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How to price handmade jewelry

Jewelry costs swing widely between pieces, from a few beads to precious metal, so one flat markup rarely fits. Price each design from its own costs.

1. Materials

Count metal by weight at what you paid, plus stones or beads, findings (clasps, jump rings, ear wires), wire and chain by length. If you work in metals whose prices move, re-check your material cost on a schedule so old prices don't quietly cut your margin. Add display cards, pouches or boxes.

2. Labor

Time design work once and spread it over the expected number of copies. Time production for every piece: cutting, soldering, setting, polishing and photographing. Detailed work deserves a higher hourly rate than simple stringing.

3. Overhead

Tools, torches, polishing supplies, findings you lose or waste, photography setup and show fees all count. Spread them across your monthly output.

Platform and payment fees

Marketplaces usually take a percentage of each sale plus fixed per-order or per-listing charges, and payment processing is often separate. Fee schedules change, so read your platform's current fee page rather than trusting a number you saw once. Remember that fees are charged on the price the customer pays, so they grow as your price grows. Calculate them on your final price, not on your cost.

Choosing a markup

Once you know your true cost (materials + labor + overhead), multiply it to get a price. A common maker rule of thumb is wholesale at about 2× true cost and retail at about 2× wholesale, but that is a starting point, not a law. Check the result against what comparable products actually sell for, then decide whether your quality, story or speed justifies sitting above or below that range. If the price you need is far above what buyers pay, the fix is usually cost or time, not a smaller margin.

If you want to sell to boutiques later, make sure your retail price leaves room for a wholesale price at about half of retail that still covers your true cost with a profit. If it doesn't, raise retail now. Cutting your price later is far easier than raising it.

Worked example

Notice that the profit line comes after you've paid yourself for your time. That's the number that tells you whether this product is a business or a hobby.

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