Our Location
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
OEM/ODM Jewelry Customization: From Design Sketch to Mass Production
A step-by-step walkthrough of the OEM/ODM jewelry process: design, CAD, wax, casting, setting, plating and QC — with realistic timelines at each stage.
Custom jewelry is where small brands build their identity — and where unsupervised
production most often goes wrong. Having run OEM and ODM programs for boutique brands worldwide,
we wrote this guide so you know exactly what happens after you send a sketch, and where your
feedback matters most.
OEM vs ODM in plain terms
OEM means you supply the design (a sketch, a reference piece or a CAD file)
and we manufacture it exclusively for you. ODM means you start from our existing
catalog and modify it — change the stone, the plating, the size, add your logo — which
is faster and cheaper. Many clients blend both: a few exclusive hero pieces (OEM) plus adapted
catalog items (ODM) to fill the collection.
Stage 1 — Design and quoting (2–5 days)
You send sketches, photos or even a rough description. We return a technical drawing with
dimensions, metal weight, stone specification and a unit price curve (price drops as quantity
rises). Approve this stage carefully — every later change costs more than it would here.
Stage 2 — CAD modeling and render (3–5 days)
The design becomes a 3D model, and you receive photorealistic renders from multiple angles.
This is the cheapest moment to catch proportion problems: a band that is too thick, a pendant
bail that is too small, stones spaced too tightly.
Stage 3 — Wax and casting (5–8 days)
The approved model is 3D-printed in wax, cast in 925 sterling silver, then filed and
pre-polished. For new designs we recommend a first article sample before mass production —
checking weight, feel and stone fit on a physical piece costs a few days and prevents an entire
batch from being wrong.
Stage 4 — Stone setting and plating (7–12 days)
Stones are set by hand (prong, bezel, pave depending on the design), then the pieces are
polished and plated to your specification — for example nickel-free 18K gold, 1 micron,
with anti-tarnish topcoat. Logo stamping (your brand mark inside the ring or on the tag) happens
here too.
Stage 5 — QC, packing and shipping (3–7 days)
Every piece is inspected for plating uniformity, stone security and clasp function before
individual bagging. Typical total lead time for a custom OEM run is
20–35 days from design approval to shipment, plus transit.
How to make your custom program cheaper and faster
- Keep your first collection to 3–6 exclusive designs; build breadth with ODM
modifications. - Use standard stone sizes — calibrated zircons cost far less than custom cuts.
- Consolidate feedback: one consolidated revision list per round beats daily micro-changes.
Ready to start? Send us a sketch or even a reference photo — we will return a technical
proposal and quote within 48 hours.
Hong Kong VITA is a professional 925 sterling silver jewelry manufacturer offering factory-direct pricing, low MOQs and full OEM/ODM service. Browse our catalog or contact us for a quote — we reply within 24 hours.