.
- High-Value Cargo
- High-value cargo means shipments that are worth a lot of money — like gold, diamonds, cash, luxury watches, fine art, or rare electronics. Because they are easy targets for theft, they need armoured vehicles, trained guards, GPS tracking and special insurance. This is the kind of cargo BVC Logistics moves every day.
- Hallmark Unique ID (HUID)
- The six-character code laser-marked on every hallmarked piece in India, making each piece traceable.
- Hand-Carry
- Transporting valuables personally in passenger baggage — the risky habit secure logistics replaces.
- HNI (High-Net-Worth Individual)
- Private clients whose art and jewellery movements demand discretion, insurance and white-glove handling.
- HSN Code
- The Harmonised System code classifying goods for customs duty and GST (Chapter 71 covers gems and jewellery).
I
- Insured Transit
- Insured transit means the cargo is protected by an insurance policy while it is being moved from one place to another. If something goes wrong — theft, loss, fire or damage — the insurance company pays the owner back. For gold, gems and cash, insured transit is a must, not an option.
- IEC (Import Export Code)
- The DGFT-issued code every Indian importer/exporter must hold.
- IGI
- International Gemological Institute — a leading diamond and jewellery grading laboratory network.
- Intrinsic Value
- The metal-and-stone value of jewellery, as distinct from its retail or making-charge value.
- Inventory Reconciliation
- Matching physical stock against book records — done at every custody handover in vaulting and fulfilment.
J
- Job Work
- Sending metal or semi-finished jewellery to outside workshops (karigars) for processing — moved under challans, insured in transit.
K
- Kimberley Process Certification
- The Kimberley Process Certification is a global agreement signed by many countries to stop “blood diamonds” — rough diamonds that were used to fund wars. Every shipment of rough diamonds must come with a Kimberley certificate that proves it is conflict-free. It keeps the diamond trade clean and ethical.
- KYC (Know Your Customer)
- KYC stands for “Know Your Customer”. Before doing business, a company checks the customer's real name, address and ID documents. This stops criminals from using logistics or banking services to move stolen goods or hide illegal money. In valuable cargo, good KYC is the first safety step.
- Karat (K)
- Gold purity on a 24-part scale — 24K is pure gold, 22K is 91.6%, 18K is 75%.
L
- Last Mile
- The last mile is the very final part of a delivery journey — from the local hub or warehouse right to the receiver's door. It is often the trickiest part because traffic, addresses and timing can all go wrong. For high-value cargo, the last mile is handled by trained, armed couriers.
- LBMA
- The London Bullion Market Association — its accreditation is the global benchmark for gold and silver refineries.
- Live Tracking
- Real-time shipment visibility for the customer — milestones, location and delivery confirmation on app and web.
- Loose Stones
- Unmounted gemstones — moved in sealed, tamper-evident parcels with per-parcel documentation.
M
- Milk Run
- A milk run is one planned route where a single vehicle makes many small pickups or drops at different stops along the way — just like a milkman used to do. It saves fuel, time and money because instead of sending many vehicles, one route covers them all.
- Making Charges
- The labour and design component of jewellery pricing above metal value — relevant to valuation and insurance.
- Melt Value
- The value of jewellery if melted to raw metal — the floor for old-gold transactions and remelting.
- Mine-to-Market
- The complete value chain from mining through refining, manufacturing and retail — each leg a secure hand-off.
- MMTC-PAMP
- India's only LBMA-accredited gold and silver refinery, a joint venture of MMTC and PAMP Switzerland.
- Multi-City Circuit
- One consignment touring several cities (exhibitions, trunk shows) without returning home between stops.
- Museum Loan
- Lending artwork to a museum or exhibition — moved with condition reports, insurance and guaranteed-return logistics.
N
- No-Sale Certificate
- The document certifying exhibition goods were displayed, not sold — enabling their duty-free return.
- Nominated Agency
- An RBI/DGFT-authorised entity permitted to import gold and silver bullion into India.
- Non-Delivery Cover
- Insurance protection for the total disappearance of a consignment, not just damage.
O
- Old Gold
- Customer-exchanged or scrap gold collected at stores — aggregated and moved securely to refineries for remelting.
- OTP-Verified Delivery
- Handover completed only after the recipient confirms a one-time password — standard for valuables last-mile.
- Overnight Vaulting
- Same-day secure storage between business days — exhibition stock sleeps in a vault, not a hotel room.
P
- Packing List
- The itemised contents of each package in a shipment, used by customs and for insurance claims.
- Panic Button
- An in-vehicle alarm that alerts the control room instantly to an attempted robbery or emergency.
- Parcel-Level Tracking
- Tracking each individual sealed parcel, not just the vehicle carrying it.
- POD (Proof of Delivery)
- Signed (and photographed) confirmation that the consignee received the shipment intact.
- Private Exhibition
- An invitation-only showing of jewellery to select buyers — B2B or B2C — with secure movement, display and return.
R
- RBI Gold Import Norms
- Reserve Bank of India rules governing who may import bullion and on what terms.
- Re-Import
- Bringing previously exported goods (unsold exhibition stock, repairs) back into the country under exemption provisions.
- Refinery Logistics
- Secure movement of dore, scrap and refined bars between mines, refineries, vaults and manufacturers.
- Remelting
- Converting old jewellery or scrap back to standard bars at a refinery.
- Replenishment Run
- The scheduled secure movement that restocks retail counters from central inventory.
- Restricted Items
- Goods requiring licences or special conditions to ship (unlike prohibited items, which may never ship).
- Reverse Logistics
- The controlled return flow — customer returns, unsold stock, repairs — with the same security as outbound.
- RFID Tagging
- Radio-frequency tags enabling rapid, no-touch inventory counts of jewellery trays and parcels.
- Rough Diamonds
- Uncut, unpolished diamonds — tradeable across borders only with Kimberley Process certification.
S
- SEZ (Special Economic Zone)
- An SEZ is a marked-out area inside India with easier rules and tax breaks, created to help companies make goods and export them abroad. Businesses inside an SEZ get benefits like duty-free imports and simpler paperwork. The goal is to boost exports, jobs and foreign investment.
- Same-Day Return
- Pickup, processing (e.g. hallmarking) and redelivery within one business day.
- Sealed Consignment
- A parcel closed with numbered tamper-evident seals, verified at every custody change.
- Secure Fulfilment Centre (SFC)
- BVC's vault-grade fulfilment facility — inward, storage, pick-pack and insured dispatch for jewellery e-commerce.
- SGL
- Solitaire Gemmological Laboratories — an Indian diamond and jewellery certification lab network.
- Shipping Bill
- The export declaration filed with Indian customs — the export counterpart of the Bill of Entry.
- Silver Bar
- Refined silver in standard bar weights — moved and vaulted like gold, at higher volume per value.
- Specie Insurance
- The specialist insurance class for high-value portable property: bullion, gems, jewellery and art.
- Stock Transfer
- Moving inventory between branches of the same company — GST-documented, fully insured, no sale involved.
- Strong Room
- A vault chamber built into a building's structure for bulk storage of valuables.
T
- Tamper-Evident Packaging
- Tamper-evident packaging is special packing — with seals, stickers or locks — that clearly shows if someone tried to open it on the way. If the seal is broken, marked or moved, you instantly know the package was touched. It is used for gold, diamonds, medicines and other sensitive shipments.
- Temporary Import
- Bringing goods into a country for a limited purpose (exhibition, certification) with duty suspended against re-export.
- Transshipment
- Transferring cargo between carriers or modes mid-journey — a controlled-risk point in valuables movement.
- Trunk Show
- A travelling private exhibition where a designer's collection visits select clients or stores city by city.
- Turnaround Time (TAT)
- Total elapsed time from pickup to delivery or process completion (e.g. hallmarking TAT).
U
- Under Bond Movement
- Moving uncleared goods between customs locations under bond, duty still deferred.
V
- Value Chain Logistics
- Securing every hand-off in a product's journey — mine → refinery → manufacturer → wholesaler → retailer → customer.
- Vaulting
- Professional secure storage of valuables in monitored, insured strong rooms — overnight, short-term or long-term.
- Viewing Centre (FTWZ)
- A secure room inside a free-trade zone where imported goods are shown to buyers before any duty is paid.
- Volumetric Weight
- Chargeable weight based on package dimensions when bulk exceeds actual weight.
W
- White-Glove Handling
- Specialist handling with trained personnel, custom packing and installation — the standard for fine art.
- Wholesale Distribution Run
- Scheduled secure delivery of manufacturer stock to multiple wholesale buyers across cities.
Z
- Zero-Deviation Route
- A pre-approved route a secure vehicle must not leave, enforced by geo-fencing and control-room monitoring.
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Everything you need to know about the terms behind secure, high-value logistics. Can't find a term? Reach out and our team will help.
Ask Your QuestionIt's a plain-English dictionary of the logistics, precious-cargo and customs terms BVC uses every day — from airway bills and bills of entry to FTWZ, hallmarking and chain of custody — so anyone can understand how secure shipping works.
Jewellers, bullion dealers, brands, exporters, collectors and their teams — anyone who ships or receives high-value goods and wants a clear explanation of the terms that appear on documents, quotes and contracts.
No. Our team handles the documentation, customs and security for you. The glossary is here so you always understand what's happening with your shipment — you never have to manage the jargon yourself.
In simple, everyday language with a short real-world example, not legal definitions. Where a term has an official meaning (like the Kimberley Process or BIS hallmarking), we keep it accurate while still keeping it easy to read.
Yes. Reach out through our contact form or our 24×7 line on 1800-123-2711 and a BVC specialist will explain any term or document you're unsure about.
Need to move stock between your stores — today?
Share the source store, the destination store, the pickup window and the authorised receivers. BVC will handle the armoured vehicle, the armed specialists, the route, the updates and the handover — on time, on process.