Where to Buy Jewelry Wholesale: How to Vet a B2B Supplier

Wholesale Sourcing Checklist

If you are comparing suppliers for a first or repeat jewelry order, the useful question is not "which site looks best" but "which supplier will answer these six things in writing." That is the whole basis of this checklist.

Start with the questions buyers actually use to screen suppliers

Most searches for where to buy jewelry wholesale end in one of two places: a marketplace listing with an unclear manufacturer behind it, or a factory page that never states MOQ. Neither lets you build a landed-cost model. What you actually need before committing is a short list of answers to questions that change your cost structure.

Wholesale jewelry splits into two supply situations, and they vet differently. Stock or ready-design programs are checked mainly on availability, replenishment speed and consistency between lots. Custom programs are checked on tooling, mold or CAD ownership, plating and stone-setting repeatability, and whether the factory can hold the same finish across reorders. A supplier that is strong in one is not automatically strong in the other, so ask which model your order falls into before anything else.

MOQ and order structure

MOQ is not one number. It is usually a set of numbers that depend on material, finish and whether the design already exists.

What a good answer looks like

• Separate MOQ figures for stock designs and custom designs, stated in pieces per design.
• A clear statement of whether MOQ can be split across sizes, colors or stone options within one order.
• Confirmation of what triggers a higher MOQ: new molds, custom plating colors, laser engraving, or mixed-material assemblies.
• Written confirmation that the MOQ quoted is what appears on the proforma invoice.

As a worked example, Aurevo is a Shenzhen watch and jewelry manufacturer founded in 2012 with 220+ employees and more than 8,000 watch and jewelry styles. Its standard watch MOQ is 100 pcs, custom watch MOQ is 300 pcs, and custom jewelry MOQ is 200 pcs. Those are the figures a buyer can put directly into a first-order plan, which is exactly the point of asking.

If you are sourcing stock designs rather than developing your own, the wholesale program page is where the ready-design structure is described, while custom solutions covers development-led orders.

Sampling and lead times

Sampling and production are separate clocks, and confusing them is how delivery dates slip. A supplier should give you both, plus the condition that starts each clock.

What a good answer looks like

• Sampling time stated in working days, with the trigger defined — usually deposit received plus approved artwork or CAD.
• Mass production time stated separately, starting from sample approval, not from inquiry date.
• Whether sampling is charged, and whether the sample cost is credited against the bulk order.
• A stated quotation validity period, so you know how long the quoted terms hold.

Aurevo quotes sampling at 7–15 working days and mass production at 20–40 working days, with quotations valid for 30 days. Read together, those three numbers let you back-schedule a launch: if the quote expires in 30 days but production takes up to 40 working days, your purchase order has to be placed well inside the validity window.

Sampling also has a design purpose beyond approval. For a piece like a fashion zircon ring, the sample is where you confirm stone setting, plating tone and sizing before 200+ pieces are committed. Treat sample approval as the last cheap checkpoint.

QC depth and inspection evidence

"We have strict quality control" is not a QC answer. The measurable version has three parts: how many checkpoints exist, what acceptance criteria are agreed, and what evidence reaches you before shipment.

What a good answer looks like

• A described inspection flow from incoming material through to final inspection, with the number of stations or checkpoints.
• An AQL level and defect-rate target written into the proforma invoice, not left to interpretation.
• Pre-shipment photos and videos supplied before the balance is due.
• A defined claim window and a spare-parts policy for items that can be replaced.

Aurevo runs 40+ QC stations from incoming material inspection to final inspection. The AQL level and defect-rate targets are agreed in the PI, and pre-shipment photos and videos are provided. After delivery there is a 30-day quality claim window, and spare parts are supplied.

Two practical notes. First, agree the AQL before production, not after a defect appears — the PI is the right place because it is the document both sides sign. Second, pre-shipment photos are not a substitute for inspection, but they catch the expensive mistakes: wrong plating color, wrong stone, wrong clasp or wrong packaging before the container leaves.

Sample approval does not prove bulk quality. Electroplating thickness, stone adhesion and hinge or clasp function can shift across a larger run, so the claim window and spare-parts arrangement matter as much as the sample you approved.

Payment terms and Incoterms

Payment structure tells you how the supplier prices risk, and Incoterms tell you who pays which leg. Both should be explicit.

• Payment: Aurevo works on T/T 30% deposit / 70% balance, with L/C at sight available for orders above USD 50,000.
• Incoterms: EXW, FOB Shenzhen, CIF and DAP.
• Transit: express 3–7 transit days; sea freight 15–35 transit days.

The trade term changes your true unit cost more than most buyers expect. EXW puts inland freight, export clearance and loading on you; FOB Shenzhen moves the export leg to the supplier; CIF adds main carriage and insurance; DAP takes it to your named destination. Compare suppliers on the same term, or the comparison is meaningless.

Also check the warranty before the balance payment, not after. Aurevo's warranty term is 12 months, and it is worth writing the warranty period into the PI next to the payment schedule so both obligations sit on one page.

Packaging, logistics and after-sales contact

Jewelry is small and high-value, so packaging is a cost line and a damage-control measure at the same time.

• Ask whether individual poly bags, velvet pouches, gift boxes or retail-ready cards are available, and how packaging affects MOQ and carton dimensions.
• Confirm carton weight and volume, since jewelry freight is often charged on volumetric weight.
• Confirm who handles export documentation and whether the supplier has shipped to your region before — Aurevo serves 65+ export markets.
• Name a single contact. Aurevo assigns a dedicated sales engineer with a response within 24 hours on working days; that matters when a claim or reorder is urgent.

Packaging choices also affect your receiving process. If your pieces arrive pre-tagged with SKUs, warehouse intake is faster; if they arrive loose, you absorb that labor. Ask before the order, because changing packaging mid-production is where schedule slippage starts. If you are sourcing across categories, an item such as a sterling silver necklace may need anti-tarnish packaging that a base-metal line does not, so packaging should be specified per material, not per order.

Supplier vetting checklist

Use this table as a screening sheet. The right-hand column is what a supplier with a functioning process can answer without escalating internally.

Next steps: how to run the comparison properly

Send the same brief to every candidate supplier and compare like with like.

• Write a one-page brief. Material, finish, stone, target quantity, packaging, destination and required delivery window. Vague briefs produce incomparable quotes.
• Ask for the quote on one Incoterm. Get all candidates on FOB or all on DAP, then compare.
• Request the PI structure early. If MOQ, AQL, warranty and payment terms do not appear on the proforma invoice, they are not yet commitments.
• Order a sample before bulk. Approve it against a written checklist covering plating tone, dimensions, stone security and clasp function.
• Book capacity. Place the order inside the quotation validity window, and align the deposit date with the production start you need.

The cheapest quote is often the one with the least defined scope. A supplier that answers MOQ, sampling, QC, payment and logistics in specific terms is easier to hold to a schedule than one that answers with adjectives.