A diamond trade account is a business relationship with a diamond supplier that gives a jeweller, designer or retailer wholesale pricing instead of retail pricing, usually with a dedicated sourcing contact, resale documentation and agreed payment terms. Accounts are opened after a short verification of your business and what you buy.
What a trade account gives you
The first thing a trade account unlocks is price. Wholesale pricing is not published because it depends on the stone, the quantity and the relationship, so suppliers share it only with businesses buying for resale or manufacturing. The second thing it unlocks is access: to stone shortlists, to matched pairs and calibrated parcels, and often to services such as manufacturing, CAD design or memo arrangements. In practice, an account turns a supplier into a partner you can plan around.
What is usually included
A typical trade account covers wholesale diamond pricing, a named contact for sourcing requests, certificates and documentation suitable for resale, and agreed terms for payment and delivery. Some accounts also include access to white label manufacturing, CAD services or a trade portal for tracking orders. At Caesar Diamonds, trade accounts open up wholesale diamond supply, white label jewellery manufacturing and bespoke production for your clients, all tracked in Caesar Track.
Minimum orders: what to expect
Minimums vary by supplier and by what you are buying. Some dealers set a minimum value per order or a minimum spend per year, while others are flexible and agree volumes as the relationship develops. Stone-by-stone buying is normal for single commissions, while production work usually justifies a larger batch because setup and hallmarking are shared. It is worth asking directly whether a minimum is a hard rule or a guideline, and whether it applies to the first order, to each order or to the year.
Payment terms and deposits
Trade terms are agreed individually, but a common structure for bespoke and production work is a deposit on order confirmation with the balance due before delivery, with prices quoted in sterling. Larger or repeat partners may agree different schedules. It is reasonable to ask what happens to a deposit if a stone cannot be sourced, and to get the schedule in writing before work starts. Our own arrangements are set out in our terms and conditions.
Memo and consignment
Memo, or consignment, means the supplier places stones with you to show to customers, and you pay when one sells or is kept. It is common in the trade where trust and volume justify it, and it reduces the cash tied up in stock. Consignment is usually offered to established partners rather than new accounts, so it is worth raising once a relationship is running rather than at the first order.
How to open a trade account
Expect a short process: a conversation about your business, what you make and what you buy, followed by verification that you trade. Most partnerships then begin with a pilot project, so both sides can test quality, communication and timelines before committing to regular supply. Contact Caesar Diamonds or call +44 7400 400918 to start the conversation; we will arrange a discovery call and explain what we need from you.
Questions to ask before you commit
Ask what the pricing basis is, whether minimums are hard or flexible, what the payment schedule is, whether memo is available, how orders are tracked, and how quickly a stone can be sourced to a specification. A supplier who answers those six questions plainly is one you can build on. How to choose a wholesale diamond supplier turns them into a full checklist, and our trade answers hub covers the most common trade questions.