Markup strategy for independent jewellers
How to apply a sensible wholesale-to-retail markup per stone type, dealer and currency without scaring off clients.
The wholesale-to-retail multiplier debate is older than the trade itself. The honest answer: there is no single number. It varies by stone type, your overheads, the finished-piece labour, and what your client base will bear.
Baseline multipliers
- Commercial diamonds β 1.4β1.8Γ wholesale, because comparison shopping is brutal.
- Coloured stones β 2.0β3.0Γ is normal; rarer material can carry more.
- Set pieces β the stone markup compounds with labour and metal margin; quote the finished piece, not the stone.
Per-dealer overrides
On Chaos you set a global multiplier and override it per dealer. Use this when a dealer's quoted wholesale already reflects their premium reputation β e.g., a respected unheated Sri Lankan sapphire cutter β and a flat 2.5Γ would price you out of the market.
Currency and conversion
Hold prices in your client's currency on your website. Chaos lets you set a Feed Output Currency separately from the display currency you browse in, so your inventory always quotes in (for example) GBP or AUD even though dealers list in USD or THB.
Pricing floors and minimums
Dealers can publish minimum-price rules on individual stones or whole categories. Honour them: they exist because the dealer has a wholesale floor of their own. Stones that breach a rule appear in the excluded array of your API response β render them as "Enquire for price" rather than hide them.
Embedding a live gemstone feed on your jewellery website
Show your customers a constantly-refreshed catalogue from the dealers you trust β works on Shopify, Wix, Webflow, Squarespace, WordPress or any custom build.
How to Price Setting-Only Work for Client-Supplied Stones
No stone margin to absorb overhead and risk, so setting-only pricing needs its own logic β not just your normal labour rate with the stone cost removed.
What to Check Before Setting a Client-Supplied Diamond
A consistent intake checklist protects you as much as the client β verify the stone against its certificate, document condition, and get it in writing.
Use Chaos as a stone sourcing layer
Browse verified dealer inventory, save options for clients, and connect live stones into your own sales workflow.