Thailand is a genuine jewellery centre, not an assembly shop
Bangkok has been a global hub for gemstone cutting and silver work for decades, and that skill base now supports fashion jewellery, plated brass, stainless steel and 925 silver production for European and North American brands. Indonesia (Bali) adds hand-finished silver and natural materials; Vietnam handles volume stamped metal and resin accessories.
For a first-world buyer, the attraction is not only price. It is the combination of hand-finishing skill, small-batch flexibility and tariff diversification away from a single-country supply chain.
What each country does best
| Country | Strength | Typical MOQ per style |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 925 silver, gemstone setting, quality plating, brass castings | 100–300 pcs |
| Indonesia | Hand-worked silver, natural materials, artisan finishes | 50–200 pcs |
| Vietnam | Stamped steel, resin, hair and bag accessories, volume runs | 500–1,000 pcs |
Compliance is the real gate
Fashion jewellery is one of the most heavily regulated consumer categories in first-world markets, and failures are found at customs, not in the showroom.
- EU/UK REACH: nickel release limit for items in prolonged skin contact, plus lead and cadmium restrictions
- USA: CPSIA lead limits, and state rules (notably California Proposition 65) that are stricter than federal ones
- Children's jewellery: treated as a toy-adjacent category with separate lead and small-parts requirements
Ask for third-party test reports per material and per plating batch, dated before mass production. A supplier who offers a report from a different colourway is a supplier to walk away from.
Write a plating spec, not a plating wish
Most jewellery quality complaints are plating complaints. Your specification should state:
- Base metal (brass, 316L stainless, zinc alloy) and whether it is lead-free
- Plating type and micron thickness (e.g. 1.0 micron 18K gold over nickel-free barrier)
- Salt spray hours required (24h is entry level; 48–72h is retail grade)
- Anti-tarnish coating and whether it must survive perfume and sweat testing
Inspection points that matter
- Stone security: pull and tap test on set stones
- Clasp and jump-ring function after 500 open/close cycles
- Colour consistency between production units and the golden sample
- Weight tolerance per piece, since precious-metal pricing follows grams
- Retail-ready packing: polybag, anti-tarnish paper, card and barcode
MOQ, lead time and pricing
Expect 45–60 days from approved sample to shipment, longer if new moulds or castings are required. Mould costs for a cast style typically sit in the low hundreds of dollars per design. Silver pricing is quoted as metal weight plus labour, so lock a metal price mechanism in your purchase order rather than a flat unit price.
Working with TUSKO
We shortlist workshops that already export to your market, run the REACH or CPSIA testing before production, hold the plating spec on your behalf, and ship a consolidated order under a single landed price. You deal with one contact and one invoice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ASEAN jewellery competitive with China on price?
On plated fashion pieces, prices are close; on silver and stone-set work, Thailand is often better on quality per dollar and far more flexible at low volume.
What MOQ can a small brand realistically start with?
100–300 pieces per style in Thailand, sometimes lower if you use existing castings and change only the plating or stone.
How do I avoid nickel problems in the EU?
Specify a nickel-free barrier layer, and require a nickel-release test report per plated finish before mass production.
Can factories handle my own packaging?
Yes. Retail-ready packing, hangtags and barcodes are standard, and should be written into the purchase order rather than agreed by email.
Talk to our team about a jewellery or accessories programme, or browse the sourcing categories we cover.