For 925 silver jewelry, a typical minimum order quantity is 50 to 100 pieces per style, sample lead time runs 7 to 15 days, and mass production takes 25 to 40 days. These numbers reflect the standard range at a Shenzhen silver factory, and they move up or down with craftsmanship complexity, stone choice, and plating requirements.

What Sets the MOQ

The MOQ comes from mold cost, not from an arbitrary rule. Every new style requires tooling: wax carving, silicone mold making, casting, rough shaping, stone setting, and polishing. A new mold costs a few hundred to a few thousand RMB. If an order is too small, that tooling cost spreads over too few pieces and the unit price becomes unworkable. Setting the MOQ at 50 to 100 pieces keeps tooling amortized at a reasonable level. For restocking an existing mold, the MOQ can drop to 20 or 30 pieces.

Lead Time Breakdown

• Sample stage: 7 to 15 days. This covers artwork approval, tooling, first sample, and courier to the customer. One revision round adds 3 to 5 days.
• Material sourcing: Silver sheet, loose stones, and findings are usually in stock. Rare semi-precious stones add 7 to 10 days of procurement.
• Mass production: 25 to 40 days, flowing through casting, finishing, setting, polishing, plating, QC, and packaging.
• Freight: Sea freight to US or EU ports takes 25 to 35 days; air freight takes 3 to 7 days and must be counted in the schedule.

How to Shorten the Schedule

The most effective way to cut lead time is to avoid rework. Lock the size, stone seat, and plating color in the design stage so nothing changes mid-production. Choosing stones and plating finishes the factory already stocks removes waiting time. Before peak seasons such as Christmas, the workshop fills its calendar quickly, so placing the order two months ahead is safer. Payment is usually split between a deposit that triggers production and a balance paid after final inspection and before shipment. If each style runs small, several styles can share one order to reach volume.

MASCOT Jewelry runs as a direct 925 silver factory in Shenzhen, accepting orders from 50 pieces per style with a 7-day sample rush service. OEM and ODM customers across more than fifty countries rely on this schedule, and the team welcomes catalog-based quote requests.