How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale

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Many people have asked me how to buy wholesale. To buy wholesale you usually need to be able to meet at least one of the following requirements:

Have a resale license & a business license
Are willing to buy large quantities
Are willing to purchase outside the country
Know what the merchandise is worth (you should ALWAYS know this)

Here we will explore how one can go about meeting these requirements.

Resale License
If you are starting a business, you will want (and need) resale and business licenses:A Resale License is available at the State Board of Equalization. It is free. You will need to pay sales tax yearly (if you buy a lot of items wholesale, possibly quarterly).The business license is required for the State Board of Equalization at least in California. It is available from the city you live in. Here in Northern California, one is priced around $130/year. Your mileage may vary.

State laws vary, some states don’t have resale licenses as there isn’t a state tax. Be certain to check with your local government offices.
Large Quantity Purchases
Often to get a wholesale price you need to buy a certain quantity. Many places have a minimum purchase requirement. For some places this is small; for others it is hundreds of dollars.For example, Gems by Nathan doesn’t require a resale license — but they do require a large purchase to get a discount. Any store in the Wholesale Jewelry section of Jewelry Mall that has “retail” in their search, generally has this policy - though be certain to read their description — it may say NO retail. Note that the Wholesale section is not required to have prices on their pages. It is harder to shop from these pages — but the savings may be worth it.
Buying from foreign countries
There are many foreign companies throughout Jewelry Mall. Almost all of them have excellent prices. If they have full contact information (which is VERY rare), they will be listed in the retail section of Jewelry Mall. Otherwise, they will be in the wholesale section. I, personally, avoid companies in third world countries. The quality varies and it is hard to contact many of these companies. However, I know many many dealers who only deal with foreign companies for their products.
Know What The Jewelry Is Worth
Sometimes, you will find better prices at retail stores than at wholesale stores. I have found booths out in the retail section of various gem shows to be less expensive for the same quality of stone than at any wholesale booth. Some dealers want to unload certain types of inventory or have had the items long enough that the prices have gone up — and they charge the old price.There are bargains out there, but you have to know when someone is trying to pass off fake malachite or dyed howlite. General guidelines can be found on our Gemstone pages.Specific gemstone treatments are on the respective gemstone page.

Knowing about what you are buying really helps you get your money worth.