Custom Manufacturing
The Custom Jewelry OEM Process: From Sketch to Mass Production
A stage-by-stage account of how a factory develops a bespoke jewellery design: file requirements, CAD turnaround, sample approval, tooling, production and the documents that protect both sides.
Commissioning a custom jewellery line is a project, not a purchase. Understanding the sequence prevents the two most common failures: an approved sample that cannot be reproduced at volume, and a production run that diverges from the sample because the specification was never written down.
The eight stages
- Brief and feasibility. You supply a sketch, photograph, existing sample or CAD file, plus target retail price, market and quantity. The factory returns a feasibility note covering stone availability, metal choice and MOQ.
- Quotation. Priced per piece at your target quantity, with tooling or mould cost shown separately and amortisation terms stated.
- CAD modelling. A 3D model is produced from the brief. Expect 48 hours to three days for a first render, and one to three revision rounds.
- Render approval. You approve proportions, stone sizes and setting style. This is the cheapest point to change your mind; every later change costs more.
- Physical sample. A resin or wax prototype, then a metal sample with the specified stones. Allow 7–12 days.
- Approval sheet. A signed document fixing stone grades, metal weight tolerance, plating thickness, dimensions and finish. This is the contract for the production run.
- Tooling and production. Moulds or masters are cut, then the run is scheduled. Typically 12–20 days depending on quantity and complexity.
- QC, packing and dispatch. Final inspection against the approval sheet, photographs per PO, packing and shipping documents.
File formats that speed everything up
| Format | Use | Quality of result |
|---|---|---|
| 3DM / STL / OBJ | Direct CAD import | Fastest, most accurate |
| AI / CDR (vector) | Technical drawing with dimensions | Very good |
| DWG / DXF | 2D technical drawing | Good if dimensioned |
| High-resolution photo + description | Reference only | Workable, expect revision rounds |
| Physical sample | Reverse engineering | Accurate but adds shipping time |
Costs beyond the piece price
- Tooling or mould cost. One-off, sometimes amortised across the first order quantity. Ask whether the mould belongs to you and whether it transfers if you change supplier.
- Sample cost. Often charged at a multiple of unit cost and credited on the first bulk order. Confirm the credit condition before you approve the sample.
- Certification. Per stone, and only worth applying to the stones your customer will inspect.
- Packaging tooling. Logo-printed boxes and pouches carry their own set-up cost independent of the jewellery.
Protecting your design
Factories work for many brands, so confidentiality has to be explicit. Ask for a mutual non-disclosure agreement before sharing artwork, restrict access to your CAD files to the development team, and agree in writing that tooling produced for your designs is not reused for other clients. If a design is central to your brand, register the design right in your own market before you place a large order.
Next step
If you want a factory quotation rather than a retail estimate, send us your stone list, target quantities and market. Our trade desk replies within 12 working hours with tiered pricing, lead times and shipping options, and you can browse the wholesale collection or OEM/ODM service in the meantime.
What to put in your purchase specification
Before you place a wholesale order, write the specification down and make the factory confirm it in writing. Every dispute we see between a buyer and a supplier traces back to a vague or missing specification sheet. The following items are the ones that actually cause problems when they are left open:
| Item | What to state |
|---|---|
| Stone grade | Colour and clarity range, plus the tolerance you will accept against the approved master sample (±1 grade is standard) |
| Metal and purity | Exact karat or silver fineness, alloy type, and whether white gold is nickel-free |
| Plating | Type (rhodium, 18K gold) and thickness in microns — a thin flash plating wears through in months |
| Dimensions | Band width, stone measurement, chain length, and the weight tolerance per piece |
| Setting method | Prong, bezel, channel or pavé — this single choice can double labour cost |
| Packing | Poly bag, box, pouch, tag, barcode label, and how many pieces per carton |
| Documents | Which certificates, and whether you need a material declaration or assay report |
MOQ, lead time and payment terms
Our standard terms across the catalogue are straightforward, and they are the same terms we quote in writing rather than adjusting per enquiry:
- MOQ — 10 pieces per design for stock specifications, 50 pieces for mixed-design lots. Custom development starts from 30 pieces per style in 925 silver and 10 pieces in gold.
- Tiered pricing — list price to 49 pieces, about 8% off from 50 pieces, about 14% off from 200 pieces, and negotiated pricing above 500 pieces with reserved production capacity.
- Lead time — 7–15 days for stock designs, 10–20 days for custom or certified production runs. Add 3–7 days for express transit to Europe and North America.
- Payment — 30% deposit with the balance before shipment, by T/T, PayPal, Western Union or Alibaba Trade Assurance.
- Samples — single samples ship at list price and the cost is credited against your first order above 200 pieces.
- Quality guarantee — 30-day return window on stock items, and a written remanufacture-or-credit commitment if a parcel falls outside the approved tolerances.
Quality control: what happens before your parcel leaves
Buyers who have been burned before usually want to know exactly what inspection was performed. This is our standard sequence on every wholesale order, whether it is 20 pieces or 2,000:
- Incoming stone grading. Every parcel is checked for colour, clarity and measurement against the order sheet before it enters the setting line. Rejected stones are pulled, not downgraded and used anyway.
- In-process inspection. Setters check prong security, stone alignment and surface finish at each station rather than at the end of the line.
- Final QC under 10× magnification. Polish, plating thickness, clasp and hinge function, and hallmark accuracy are verified piece by piece.
- Cleaning, photographing, packing. Pieces are cleaned, photographed against your PO number, and packed in individual poly bags inside export cartons.
- Document preparation. Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate copies and — where required — a material declaration stating that the stones are laboratory-grown.
You receive the photographs and the packing list before the parcel ships, so you can flag anything before it leaves rather than after it arrives.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mix metals and stone grades in one order?
Yes. You can combine 925 sterling silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in the same production run, and specify different colour and clarity grades per line. Every combination is confirmed on a single approval sheet before production starts, so there is no ambiguity about which line is which.
How consistent is grading across repeat orders?
Repeat orders are graded against the master sample kept on file under your account, which is why buyers who reorder regularly see far less variation than buyers who switch suppliers each season. Tolerances are written into the approval sheet, so a reorder cannot drift without your written agreement.
Do you provide photography for my online store?
Every catalogued design has front, three-quarter and macro imagery in sRGB at print resolution, named to match the SKU so the assets map straight into your product database. For orders above 200 pieces we photograph your private-label version at no additional cost.
What happens if the goods do not match the sample?
Send photographs and the SKU list within 14 days of delivery. If the deviation exceeds the tolerances on your approval sheet, we remake the affected pieces or issue a credit — this is covered by our written quality guarantee and applies to every order, not only the first one.
Related wholesale collections
- Custom Jewelry Manufacturer — 129 ready designs, MOQ from 10 pcs.
Related Articles
Authoritative References
For buyers who need to verify the technical and regulatory basis of this guide, the following independent institutions publish authoritative reference data:
- ISO 9001 Quality Management - the international standard for consistent production quality.
- Wikipedia: Jewellery - manufacturing processes, materials and global trade background.
