Jewelry Production Consultant

Sonder Consultancy is a bespoke consulting agency specializing in jewelry production. We provide production advice and guidance for the jewelry trade. Our current services include Jewelry Production Consultation, Intensive Biweekly Coaching, and Monthly Support Retainer.

At Sonder, we understand the difficulties and challenges many individuals face when starting a jewelry brand and that finding the right supplier isn’t the easiest since the market is saturated with millions of factories and suppliers. Therefore, we want to use our extensive experience to help creative entrepreneurs, social media influencers, designers, founders, startups, and small businesses out there smoothen their journey. Our services are designed for brands that are just starting out, are in the early stage of the business, or for well-established firms looking to expand their current product offering to the fast-growing jewelry sector. With our help and professional guidance, you can get to where you want to be in a lot less time than if you venture it alone. In other words, getting the ball rolling much faster and, more importantly, in the right direction. Our goal is to save you countless hours of internet research and minimize your trial-and-error money in the long run. Most of the people we work with understand the value of their time and prefer to work with an expert who can help them fast-track their startup journey and avoid costly mistakes. Many people come to us having tried figuring things out on their own, only to find that their suppliers are not being transparent.

With an education-focused in Fashion Entrepreneurship from the London College of Fashion and Gemological Institute of America and, having worked in the jewelry trade for over nine years assisting more than 100 brands globally, from startups to some of the most reputable names in the jewelry industry, our experienced consultant will answer any questions you may have. Sonder Consultancy was created to share our experience and knowledge of jewelry manufacturing and everything that goes with it. We are thrilled to have helped over 40 clients to date. Please note that our sessions are currently only available in English. However, we are a very culturally diverse agency and have worked with many clients for whom English is not their native language. Confidentiality and discretion are assured, and if required, a non-disclosure agreement can be signed.

Using our wealth of knowledge in the jewelry industry to help you get started, seamlessly.

JEWELRY
PRODUCTION
CONSULTATION

Our comprehensive Jewelry Production Consultation (JPC), separated into four parts (60 minutes each), will guide you through all the key information you need to get your jewelry business going. Also ideal for creative teams from well-established brands with no jewelry backgrounds/manufacturing experience and would like to better understand this industry in depth. The one-to-one real-time virtual session will be tailored to your individual needs (not pre-recorded) thus you will have the opportunity to ask questions as they come up. The consultancy fee is US $300 net per session and will be conducted via Zoom. For the complete MasterClass, our four sessions are priced at $1,000 ($250/session). We are currently taking limited sessions per week. To secure a booking, please use the below button to choose an available slot at the time that suits you best.

If you would like to discuss something not included in the four parts below, please drop us an email, and we will try to accommodate.

The Supplier Part:

FINDING THE RIGHT SUPPLIER

Having trouble with suppliers not getting back to you? Or doubts if you are actually working with a middleman and not a direct manufacturer? In this topic, we will be providing you with the essential checklist and key areas to focus on when scouting and vetting jewelry suppliers, including how to approach and where to find them. We will also provide guides on how to secure the right manufacturer that is most suited for your business size and type. If you already have a shortlist of suppliers you are interested in working with, we will help you narrow down the list during the session. Additionally, we will also be referring production and packaging contacts through various international manufacturers and suppliers in our network.

THE INSIDER TIPS

Pointers on working directly with a factory and becoming their key business partner. Learn how to become an important customer to the supplier and how to get your production capacity secured especially on peak season. Get direct insider tips from someone who has been on the other side.

NEGOTIATING TERMS

Bits of advice on negotiating better cost price, payment term, lower MOQ, minimum spend, and tooling charge exemption (product development fees) with your vendor.

The Technical Part:

GET TECHNICAL

In-depth technical information on different types of base metals, stone options (including gemstones, Cubic Zirconia, Nano Gems, crystals, pearls, lab-grown opals, and imitation stones), enamel techniques, and plating specifications to optimize the balance between price and quality, as well as your brand positioning.

PLATING 101

Heavy gold plating? Gold vermeil? Gold-filled? Coated three times? 18K or 24K? In this topic, we will cover everything you need to know about "plating", as well as any common misconceptions and myths on everything around it.

THE SUSTAINABLE ROUTE

We understand that buying sustainably can sometimes be confusing. From recycled silver to eco brass, discover sustainable, eco-friendly materials that are available in the market to incorporate at the moment so you can make an informed purchase.

The Design Part:

TECH PACK REVIEW

Learn how to bring your ideas to life with custom design pieces without having to hire a jewelry or CAD designer, and how to navigate the supplier through recreation pieces. We will also include a sample of a typical collection/tech pack run-through to provide knowledge on design versus price optimization. Learn how to de-spec a design while keeping the overall look to achieve your target price. We will also help with design concepts, cross-costing, and range planning/development if applicable.

TREND REPORT & FORECAST

Trend forecasting is the essential tool for creating forward-looking businesses and becoming industry influencers. We will be covering the latest key jewelry trends and movements to watch. Get direct insights on what the head buyers around the world are buying.

CRITICAL PATH PLANNING

Learn how to plan out your collections for the entire year. Sharing factors and key dates that need to be considered, from design hand over date to ex-fac period.

The Quality Part:

QUALITY CHECKLIST

In this topic, we will cover all the little details that you should be checking from receiving the initial development samples to bulk orders. We will also be advising on QC methods per each jewelry category that you should do on your end, as well as information on sending them out to third-party labs to get them verified.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

Learn the legal chemical compliance specifically for jewelry for your target markets, to ensure that your pieces are consumer-friendly. We will also be recommending third parties testing houses which we prefer. Additionally, we will show you lab report samples on legal compliance, product composition, and plating thickness, as well as providing assistance on how to understand them properly.

PRODUCT DEFECT MANAGEMENT

Gain exclusive manufacturing and production Insights, and learn how to deal with manufacturers when experiencing high return rates due to faulty or poorly made goods. Running you through a typical claim and Corrective Action Plan (CAP) process. We can also work with you to problem-solve and enhance the quality of your existing product or identify and resolve production issues before they arise. If you are experimenting with inconsistent quality from different suppliers, we will also help address this.

BOOK A SESSION

If you want to learn more about our other services or have any questions before booking a session, please drop us an email at hello@sonderconsultancy.co. For corporates looking for custom solutions and support to help their business scale, please email corporate@sonderconsultancy.co.

Please note that if you're based in the UK, kindly send an email directly to uk.team@sonderconsultancy.co.

TESTIMONIALS.

"This course is priceless. It’s taken me from a complete novice without any experience or knowledge of the jewellery industry to someone who feels confident in what my company needs and where to start. Working with Sonder has cut my time to market by approximately 6 months as learning what was taught would have taken months of research, and even then, you never really truly feel confident that what you learnt is correct. Would 100% recommend the service if you want to be taken seriously and avoid costly mistakes.

Thank you Sonder!"

-- An e-commerce brand from London

"Working with Sonder was the best thing we could have done to kick off our jewelry line. She was able to inform us of what we needed to know from start to finish. This saved us when speaking with manufacturers as she shared information with us that we could not have known otherwise. She is a world of insight, and I highly recommend working with Sonder."

-- A startup client based in the United States

"The session with Sonder Consultancy far exceeded our expectations. The consult was tailored to where we are at with the business, and we found it extremely beneficial. Their expert has so much knowledge about the jewellery industry, and we learnt an incredible amount that has given us a better direction and the next steps to take with our business.

Highly recommend a consultation for startups."

-- A new Australian

statement jewelry label

"Hiring Sonder Consultancy was one of the best investments I have made in my business. Rather than spend countless hours figuring out the production process, their knowledge and expertise facilitated the process that would have otherwise been a longer road of trial and error. Even though I have some experience with jewelry production, my consultation gave me a new perspective and helped me to focus and streamline the process. If you want the nitty-gritty of jewelry production in a thorough, enjoyable and straight-talking manner, I highly recommend Sonder Consultancy."

-- A nature-inspired jewelry brand from

the Hawaiian islands

"A wonderful legitimate service, I would highly recommend to anyone with questions about jewelry production and the jewelry trade."

-- A boutique jewelry brand located

in Australia

"Working with Sonder was probably the best $$ I spent this year in our business. We were repeatedly failing to connect with new manufacturers, and their guidance set us straight and helped us land some good candidates. They helped us understand which trade shows are the best, what to look for in a manufacturing partner, how to negotiate, etc. All things we would only have learned through trial and error and at great expense.

I highly recommend working with Sonder."

-- An upcoming jewelry brand

from Victoria, BC

I come from a fashion and retail background, but the jewellery world was still very much an unknown to me - at least until today. With the help from the consultant, I feel so confident and equipped to launch my brand new jewellery brand. I totally recommend this to anyone entering this sector, the cost will totally pay for itself in the long run.

Thank you, Sonder Consultancy!

-- A customer from Belgium

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