The Crystal Jewelry Pricing & Materials Sheet
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What a strand actually yields, what the stone in one bracelet actually costs, the three pricing formulas worked on real pieces, which stones survive being worn, and how to tell dyed from natural. Six pages, built to live on the bench.
For jewellery makers, wire wrappers and bead artists
The Crystal Jewelry
Pricing & Materials Sheet
What a strand actually yields, what the stone in one bracelet actually costs, and the three formulas that turn that into a price you can say out loud. Six pages. Keep it on the bench.
What a strand yields
| Bead size | Beads per 15in strand | Beads per 7in bracelet | Bracelets per strand | Stone cost per bracelet at a $12 strand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | ≈ 95 | ≈ 44 | 2 | ≈ $5.50 |
| 6 mm | ≈ 64 | ≈ 30 | 2 | ≈ $5.60 |
| 8 mm | ≈ 48 | ≈ 22 | 2 | ≈ $5.50 |
| 10 mm | ≈ 38 | ≈ 18 | 2 | ≈ $5.70 |
| Chips (32in strand) | — | — | ≈ 4 | ≈ $2.50–$3.50 |
Counts are trade approximations — natural stone varies. Bead holes typically run 0.8–1 mm, which fits standard 0.8 mm clear elastic.
Your own numbers
| Stone & size | Strand price | Beads used | Stone cost per piece |
|---|---|---|---|
Which format does what
| Format | Drilled? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Bead strand (15in) | Yes | Bracelets, necklaces, earrings |
| Chip strand (32in) | Yes | Chip bracelets, fringe, fast market stock |
| Loose chips (by weight) | No | Wire-wrapped clusters, gem trees, resin |
| Tumbled stones | No | Wrapping, macramé, coil cages |
| Quartz points | Mostly no | Wrapped pendants |
| Drilled points & drilled tumbles | Yes | Pendants with no wrapping at all |
| Coil cage pendants | n/a | Any tumble, finished in seconds |
Three formulas, and when each one applies
Formula 1 — retail only
(materials + labour + overhead) × 3 = retail
Formula 2 — you also want to sell to shops
(materials + labour) × 2 = wholesale · wholesale × 2 = retail
Formula 3 — market-day sanity check
If the number lands above what your venue bears, change the product, not the price. Keep a $15 item and an $80 item on the same table.
Worked examples
| Piece | Stone | Other materials | Time | Cost in | Retail × 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chip bracelet | $3.00 | $0.40 cord | 10 min @ $25/hr = $4.17 | $7.57 | $23 |
| 8 mm bead bracelet | $5.50 | $0.40 cord | 12 min @ $25/hr = $5.00 | $10.90 | $33 |
| Caged tumble pendant | $1.80 | $2.00 cage + cord | 5 min @ $25/hr = $2.08 | $5.88 | $18 |
| Wire-wrapped point | $3.50 | $4.00 wire | 45 min @ $25/hr = $18.75 | $26.25 | $79 |
Your hourly rate is a decision, not a fact. $25 is used here because it is the number most makers flinch at and then agree with.
When to raise prices
- You sold out before the end of the first day.
- You are turning down custom work because you dread the hours.
- Your material costs have risen and you have absorbed it twice.
- A shop asked to stock you and the wholesale number made you feel sick.
Announce increases a month ahead to your list. Nobody has ever left over a $4 rise; plenty have left because the maker quit.
Which stones survive being worn
Hardness decides placement. Put a Mohs 4 stone in a daily bracelet and the customer will believe you sold them something fake when it scratches.
| Stone | Mohs | Ring / daily bracelet | Pendant / earring | Care note for your tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear, rose, smoky quartz | 7 | Yes | Yes | Rinse and dry; avoid long direct sun for amethyst |
| Amethyst | 7 | Yes | Yes | Colour can fade in prolonged intense light |
| Agate, carnelian, jasper | 6.5–7 | Yes | Yes | Dyed colours: keep out of long sun |
| Tiger's eye | 7 | Yes | Yes | Never grind dry — fibrous dust |
| Black tourmaline | 7–7.5 | Yes | Yes | Brittle lengthwise; drill gently or buy pre-drilled |
| Hematite | 5.5–6.5 | Yes | Yes | Keep out of standing water |
| Labradorite, moonstone, amazonite | 6–6.5 | Careful | Yes | Cleavage — knocks chip the flash |
| Lapis lazuli, turquoise | 5–6 | No | Yes | Porous — perfume and sweat dull them |
| Fluorite | 4 | No | Yes | Slightly water-soluble; never soak |
| Malachite | 3.5–4 | No | Yes | Wipe only. Copper dust if cut — wet-work |
| Selenite | 2 | No | Display | Dissolves in water. Not a wearable stone |
The care card that prevents refunds
Eight words on a small card, and the returns mostly stop:
“Natural stone. Keep dry, avoid perfume, store apart.”
Add the stone name and whether it is treated. That is a complete, honest care tag.
Telling dyed from natural
| Look for | What it means |
|---|---|
| Colour pooling in fractures and drill holes | Dye. The cracks take more pigment than the body of the stone |
| Every bead identical in shade | Usually dyed or lab-made. Natural stone varies bead to bead |
| Colour on the thread or the tissue | Surface dye that has not been sealed |
| Bubbles, swirls, a mould seam | Glass, not stone |
| Warm to the touch, light for its size | Plastic or resin imitation. Stone feels cool and heavy |
| Vivid blue “turquoise” at a low price | Commonly dyed howlite or magnesite |
| Deep orange “citrine” with a white base | Heat-treated amethyst, which is most commercial citrine |
| Iridescent metallic coating | Electroplated “aura” quartz — a real coating on real quartz |
What to write on your tags
| If it is | Write |
|---|---|
| Untreated natural stone | “Natural [stone name]” |
| Dyed | “Dyed [stone name]” — e.g. “Dyed agate” |
| Heat-treated | “Heat-treated citrine (amethyst)” |
| Electroplated | “Aura quartz — electroplated coating” |
| Reconstituted or stabilised | Say so plainly; “stabilised turquoise” is a normal, honest description |
Setting a wholesale price
A shop will ask for 50% of your retail. If your retail was built from real costs at × 3, that still leaves you a margin. If it was built by feel, it will not — and that is the real reason most makers cannot say yes to their first stockist. Work out the wholesale number before you are asked.
| Piece | My retail | Wholesale (50%) | My cost | Margin left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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