How to start a jewelry business

How to start a jewelry business, step by step

1. 01

   Choose how your pieces get made

   Jewelry businesses usually start one of three ways. You make pieces by hand, from wire wrapping and beading up to soldering and stone setting. You design pieces and have a caster or manufacturer produce them. Or you curate and resell finished pieces from wholesale suppliers under your own brand.

   Handmade is the cheapest to start and the slowest to scale. Manufactured designs cost more upfront for models and minimum runs, but every piece comes out the same, which helps once ads are sending you orders.

2. 02

   Design a small first collection

   Launch with a handful of designs that clearly belong together: one metal, one style, one buyer. A stacking-ring set or a line of initial necklaces is easier to photograph, explain and advertise than a mix of everything you can make.

   Make each design in the sizes or lengths people actually buy, and keep notes on the time and materials each piece takes. You'll need those numbers to set a price.

3. 03

   Describe the metals the legal way

   The FTC's jewelry guides set what you can call your metals. "Sterling silver", "sterling" and "solid silver" are only for pieces that are at least 925/1,000ths pure silver. Plain "silver" on its own isn't allowed unless an equally prominent purity figure, such as "750 silver", comes right before it.

   Gold has its own rules: unqualified "gold" means 24 karat throughout, and terms like gold-filled or gold-plated need the karat fineness in front, as in "14 Kt. Gold Overlay". Write descriptions with the exact metal and finish. Buyers with metal allergies will thank you, and so will your return rate.

4. 04

   Cost every piece before you price

   Add up materials per piece, packaging, the marketplace or card fees, and your time at an hourly rate you'd accept. Fire Mountain Gems sells 21-gauge half-hard sterling wire at $27.94 for five feet, and a case of 100 cotton-filled kraft jewelry boxes costs $52.90 from Packaging Source, about 53 cents a box.

   If the price that pays for your time looks too high for your buyer, simplify the design, use less metal or switch to a cheaper finish before you launch, not after.

5. 05

   Photograph pieces on and off the body

   Jewelry is small, shiny and hard to judge on a screen. Shoot each piece on a plain background in daylight, then on a hand, ear or neck so buyers see the scale. Add a close-up of the clasp or setting and a shot next to a coin or ruler.

   Use the same background and light for every product. A consistent collection page looks like a brand; a mix of kitchen-table photos looks like a hobby.

6. 06

   Pick where you sell first

   Etsy brings buyers who already search for handmade jewelry. It charges $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee on the order total, and US payment processing of 3% plus 25 cents. Those fees add up, but you don't need to find every buyer yourself.

   Your own store keeps more of each sale and lets you run ads to your own pages. Many makers start on Etsy to learn what sells, then send repeat buyers and ad traffic to their own site.

7. 07

   Build a store led by collections

   Jewelry brands that advertise send most of their ads to collection pages: necklaces, rings, gifts under a price. Plan a collection page for each line, product pages with metal, size, length and care details, and a ring size guide if you sell rings.

   Ring sizes and chain lengths are variants, so run the catalog on Shopify and let Replo build the collection, product and homepage on top of it. A single one-size piece, like a pendant or gift card, can use Replo checkout on its own.

What it costs to start a jewelry business

What a handmade jewelry business costs to open, using sample supplier prices. The cheapest way in is a few Etsy listings before your own store.

Your first 30 days

1. Week 1

   Design the first collection

   • Choose one metal, one style and one buyer for your first collection.
   • Sketch five or six designs that photograph well together.
   • Search your brand name on USPTO and check the .com and handles.

2. Week 2

   Make, time and cost pieces

   • Order supplies and make two of each design to test durability.
   • Record materials and minutes per piece, then set prices that pay you.
   • Write metal descriptions that match FTC wording, like sterling or gold-plated brass.

3. Week 3

   Photograph and list

   • Shoot every piece on a plain background and on the body for scale.
   • List the collection on Etsy with sizes, lengths and care instructions.
   • Build your own store's collection and product pages for later ad traffic.

4. Week 4

   Launch to friends and buyers

   • Share the collection page with your network and ask for honest reviews.
   • Post short videos of pieces being made or worn on one social channel.
   • Note which designs get favorites and sales, then make more of those.

What brands in this category run ads to

Build your jewelry store

Frequently asked questions

How much money do you need to start a jewelry business?

A handmade line can start with about $100 in supplies, packaging, listings and a domain, plus the tools your technique needs. Manufactured designs cost more because of models, samples and minimum runs. Price your first collection before you buy tools you might not need.

Can I call my jewelry silver or gold?

Only if it's accurate under the FTC's jewelry guides. "Sterling silver" means at least 925/1,000ths pure silver, and plain "silver" needs a purity figure like "750" right before it. Describe plated pieces as plated, with the base metal named.

Do I need a license to sell jewelry?

Usually a general one, not a jewelry-specific one. Most small businesses need some state or local licenses, and you'll likely need to register to collect sales tax in your state. Check your state and city websites before your first sale.

Should I sell jewelry on Etsy or my own site?

Start on Etsy if you need buyers who already search for handmade jewelry, and accept its listing, transaction and processing fees. Add your own site when you want to run ads, keep more of each sale and build repeat buyers. Many makers run both.

How should I price handmade jewelry?

Price from costs, not from what similar pieces sell for. Add materials, packaging, marketplace or card fees, and your time at an hourly rate you'd accept, then add profit. If that number is too high for your buyer, simplify the design.