What belongs in a tech pack for a jewelry factory?

ZKZ Editorial TeamMain answer · Product & gemmology desk

A tech pack is the written and visual brief a factory uses to make your design. It should leave nothing to guess: views and dimensions, metal and weight, stone details, setting, finish, marking, packaging and how samples will be approved. The more exact it is, the fewer samples you will pay for.

The core contents

1. Drawings and renders. Front, side, top and back views, plus a section view of the band and setting if the shape is not obvious. Add a render or sketch and reference photos with the features you like marked.
2. Dimensions and tolerances. Band width and thickness, height of the head, stone seat sizes, size range and the tolerances you will accept.
3. Metal. Base metal and fineness, for example 925 sterling silver, any alloy requirement and a target weight, with a weight tolerance.
4. Stones. Shape, size in millimetres, number, cut quality, colour and clarity range, whether the stones are lab-grown, and who supplies them. State the matching rule for pairs and sets.
5. Setting. Prong, bezel, channel or pave, the number of prongs, and the stone seating depth.
6. Finish and plating. Polish, texture, plating type and colour, and thickness if you have a requirement.
7. Findings and mechanisms. Clasps, jump rings, posts and backs, with sizes and materials.
8. Markings. Fineness stamp, maker mark, size mark and any logo, with position and size.
9. Packaging and labels. Boxes, pouches, tags, barcode and any care card.
10. Quality and testing. Inspection points, acceptable defects, and the test methods for metal, plating and stone count.
11. Compliance notes. The market you are selling in, and any rules on marking or restricted substances.
12. Samples and approval. Number of samples, who approves them, how and when, and what counts as a pass.

Common mistakes

Our advice Sending only a picture, leaving tolerances blank, and forgetting packaging. Another is changing the design after the sample without updating the tech pack, so the factory works from an old version.

Our advice Give the document a version number and date, and keep a record of every change, with the factory's confirmation.

Where this is not enough

It depends A tech pack does not replace a conversation. Ask the factory what they need and what they can and cannot make, since each workshop has its own methods and limits.

Related reading: How to Prepare a Jewelry Design Brief · CAD vs Render vs Physical Jewelry Sample

Sources

No external standard governs this question, so this answer is editorial advice from the ZKZ team and is labelled that way.

Fact = stated by the cited source. Our advice = editorial recommendation. Uncertain / it depends = limits of what can be said in general.