Education
Why a Quote Changes Between Asking and Ordering
Four legitimate reasons and one that is not β and they are easy to tell apart if you ask for the quote in parts.
Written by the Mapple Gems workshop, Surat Β· Updated 5 October 2026
Short answer
Legitimate reasons: the gold price moved (it trades daily and publicly), the specification changed during CAD, a different stone was sourced, or shipping and duties were quoted separately and are now included. The one that is not legitimate is a figure that changes with no line item attached. Ask for any quote broken into metal, stone, labour and shipping β then a change explains itself, and you can verify the metal part yourself.
Quotes for made-to-order jewellery are estimates against a moving input, and that is not evasion β it is what happens when part of the price is a commodity. Knowing which part moves makes the whole conversation simpler.
One component of every jewellery quote is a commodity with a published daily price, and it is the only part of the bill you can check yourself β which is exactly why you should ask for it separately. Gold trades on an open market and moves every day. A ring holding four or five grams of 14K carries a metal cost that genuinely differs between a quote given three weeks ago and an order placed today, and on a heavier piece that difference is not trivial. The arithmetic is available to anyone: grams Γ fineness Γ the public price per gram. So a workshop that gives you the finished gram weight and the karat has handed you the tools to audit a third of its own quote β which is why the number is worth asking for and why so few listings state it. The other components behave differently. Labour does not fluctuate; bench hours are bench hours, and a change there means the specification changed. Stones move slowly, and lab grown prices have been falling rather than rising. So when a quote goes up, the honest question is not βwhy is it moreβ but βwhich line movedβ β and a seller who cannot answer that has not built the quote from parts at all.
Which lines move, and how
| Line | Moves? | Verifiable? |
|---|---|---|
| Metal | Daily, with the market | Yes β entirely |
| Centre stone | Slowly; per stone sourced | Partly, via the report |
| Melee / accents | Rarely | No β parcel priced |
| Labour | Only if the spec changed | No |
| Shipping and duties | With carrier and destination | Partly |
Note the melee row. Small accent stones under about 0.20Β ct are never individually certified in any material and are bought as a parcel, so that line is a supplier price rather than a market one. Ask for the parcel specification instead β material, colour and clarity range, millimetre size and count.
The commonest cause: the specification changed
More often than the gold price, a quote moves because the ring did β and usually at the buyerβs own request during CAD, without either side registering it as a cost change.
Things that legitimately add: a thicker shank, a wider band, going from 14K to 18K or to platinum, a larger ring size (more circumference means more metal), added pavΓ© (labour, not stones β every seat is drilled and beaded by hand), a platinum head, a hidden halo, or a contour band added to the commission.
Things that should not add much: changing the finish, changing the metal colour at the same karat, or a euro shank, which is a shaping decision rather than added material.
The way to avoid surprises entirely: ask for a revised quote at CAD approval, not at the start. That is the point where the specification finally exists.
How to ask for a quote so it cannot drift
- Ask for it in four parts β metal, centre stone, accents and labour β with shipping and duties stated separately.
- Ask for the finished gram weight and karat. That is what lets you check the metal line against a public price.
- Ask how long the quote holds. Most workshops will honour a figure for a stated window; a week or two is normal, indefinitely is not.
- Ask whether it is landed β duties prepaid β or whether they will fall on you at delivery. This is the single largest hidden difference between two apparently similar quotes.
- Get the final figure in writing at CAD approval, alongside the written specification.
The change that is not legitimate
A price that moves with no line item attached to it. If a quote rises and the answer to βwhich line changed?β is a general one β costs, the market, materials β without a number beside it, the quote was never built from parts.
Two related things to be wary of. A quote that drops sharply when you hesitate was not a considered figure in either direction; jewellery has real input costs and a workshop that can shed a third of a price on request was pricing on what it thought you would pay. And a permanent struck-through βoriginalβ price is a pricing device rather than a discount.
None of this means a seller is dishonest. It means the quote is not itemised, and an unitemised quote cannot be compared with anyone elseβs.
And when it moves the other way
Worth saying, because it happens and nobody expects it. Lab grown diamond prices have been falling, so a stone quoted some months ago may genuinely cost less now β and a workshop that adjusts downward without being asked is telling you something useful about how it prices.
The same fall is why a revaluation on a lab grown piece can come back lower than the original figure, and why we say plainly that these stones are good buying and poor selling. Buy them to wear.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
Why did my jewellery quote go up?
Usually one of four things: the gold price moved, the specification changed during CAD, a different centre stone was sourced, or shipping and duties are now included. Ask which line moved β a seller who cannot say has not built the quote from parts.
Can I check the metal cost myself?
Yes β grams multiplied by fineness multiplied by the public price per gram. That is why the finished gram weight and karat are worth asking for: they let you audit the one part of the quote that is a commodity with a published daily price.
Which design changes actually add cost?
A thicker shank, a wider band, a higher karat or platinum, a larger ring size, added pavΓ© (which is labour rather than stones), a platinum head or a contour band. Changing the finish or the metal colour at the same karat should not add much.
How long should a quote be valid?
A week or two is normal, because the metal component genuinely moves with the market; indefinitely is not realistic. Ask for a revised, itemised figure at CAD approval, which is the point where the specification finally exists.
Ask us for the quote in four parts.
Metal, centre stone, accents, labour β then any change explains itself, and you can check one of them against the market.
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