What is the difference between margin and markup?

Markup applies a percentage to cost. Margin is the percentage of the final price that is profit. For the same target, margin produces a higher price than the same markup.

Do fees apply to the pre-tax price?

Typically marketplace and payment fees are calculated on the sale subtotal (before tax). This tool grosses-up the price so your target profit remains intact after fees.

How do I allocate monthly overhead per piece?

Divide your monthly overhead by the number of pieces you expect to sell that month. The calculator performs this automatically.

How should I set a wholesale price?

Set a lower markup or margin for wholesale, or use a keystone rule of thumb (retail ≈ 2× wholesale) and confirm against your market.

Where can I get accurate metal prices?

Use reputable sources like Kitco’s Jeweler Resources for real-time metal quotes and conversion tables. Enter your per-gram price into the calculator.

How do I handle scrap and wastage?

Use the wastage field to increase the metal cost by an allowance (e.g., 5–15%) to cover saw kerf, filing, and casting loss.

jewelry making calculator

Professional jewelry pricing calculator for artisans and small studios. Compute material cost (metal, stones, findings), labor, allocated overhead, profit by margin or markup, marketplace & payment fees, and tax. Exports clean results for client quotes.

jewelry making calculator

A professional-grade pricing tool for artisans and studios. Compute precise **material, labor, and overhead costs**, then set **profit by margin or markup**. The tool automatically **grosses-up** for marketplace & payment fees and applies **sales tax**, producing clean **wholesale** and **retail** suggestions.

Calculator

Materials

Metal type

For conversion factors and density differences, see Kitco tables.

Metal weight (g)

Enter a non-negative metal weight.

Metal price per gram (currency)

Enter a non-negative price per gram.

Wastage allowance (%)

Wastage must be 0 or higher.

Covers saw/file loss, sprues, casting loss.

Stones & beads (total)

Enter 0 or a positive value.

Findings & consumables

Enter 0 or a positive value.

Packaging

Enter 0 or a positive value.

Labor

Hours

Hours must be 0 or higher.

Hourly rate

Rate must be 0 or higher.

Include setup, finishing, QC, and polishing time.

Overhead allocation

Monthly overhead

Enter 0 or a positive value.

Expected units per month

Units must be at least 1.

Override overhead per piece (optional)

Enter 0 or a positive override, or leave blank.

Profit model

Mode

Target (%)

Enter 0 or a positive target.

For the same number, margin yields a higher price than markup.

Fees & tax

Marketplace fee (%)

Enter 0 or a positive percent.

Payment fee (%)

Enter 0 or a positive percent.

Payment fixed fee

Enter 0 or a positive fee.

Sales tax/VAT (%)

Enter 0 or a positive percent.

Shipping (charged to customer)

Enter 0 or a positive value.

Fees are grossed-up on the pre-tax price so profit is preserved.

Wholesale & Retail

Wholesale markup (%)

Enter 0 or a positive percent.

Retail ≈ wholesale ×

Keystone must be ≥ 1.0.

Keystone (≈2×) is a common rule; validate against your market.

Results

Material cost

$0.00

Labor cost

$0.00

Overhead / piece

$0.00

True cost (break-even)

$0.00

Wholesale (pre-tax)

$0.00

Retail (pre-tax)

$0.00

Retail (with tax)

$0.00

Total fees @ retail

$0.00

Cost & price breakdown

All values are calculated on the current inputs.
Component	Amount

Data Source & Methodology

AuthoritativeDataSource Kitco — Jeweler Resources (weight conversion, density comparison, and live precious metal tools), accessed regularly for industry-standard references. See: weight comparison and conversions tables, and jeweler resource hub. “Tutti i calcoli si basano rigorosamente sulle formule e sui dati forniti da questa fonte.”

Kitco Jeweler Resources (tables & tools).
U.S. SBA guidance on cost-plus pricing & break-even concepts for small businesses.
Common artisan formulas aggregated from industry guides (e.g., Jewelry Making Journal) to validate wholesale/retail heuristics.

References: Kitco Jeweler Resources; SBA — startup costs & break-even; Jewelry Making Journal pricing formula.

The Formula Explained

Materials:

$$ C_m = w \cdot p \cdot (1+\alpha) + C_{stones} + C_{find} + C_{pack} $$

Labor:

$$ C_\ell = h \cdot r $$

Overhead allocation (per piece):

$$ C_o = \begin{cases} \dfrac{O_{month}}{U_{month}}, & \text{if no override} \\ O_{override}, & \text{if provided} \end{cases} $$

True cost (break-even):

$$ C_{true} = C_m + C_\ell + C_o $$

Target (choose one):

Markup $k\%$: $\quad P^\* = C_{true}\,(1+k)$

Margin $g\%$: $\quad P^\* = \dfrac{C_{true}}{1-g}$

Fee gross-up (percent $f$, fixed $F$) — solving for pre-tax price $P$:

$$ P = \frac{P^\* + F}{1 - f} $$

Tax application ($\tau$): $\quad P_{tax\_in} = P\,(1+\tau)$

Wholesale (markup $k_w$): $\quad P_w = C_{true}\,(1+k_w)$

Retail heuristic (keystone $K$): $\quad P_{ret,heur} \approx P_w \cdot K$

Glossary of variables

w: metal weight (g)
p: metal price per gram (your supplier/spot)
$\alpha$: wastage allowance (decimal)
h, r: labor hours & hourly rate
O_month, U_month: monthly overhead & units sold
F: fixed payment fee; f: % fees (marketplace + payment)
$\tau$: sales tax/VAT rate (decimal)
k, g: markup or margin target (decimal)
K: keystone multiple (rule of thumb)

How It Works: A Step-by-Step Example

Example design: 18k ring, 8 g; spot price/gram $=$ $45; wastage 8%; stones $60; findings $12; packaging $3.50; labor $2.5$ h @ $40/h; overhead $800 with 40 units → $20 per piece; target profit = 60% margin; marketplace 6.5%, payment 3% + $0.30; tax 0%.

Materials: $C_m = 8\cdot45\cdot1.08 + 60 + 12 + 3.5 =$ \$467.30
Labor: $C_\ell = 2.5 \cdot 40 =$ \$100.00
Overhead: $C_o = 800/40 =$ \$20.00
True cost: $C_{true} = 467.30 + 100 + 20 =$ \$587.30
Margin 60%: $P^\* = 587.30 / (1-0.60) =$ \$1,468.25
Fee gross-up: $f=0.065+0.03=0.095$, $F=0.30$ → $P = (1468.25 + 0.30)/(1-0.095) =$ \$1,622.49
Retail with tax (0%): $=$ \$1,622.49
Wholesale (25% markup): $P_w = 587.30 \cdot 1.25 =$ \$734.13; Keystone 2× → \$1,468.26 (pre-fees)

Frequently Asked Questions

Margin vs. markup — which should I use?

Margin describes profit as a share of price; markup is profit as a share of cost. Retailers often plan with margins; makers sometimes think in markups. This tool supports both so you can match your financial reporting.

Why gross-up for fees?

Because fees are charged as a percentage of the sale, you must solve for price so that after fees are deducted, your margin/markup target still holds.

Do I include tax in the target margin?

No. Target margin is applied before tax. Taxes are pass-through to the customer.

Where do I get metal price per gram?

Use reputable sources such as Kitco’s Jeweler Resources. Convert to per-gram and add any supplier premium.

What about karat purity?

Spot prices are often quoted for pure metal; finished alloys and supplier pricing may differ. This tool uses your per-gram input to stay accurate regardless of karat; adjust your per-gram price for purity and premium.

Full original guide (expanded)

Audit: Complete

Formula (LaTeX) + variables + units

This section shows the formulas used by the calculator engine, plus variable definitions and units.

Formula (extracted LaTeX)

\[C_m = w \cdot p \cdot (1+\alpha) + C_{stones} + C_{find} + C_{pack}\]

C_m = w \cdot p \cdot (1+\alpha) + C_{stones} + C_{find} + C_{pack}

Formula (extracted LaTeX)

\[C_\ell = h \cdot r\]

C_\ell = h \cdot r

Formula (extracted LaTeX)

\[C_o = \begin{cases} \dfrac{O_{month}}{U_{month}}, & \text{if no override} \\ O_{override}, & \text{if provided} \end{cases}\]

C_o = \begin{cases} \dfrac{O_{month}}{U_{month}}, & \text{if no override} \\ O_{override}, & \text{if provided} \end{cases}

Formula (extracted LaTeX)

\[C_{true} = C_m + C_\ell + C_o\]

C_{true} = C_m + C_\ell + C_o

Formula (extracted LaTeX)

\[P = \frac{P^\* + F}{1 - f}\]

P = \frac{P^\* + F}{1 - f}

Formula (extracted text)

Materials: $ C_m = w \cdot p \cdot (1+\alpha) + C_{stones} + C_{find} + C_{pack} $ Labor: $ C_\ell = h \cdot r $ Overhead allocation (per piece): $ C_o = \begin{cases} \dfrac{O_{month}}{U_{month}}, & \text{if no override} \\ O_{override}, & \text{if provided} \end{cases} $ True cost (break-even): $ C_{true} = C_m + C_\ell + C_o $ Target (choose one): Markup \(k\%\): \(\quad P^\* = C_{true}\,(1+k)\) Margin \(g\%\): \(\quad P^\* = \dfrac{C_{true}}{1-g}\) Fee gross-up (percent \(f\), fixed \(F\)) — solving for pre-tax price \(P\): $ P = \frac{P^\* + F}{1 - f} $ Tax application (\(\tau\)): \(\quad P_{tax\_in} = P\,(1+\tau)\) Wholesale (markup \(k_w\)): \(\quad P_w = C_{true}\,(1+k_w)\) Retail heuristic (keystone \(K\)): \(\quad P_{ret,heur} \approx P_w \cdot K\)

Variables and units

T = property tax (annual or monthly depending on input) (currency)

Sources (authoritative):

Kitco weight comparison — kitco.com · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://www.kitco.com/jeweler-table/weight-comparison
Kitco conversion — kitco.com · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://www.kitco.com/jeweler-table/weight-conversion
Kitco Jeweler Resources — kitco.com · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://www.kitco.com/jeweler-resources

Changelog

Version: 0.1.0-draft
Last code update: 2026-01-19

0.1.0-draft · 2026-01-19

Initial audit spec draft generated from HTML extraction (review required).
Verify formulas match the calculator engine and convert any text-only formulas to LaTeX.
Confirm sources are authoritative and relevant to the calculator methodology.

Verified by Ugo Candido on 2026-01-19
Profile · LinkedIn

Formulas

(Formulas preserved from original page content, if present.)

Version 0.1.0-draft

Citations

Add authoritative sources relevant to this calculator (standards bodies, manuals, official docs).

Changelog

0.1.0-draft — 2026-01-19: Initial draft (review required).