TEYING BUYER GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 5, 2026

Which Jewelry Fees Get Credited Against Production?

Sample and development fees are not always sunk costs. This guide explains which fees a custom jewelry project carries, which ones are credited against the bulk order, and how to get the credit terms in writing before you approve anything.

By Qiu Qiu, Founder and Design Lead at TEYING · October 5, 2026

The short answer: some fees are credited back, some are one-time purchases, and the difference is policy

A custom jewelry project can carry several fees, and they do not all behave the same way. The design stage is free. The development fee and the sample fee are credited against production. The mold is a one-time purchase that belongs to you. Knowing which line is which turns a confusing quote into three simple decisions.

At TEYING the written terms are: consultation, sketches, and CAD previews are free; the development fee is $200 to $800 per design and is credited against production orders over $2,000; the sample fee is $50 to $150 per sample and is credited against production; mold costs are $50 to $300, one-time, and the molds belong to you.

What each fee is for

Design stage: free

The consultation, sketches, and CAD previews cost nothing. This is the stage where the design is discussed, proportions are checked, and the production route is chosen. Because it is free, there is no reason to guess at a design brief before sending it.

Development fee: $200 to $800 per design, credited

The development fee begins once you approve the CAD and move into sample making. It covers the engineering between the approved drawing and a producible piece: file preparation, setup work, and the first production attempt. It is credited against production orders over $2,000, which means a real bulk order absorbs the fee instead of adding to it.

Sample fee: $50 to $150 per sample, credited

The sample fee covers the physical sample itself. It is credited against production, so the sample you approved becomes part of the order economics rather than a sunk cost on top of it.

Mold and tooling: $50 to $300, one-time

The mold is a physical tool, paid once, and it belongs to you. It is not a credit item because you keep the tool. Reorders use it without paying again.

Why factories credit fees against production

Crediting is a commitment, not a discount trick. A factory that credits the sample and development fees against the bulk order is betting its own margin on the relationship: it is worth absorbing the early costs if the buyer comes back for production. That is also why the credit usually has a condition attached, most often a minimum order value. The condition is not a trap — it is the line where the factory recovers the work it already did.

The following is an illustrative procurement scenario, not a claim about a named customer or a published TEYING order.

A gift-company buyer compared two factories for a custom pendant. Factory A quoted a lower development fee with no credit terms. Factory B quoted a higher fee and stated in the quote that it was credited against orders over $2,000. The buyer picked A and paid the lower fee twice — once for the pendant and again on the first reorder, where the same setup work was charged again. On the second project the buyer asked every factory the same question: what exactly is credited, and under which condition?

Buyer checklist before you approve the fees

• Which fees apply: development, sample, mold, or all three?
• What is the design stage, and is it free?
• Is the development fee credited against production, and over what order value?
• Is the sample fee credited, and does the credit apply per sample or per order?
• Are mold costs one-time, and who owns the mold?
• What happens to the credit if the first bulk order is small and grows later?
• Is every credit condition written into the quotation?

A quote that answers these lines in writing is the one you can compare against the next factory with real numbers.

FAQ

Which jewelry fees are credited against production?

The development fee and the sample fee are credited against production; the design stage is free. Mold and tooling costs are a one-time purchase, so they are separate from the credit terms.

Is the development fee refundable if I cancel?

The credit applies when you move into production, not as a refund on cancellation. The development fee covers setup work that has already happened, which is why the credit is tied to a production order rather than a refund policy.

Does the credit apply to any order size?

Check the condition in writing. The development fee credit applies to production orders over $2,000, and the sample fee credit applies to production. If your first order is smaller, ask whether the credit can carry into a later larger order.

How do I get the credit terms in writing?

Ask for the fee lines and their credit conditions in the quotation itself, not in a chat message. A written quotation is the record you point to when the bulk order is placed.

Are the sample and development fees the same at every factory?

No. Some factories fold these costs into the unit price, others charge them separately. Separate lines are easier to compare, because you can see which part of the quote is credited, which part is a one-time tool, and which part is the unit price.

The fee structure is one of the fastest ways to tell how a factory plans to work with you. If you have a reference image and a target quantity, send them through the TEYING quote form and ask for the fee lines with their credit conditions in the written quote.