Jewelry Profit Calculator
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Retail Price (50% margin)
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How to price your handmade jewelry
Jewelry pricing is brutal because tiny material costs hide huge labor and skill investments. A pair of sterling earrings might use $4 of silver but takes 90 minutes from layout to polish. If you price 2× materials, you make $4 in profit on 1.5 hours of work.
Use this formula: metal (by weight × current spot price + 30–40% fabrication factor) + stones + findings + (hours × hourly wage) + bench overhead (15%), then multiply by markup. Bench overhead covers solder, flux, polishing compound, sandpaper, propane, and sawblade replacements.
For precious metals, repost your prices monthly. Silver moved 25% in 2025; gold moved 40%. If your retail prices lag spot by 60 days, you're losing money on every sale.
Common pricing mistakes for jewelry makers
Multiplying material cost by 2 or 3
The keystone markup is for retailers reselling factory goods. You're a maker. Your labor and skill are 70% of the value, not 30%. Multiply by 4–6× for retail, then sanity-check against the calculator.
Forgetting bench fees
Solder, flux, polish, propane, sandpaper, sawblades, gloves — these consume on every piece. Add 12–18% as overhead, not zero.
Ignoring metal market volatility
If you priced earrings at $80 when silver was $24/oz and silver is now $32/oz, you're losing $4–6 per pair. Reprice quarterly minimum.
Worked example: sterling silver hoop earrings
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sterling silver (4g × $1.10/g spot + 35% fabrication) | $5.94 |
| Ear wires (sterling, pair) | $2.50 |
| Hours (1.5 hrs × $40/hr) | $60 |
| Bench overhead (15%) | $10.27 |
| Total cost | $78.71 |
| Retail (55% margin) | $175 |
| Wholesale (1.5× cost) | $118 |
$175 for sterling hoops sounds steep next to $25 fashion jewelry, but it's right in line with handmade-jewelry pricing on Etsy and at galleries. Your buyer is choosing tarnish-resistant sterling over plated brass.
Frequently asked questions about jewelry pricing
How much should I charge for a custom engagement ring?
Custom rings range from $400 (simple sterling band with a synthetic stone) to $5,000+ (gold setting with a natural diamond). Material cost is 30–60% of the total; the rest is design time, CAD, casting, stone setting, and polishing. Always quote materials and labor separately.
Should I include the cost of metal scraps and lemel?
Track scraps separately — they're recoverable. Most jewelers refine sweepings annually and credit that against next year's metal purchases, not against individual project costs.
How do I price stones I cut myself?
Add your lapidary time at the same hourly rate as bench work. A self-cut cabochon might use $5 in rough but represent 2 hours of cutting. Most makers undercharge here because the rough was cheap.
Pricing guides for jewelry makers
How to Price Handmade Sterling Silver Jewelry (Spot Price + Labor Math)
Sterling silver jewelry pricing fails when makers ignore spot price volatility, skip bench overhead, and use a 2× materials markup. Here's the math that actually works.
9 min readJewelry Bench Fees Explained: What to Charge for Your Studio Time
Bench fees are the most underused tool in indie jewelry pricing. Here's what they cover, how to calculate yours, and the real numbers for repairs and custom commissions.
8 min readHow to Price Beaded Jewelry (Real Bead-Cost and Time Math)
Beaded jewelry pricing fails when makers price by bead count instead of by time. Here are real numbers for stringing, knotting, and finishing across bead types.
8 min read