Seller ProfitProfit on artificial jewellery: a worked example
How this kind of product earns or loses money online, with example figures you can replace by your own.
How this product sells
Fashion jewellery sells on photos and price, with wide mark-ups and high advertising. Customers return it for finish, colour and size, and tarnish complaints turn into bad reviews that depress sales.
What to watch
Finish and plating quality, small light parcels that get lost, return rates for colour and size, seasonal peaks around festivals and weddings, and photographs that show the true colour.
A worked example with made-up numbers
The cost, price and every fee below are made up to show the working in Indian rupee; they are not the fees of any marketplace and the GST rate is an example. Replace each with your own.
| Selling price (GST included) | ₹699 |
| Sale value without GST | ₹592.37 |
| Cost of the unit | -₹130 |
| Fees and shipping (example percentages) | -₹162.93 |
| Packaging and advertising | -₹65.00 |
| Profit per delivered unit | ₹234.44 |
| Margin | 39.6% |
| Expected profit per order placed, after 9% returns | ₹199.84 |
What changes the answer
- If returns double to 18%, the expected profit per order placed becomes ₹165.24.
- If the advertising cost per order doubles, the profit per delivered unit becomes ₹189.44.
- If you cut the price by 10 percent, the profit per delivered unit becomes ₹183.50 (margin 34.4%).
A tip for this product
Send a few pieces to friends and ask for honest photos in daylight. If the photo you sell with does not match the photo they take, expect returns and fix the photo or the product.
Try your own figures
Common questions
Is a high margin always good here?
No. A high margin on paper falls quickly when ads, returns and fees are counted. Use the main calculator with your own figures to see the margin you actually keep.
How do I handle festival peaks?
Plan stock early, because a stock-out at the peak loses sales and waiting for more stock ties up money. The cash flow calculator shows how much money stock holds.
Keep going
Fee percentages, GST rates and other figures in the examples on this site are made up to show the working. They are not the fees or rates of any marketplace or country: type the numbers from your own seller account and from the tax authority. Checked 14 November 2026.