A new boutique in Nashville opened with a 60-stone moissanite tray. They bought 30 rounds, 10 ovals, 10 cushions, and 10 random fancy shapes. Six months later, the rounds were sold out and reordered twice; the cushions sat; the random fancy shapes never moved. The buyer had bought what looked pretty on a supplier website, not what sells. The fix was a planned inventory matrix: cut mix by demand, size ladder by revenue, and a reorder trigger tied to turnover.
This piece lays out the starting inventory an independent boutique should build for moissanite, the cut mix, the size brackets, and the reorder cadence. It assumes a small shop doing 2–6 moissanite sales a month, not a high-volume chain. The moissanite market reference tracks how retail demand has spread from a niche simulant to a mainstream bridal category, and boutiques that plan their SKU mix around that demand turn inventory faster than those who buy by gut.
The cut mix to start with
Round brilliant should be 45–55% of your loose-stone inventory. It is the default engagement shape and the shape customers ask for by name. Oval should be 15–20%, the fastest-growing fancy shape. Cushion and princess together should be 15–20%. Radiant, pear, emerald, and heart should make up the remaining 10–15%, stocked as showcase pieces rather than workhorses.
Do not start with every cut. Open with round, oval, cushion, and princess. Add radiant and pear after you have six months of turnover data. We cover which cuts sell fastest in best-selling round stock.
The size ladder to hold
For round brilliant, hold stock in 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0 mm. The 6.5 mm is your hero. For oval, hold 7x5 and 8x6 mm. For cushion and princess, hold 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 mm. Do not tie up cash in 9 mm and above; order those to cut. We cover the millimeter brackets in round stock sizes.
The color and clarity mix
Hold 70% D-F and 30% G-H. Hold 60% VS and 40% VVS. The D-F VS stone is your workhorse: it sells at bridal pricing without the VVS cost premium. Keep a small D-F VVS tray for customers who specifically ask for "colorless and flawless." We cover the tier economics in pricing tiers by grade.
Reorder cadence and turnover
The single number that keeps a boutique in business is turnover. If a SKU has not sold in 90 days, discount it or move it to a promo case. If a SKU sells out in under 30 days, increase the next order by 50%. We cover turnover planning in inventory turnover SKU planning.
A starting order of 60–80 stones, mixed across the ladder above, gives a boutique enough to display without tying up more than it can turn in 90 days. Reorder at 40% of the starting order every 60 days, adjusting for what moved. The first ninety days are diagnostic: you are learning your specific customer base, not locking in a permanent plan. If the 6.5 mm round sells out twice in a month, increase that bracket by 50% on the next PO. If a fancy shape has not moved by day 90, mark it down in a promo case and do not reorder it. Boutiques that treat the first parcel as a test, not a commitment, build a profitable moissanite line within six months. Boutiques that treat it as a fixed plan tie up cash in slow SKUs and wonder why the moissanite case is not working.
One last stocking note: keep a small tray of matched pairs for stud earrings. Studs are a repeat sale, they do not require a setting decision, and they move on days when no engagement customer walks in. Hold one pair each in 5 mm and 6 mm D-F VS, and reorder as they sell.
How much should a new boutique spend on a first moissanite order?
A typical starting order of 60–80 stones, mixed cut and grade, lands in a modest four-figure wholesale spend. It is sized to be turned in 90 days without overstocking.
Should I stock finished jewelry or loose stones first?
Loose stones first. Customers want to pick the center stone, and the setting can be ordered to match. Finished jewelry locks you into one design.
How many ovals should a boutique stock vs rounds?
Plan for round:oval at about 3:1. Rounds are the default; ovals are the growth shape. Adjust after six months of sales data.
What is the most common stocking mistake new boutiques make?
Buying too many large stones (8 mm and above) and too few 6.5 mm rounds. The large stones tie up cash; the 6.5 mm rounds are what sells.
Order from HOLYCOME. We help new boutiques build a starting parcel: 60–80 stones mixed across round, oval, cushion, and princess, D-F VS and D-F VVS, with GRA certificates and a reorder plan. Apply for a wholesale account and request the boutique starter pack — minimum order 20 stones, mixed cuts allowed.
