Sell Handmade Jewellery Online: 9 Proven Steps for UK Makers
To sell handmade jewellery well in the UK, you need three things in place: a sales channel that suits your pieces, prices that pay for your time and the legal basics, such as hallmarking. Most makers start on a marketplace or at craft fairs, then add their own website as sales grow. So this guide covers each step in plain English, with the real fees and rules.
The short answer
- Where to sell: mix channels. Etsy and fairs help buyers find you, while your own website builds repeat sales.
- Fees: Etsy charges UK sellers a 6.5% transaction fee, 4% + £0.20 payment processing, a US$0.20 listing fee and a small regulatory fee.
- Hallmarking: gold over 1g, silver over 7.78g, platinum over 0.5g and palladium over 1g need a hallmark before you call them precious metal.
- Safety: nickel, lead and cadmium limits apply to all jewellery under UK REACH.
- Returns: online buyers get 14 days to cancel, although truly bespoke or personalised pieces are exempt.
Where to sell handmade jewellery: the main UK options
Each place you sell handmade jewellery brings a different kind of buyer. So match the channel to your pieces and your prices, rather than trying everything at once.
| Channel | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Your own website | Repeat buyers, bespoke work and higher prices | You bring the visitors, through Google and social media |
| Etsy and other marketplaces | Gift buyers who search the platform | Fees on every sale and similar listings side by side |
| Craft fairs and markets | Meeting buyers and testing designs | Stall fees, weather and long days |
| Instagram and TikTok | Showing your process and building a following | You do not own the audience, and reach can drop |
| Galleries and shops | Local buyers without a shop of your own | Commission or wholesale prices cut your margin |
Many makers combine two or three channels. For example, a fair builds trust face to face. Then a card with a QR code sends buyers to your own site for their next purchase.
Etsy or your own website: what it costs to sell handmade jewellery
Etsy brings buyers, but it charges on each sale. According to Etsy’s fee policy, sellers pay a US$0.20 listing fee and a 6.5% transaction fee. It applies to the item price plus delivery. On top of that, UK sellers pay a payment processing fee of 4% + £0.20 per order. Etsy also charges UK sellers a regulatory operating fee of 0.48%. Here is a simple example for a £60 silver ring with free delivery:
| Etsy fee | Amount on a £60 sale |
|---|---|
| Transaction fee (6.5%) | £3.90 |
| Payment processing (4% + £0.20) | £2.60 |
| Listing fee (US$0.20) | About 15p, depending on the exchange rate |
| Regulatory operating fee (0.48%) | About 29p |
| Total | About £6.95, or roughly 12% |
If the sale comes through an Etsy Offsite Ad, Etsy also adds a 15% fee. That drops to 12% for shops with sales of US$10,000 or more in the past year. So that same ring could cost another £9 in fees. Etsy may also add VAT to its seller fees, so check your monthly statement for the full figure.
Your own website works differently. You pay for the build and hosting, then card fees to your payment provider. However, there is no commission on each sale. You also keep your buyers’ details, with their permission, for future collections. As a result, a sensible mix is to use Etsy to be found and your own site to grow repeat sales.
Tip: fees change, so check Etsy’s current fee pages before you set prices. Then build the fees into every price, so each sale still pays you properly.
The legal checklist before you sell handmade jewellery
Jewellery has more rules than most crafts. However, they are clear once you know them, and following them also builds trust with buyers.
Hallmarking: the rule that catches new sellers out
Under the Hallmarking Act 1973, you can only describe an item as gold, silver, platinum or palladium when it carries a UK hallmark. The exception is a piece that weighs less than the exemption weight. Business Companion, the trading standards guidance site, lists these weights:
- Gold: 1 gram
- Silver: 7.78 grams
- Platinum: 0.5 grams
- Palladium: 1 gram
The four UK assay offices are in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh. In addition, the Sheffield Assay Office explains that when you sell precious metal online, your website counts as your premises. So it should show the Dealer’s Notice in a prominent place.
Watch out: a heavier silver piece without a hallmark cannot be sold as silver, even on Etsy or Instagram. Trading Standards enforce the rules, so book hallmarking before you list.
Metal safety, returns and tax
Nickel, lead and cadmium. UK REACH limits what jewellery can contain. According to Business Companion, piercing posts must release less than 0.2 micrograms of nickel per square centimetre per week. Other parts that touch the skin must stay at or below 0.5. Lead must stay below 0.05% by weight, and cadmium below 0.01% of the metal. So ask suppliers for test certificates for chains, findings and ear wires.
Returns. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, online buyers can usually cancel within 14 days of receiving their goods. Pieces made to the buyer’s own specification or clearly personalised are exempt. However, a piece simply made up from standard parts is not, so word your returns policy with care.
Tax. Once your trading income passes £1,000 in a tax year, GOV.UK says you need to register for Self Assessment with HMRC.
Photos and descriptions that sell handmade jewellery
When you sell handmade jewellery online, buyers cannot pick up the piece, so your photos and words have to do that job. The ASA says images of products must not mislead about what customers will actually receive. So show the true colour and the real size, as well as exactly what comes in the box.
- Metal, purity and hallmark, such as sterling silver with a London hallmark.
- Size, weight and chain length, because buyers cannot hold the piece.
- Stone type, stated honestly, for example natural, lab-grown or glass.
- Care advice, so the piece still shines a year later.
- Making time for made-to-order pieces, as well as delivery options.
Above all, take sharp, well-lit photos from several angles, then add one shot that shows scale. For lighting, backgrounds and a full shot list, read our sister guide to jewellery photography.
Pricing: how to sell handmade jewellery at a profit
Handmade work hides a lot of time, so underpricing is easy. A simple formula helps: materials, plus your time at a fair hourly rate, plus a share of overheads, plus selling fees. Then add a profit margin on top. If you plan to sell through shops later, also leave room for their margin when you set your retail price.
| Example figures only | Amount |
|---|---|
| Materials: silver, stone and findings | £14 |
| Your time: 1.5 hours at £20 an hour | £30 |
| Share of overheads: tools, packaging and hallmarking | £4 |
| Cost before fees and profit | £48 |
| Retail price | £70 |
| Etsy fees at about 12% | About £8 |
| Profit left over | About £14 |
Then test the result against similar pieces from other makers. If your price looks high, show why, for example with recycled silver, hand-cut stones or a hallmark. If it looks low, you are probably paying yourself too little.
Ready to sell handmade jewellery from your own site?
We design mobile-first jewellery websites with collection pages, buying guides and enquiry forms. Showcase sites start at £499 £424.15, and we quote full online shops separately.
A website built to sell handmade jewellery
Of all the places to sell handmade jewellery, your own site is the one you fully control. So build it around how buyers shop. They browse by collection, then check sizes and delivery, and finally look for proof that you are real.
- Collections by type or occasion, such as rings, earrings, gifts and wedding pieces.
- Product pages with metal, size, weight and care, plus several photos.
- A ring size guide, as well as clear delivery and returns pages.
- Your story and your workshop, so buyers see the maker behind each piece.
- The Dealer’s Notice, whenever you sell precious metal.
- Reviews, an email sign-up with consent and WhatsApp for quick questions.
Google can also show your products for free. Through Google Merchant Center free listings, products can appear in Search, the Shopping tab, Images and Maps at no cost. So a well-built product page can reach buyers far beyond your followers.
Our jewellery websites start with a Starter site at £499 £424.15 for 3–5 pages, while Premium at £899 £764.15 adds online booking for viewings and advanced SEO. For a full online shop, we quote separately. For example, we built the Sash Window Bespoke shop with its own custom price calculator. We can also meet makers in person, for instance near Saffron Walden.
Marketing that helps you sell handmade jewellery again and again
- Search: write product titles the way buyers search, such as “sterling silver stacking ring”, rather than a poetic name alone. Then add a buying guide or two, because guides answer the questions people type into Google.
- Social: show your process, from sawing to polishing. Then link to the product page, not just your profile.
- Email: past buyers who agreed to hear from you are ideal for new collections and gift seasons. The ICO rules on consent apply, so add an unticked sign-up box at checkout.
- Fairs: hand out cards with a QR code, so fair buyers can find you again later.
- Google profile: if buyers can visit your studio, a Google Business Profile helps you show in local searches.
Key takeaway: sell handmade jewellery through channels that suit your pieces, price in every fee and follow the hallmarking and safety rules. Then build your own website, so each buyer you win can find you again.
Sell handmade jewellery: FAQs
Do I need a licence to sell handmade jewellery?
No general licence is needed. However, you must follow the Hallmarking Act, the limits on nickel, lead and cadmium and consumer law on returns. Street markets may also need council permission, so check with the organiser first.
Do small silver earrings need a hallmark?
Not if the piece weighs less than 7.78 grams, which is the exemption weight for silver. Above that weight, though, you need a hallmark before you call it silver.
Is Etsy or my own website better?
Etsy helps new buyers find you, while your own website keeps more of each sale. So many makers who sell handmade jewellery use both, then shift their effort as the site grows.
Can buyers return personalised jewellery?
The 14-day right to cancel does not cover pieces made to the buyer’s specification or clearly personalised, such as an engraved name. However, faulty items still carry rights under consumer law.
How should I price my pieces?
Add materials, your time, overheads and selling fees, then a profit margin. Also leave room for a shop’s margin if you plan to sell wholesale later.
Want a website that helps you sell handmade jewellery?
Tell us about your pieces and where you sell now. We will reply with honest advice and a fixed quote. We can also meet in person in London, Essex or Hertfordshire. Current packages are in our shop.
Sources
- Etsy, Fees and Payments Policy
- Business Companion, Hallmarking
- Etsy, Payments Policy (UK processing fee)
- Etsy Help, What is a Regulatory Operating Fee?
- Sheffield Assay Office, Internet sales could see you breaking the law
- Business Companion, Jewellery safety: metal content
- legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
- ASA, Avoiding misleading imagery in ads
- Google Merchant Center Help, Free listings for products
- GOV.UK, Tax-free allowances on property and trading income
- ICO, Electronic mail marketing