A 12-store chain in the Midwest ran an inventory review in January and found they held 217 active moissanite SKUs. The top 20 SKUs generated 78% of revenue. The bottom 80 SKUs generated 3%—and those 80 SKUs tied up more cash than the top 20. The fix was not to buy more. It was to cut the tail and double-stock the winners. Inventory turnover on moissanite is a SKU-mix problem, not a buy-more problem.
Tier your SKUs by turnover, not by price
Divide your catalog into four tiers. Tier A (fast movers) sell in under 60 days: round 5–6.5 mm, oval 8x6 mm, cushion 6 mm, pear 7x5 mm pairs. Tier B (steady sellers) sell in 60–120 days: emerald 7x5 mm, Asscher 5–6 mm, radiant 7x5 mm, heart 6x6 mm studs. Tier C (slow tail) sell in 120–240 days: marquise above 9 mm, princess below 3 mm, fancy brown or green moissanite, any shape above 4 ct. Tier D (cut-to-order) never stock: 10x8 mm emerald, 9x9 mm heart, custom ratios, colored fancy shapes.
The rounds-vs-fancy split that drives Tier A is covered in round brilliant best-seller. The size brackets that work are in 1ct to 5ct stocking.
Reorder points by tier
Set reorder points per tier. Tier A: keep 4 weeks of stock on hand and reorder at 2 weeks. Tier B: keep 8 weeks on hand, reorder at 4 weeks. Tier C: keep 4 weeks on hand, reorder at 2 weeks—but only reorder if the stone actually sold through in the last cycle. Tier D: do not stock at all; take the order and cut-to-order from the supplier.
Most new buyers over-buy Tier C because it looks like variety. Variety is a cost. Each Tier C SKU ties up cash, shelf space, and listing maintenance. Cut Tier C down to the 10 or 12 slow SKUs that actually reorder, and use the cash to double-stock Tier A. For the margin logic behind that move, see wholesale vs retail margin.
Dead stock rules
A stone that has not moved in 180 days is dead stock. Three ways out: (1) move it into a clearance bundle with a chain or a setting; (2) send it to a custom-order customer at cost plus labor; (3) return it to the supplier under a buyback agreement, if your terms include one. Do not keep reordering a stone that has not sold. The material is stable—it will not spoil—but cash tied up in slow SKUs costs you more than the small loss on clearance.
Seasonal overrides
Two tiers get seasonal overrides. Heart-shaped moissanite ramps up in November and December; stock Tier A heart levels only for those peaks and return to baseline in February. Colored moissanite (teal, grey, black) ramps up in October for holiday fashion—stock a small Tier B level in September. The demand curve is detailed in heart symmetry and pairs. For packaging that keeps slow-moving stones saleable between seasons, see export packaging.
How many SKUs should a small store carry?
30–50 active SKUs is enough. Below 20 you look thin; above 100 you carry too much slow tail.
What is a healthy turnover ratio?
3–4x per year on loose stock. Below 2x means too many slow SKUs.
Should I stock every shape?
No. Stock round, oval, cushion, pear, emerald. Add Asscher and radiant only if you have a bridal account asking.
How do I handle cut-to-order customers?
Quote a 3–4 week lead time and take a 50% deposit. See retail margin math.
What to do with the slow tail
After you trim Tier C, you will still have a handful of stones that sell once or twice a year but that you cannot cut—usually because a specific bridal account asks for them. Keep those as a protected list: do not reorder them on a cycle, but do not return them either. Treat them as a service inventory for your top accounts. The cost of holding them is low if the number is small (under 15 SKUs), and the relationship value is high when the account asks for that one stone you happen to have.
Review the tier list quarterly
Every quarter, re-run the turnover numbers. A SKU that was Tier A last year may be Tier B this year as bridal trends shift—the pear shape, for example, moved from Tier B to Tier A between 2023 and 2025. The reverse happens too: a Tier A SKU can slip to Tier B when the trend cools. Reallocate the cash between tiers each quarter rather than once a year. For the wholesale side, see 1ct to 5ct stocking and carat pricing tiers. Packaging that keeps slow SKUs saleable between quarters is covered in export packaging.
Wholesale supply. HOLYCOME supplies Tier A and Tier B moissanite on short reorder cycles, and offers cut-to-order for Tier D. Apply for a wholesale account and we will send a stock list organized by turnover tier.
