A brand founder in Melbourne sent us a mood board for a stacking ring and asked two factories for a quote. Factory A came back at $14.20 per piece. Factory B at $19.80. She was about to sign with A until she asked for a line-by-line. Factory A's price excluded CAD ($180), excluded plating ($1.40 per piece), and billed the moissanite at $6 a stone when GRA-certified stone actually costs $9. The real landed cost at A was $22.60. Custom jewelry pricing is a stack of seven lines, and the cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest stack. Here is how we price, and what to push back on.
The seven lines on a real custom quote
| Line | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CAD / 3D modeling | $80 - $250 one-off | Dropped on reorders |
| Rubber mold / tooling | $40 - $120 one-off | Required for wax reproduction |
| Metal material | 30-55% of unit cost | Tracks live gold/silver spot |
| Stones | 15-40% of unit cost | GRA moissanite > CZ > generic |
| Labor (cast, set, polish) | $3.50 - $9 per piece | Drops 20-30% at 300 pcs |
| Plating & rhodium | $0.80 - $2.20 per piece | 0.5µm rhodium costs more than 0.3µm |
| Packaging & certificate | $0.90 - $2.50 per piece | Branded boxes are a separate tooling |
On a 925 silver GRA moissanite stud at 100 pairs, that stack lands around $11-$14 per pair. At 500 pairs, labor and plating spread out and the same pair lands around $8.50-$10.50. That 25% gap is the volume tier most first-time buyers never ask about.
Where the silent surcharges hide
Three line items quietly inflate a quote that looked clean:
- Metal spot adjustment. Gold and silver prices move weekly. A factory that quotes today at $1900/oz gold and ships in 45 days should either lock the price in the PO or specify a tolerance band (usually +/- 3%). If they do not, they will call you mid-production.
- Certificate fee. GRA certificates for moissanite are typically $1.50-$3 per stone. Some quotes bundle them; some bill them after the fact. Ask.
- Retail packaging. A generic polybag is free. A printed box with your logo is $1.20-$2.50 each plus a $60-$150 plate fee. Buyers are often surprised by this on the first PO.
How volume moves the price
The two lines that bend hard at volume are labor and plating. CAD and tooling are flat one-off costs; metal and stone track material. Labor drops because setting and polishing benches group pieces into efficient batches. Plating drops because the chemical bath runs full.
On a typical silver ring, we see roughly this step-down:
- 20-59 pcs: full labor rate
- 60-199 pcs: labor rate -12%
- 200-499 pcs: labor rate -22%
- 500+ pcs: labor rate -30%, plus a blanket-PO discount on material
If your factory's quote is flat across all tiers, either they have not built a tiered model (common with small workshops) or they are holding margin you could negotiate.
Decision guidance by buyer profile
First custom run under 50 pieces: Expect to pay a setup surcharge. We charge a $180 one-off that covers CAD and wax approval; at 50+ pieces we absorb it. Do not try to negotiate unit price on 20 pieces. Negotiate whether the CAD fee is refunded against your reorder.
Boutique running 100-300 pieces per style per season: Push for a tiered quote. Ask for three price points (100 / 300 / 500) in writing. Use the 500-tier as a planning number even if you only PO 200, because it tells you what the margin looks like at maturity.
Private label / chain with 12-month forecast: Move to a cost-plus model. We pre-buy metal and stones at locked prices, cast in large trees, and bill you at material + labor + a transparent margin. Unit cost typically lands 15-20% below a per-PO quote, and you avoid spot-price volatility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my custom quote so much higher than a catalog piece?
Because a custom piece carries one-off CAD and tooling costs that catalog pieces have already amortized. On a 100-piece order, CAD and mold add roughly $2-$3 per piece. On a 500-piece order, that drops below $1 per piece.
Is the CAD fee refundable?
Many factories, including us, refund or credit the CAD fee against a reorder above 100 pieces. Ask in writing before you pay; it is a negotiable line, not a fixed cost.
How much should packaging add to the price?
Generic polybag packaging is free. A standard jewelry box adds $0.90-$1.50. A fully branded box with your logo adds $1.50-$2.50 per piece plus a one-off plate fee of $60-$150.
Does gold spot price change my quote mid-production?
It can, if the PO does not lock it. A clean factory quote either locks the price for 30 days or specifies a +/-3% tolerance band. Insist on one of those in writing.
Can I reuse my CAD file at another factory?
Usually yes, if you own the file. Confirm in your supplier agreement who holds the rights. Some factories retain the CAD file; most release it on final payment.
Key takeaways
- A custom quote has seven lines. Compare all seven, not just the headline unit price.
- Lock metal price and certificate fees in the PO. Those are the two most common mid-order surprises.
- Ask for a tiered quote (100 / 300 / 500). Labor bends hard at volume, and flat quotes are leaving margin on the table.
- Negotiate the CAD fee as a reorder credit, not as a sunk cost. Most factories will move on this.
Send us a mood board or a reference piece; we will come back with a line-by-line quote within 48 hours, including three volume tiers. Browse our moissanite rings for price anchors, read more in the buying guides, review the production steps, or check our QC standards.
The 92.5% silver composition and properties of sterling silver are described in the Wikipedia entry on sterling silver.
