what you need to sell jewelry on whatnot: seller toolkit

Selling jewelry on Whatnot takes more than a phone and a good eye — buyers are deciding whether to bid on a ring or a chain they can't touch, based on what your camera shows them and how fast you can answer "what size is this." A real jewelry seller toolkit closes that gap. Here's what it actually takes to sell jewelry live, tool by tool.

What you need before your first jewelry show

The short list:

• A ring mandrel with sizing gauges
• A diamond or gemstone tester
• Display pieces (busts, holders, ramps)
• White cotton gloves

None of this is optional once you're selling live — a buyer asking "is this a real diamond?" or "what size is this ring?" mid-stream needs an answer in seconds, not a callback later. Below is what each tool does and why it earns a spot in a working jewelry seller toolkit.

A ring mandrel and sizing gauges

A ring mandrel is the tapered metal rod jewelers use to read a ring's size directly off its inside diameter — slide the ring on, and the size is marked right where it stops. Pair it with a set of ring gauges (individual sizing rings a buyer can compare against, or that you use to double-check a customer's stated size) and you can answer a sizing question on camera instead of guessing. US ring sizes run from about size 3 (roughly 14mm inside diameter) to size 13 (roughly 22mm) in quarter-size increments — buyers asking about resizing or exchanges will expect you to know exactly where a piece falls, not roughly.

A diamond or gemstone tester

A diamond tester reads a stone's thermal conductivity and flashes a result in seconds — real diamond, moissanite, or simulant. That's the tool for selling jewelry live specifically: you don't need a jeweler's loupe-and-microscope setup for a stream, you need a fast, visible answer you can hold up to camera the moment someone asks. That question comes up in nearly every show that includes a stone piece, even in a mostly costume-and-fine-mixed catalog, and hesitating on it costs you the sale and the trust along with it. A basic thermal tester is enough for this — you're answering a live buyer's question in the moment, not issuing a certified appraisal.

Ring holders, display busts, and bracelet ramps

A necklace laid flat on a table reads as clutter on camera — a display bust gives it shape and lets the light catch it the way it would on a person. Ring holders (small slotted trays or foam blocks) keep rings upright and separated so you're not fishing through a pile mid-bid, which matters more than it sounds like when you're also talking, reading chat, and running the auction clock at the same time. Bracelet ramps do the same job for bangles and chains — angled so the piece is visible from the buyer's viewing angle instead of lying flat and foreshortened. None of this needs to be showroom-grade; the job is visibility and speed of access, not polish.

White cotton gloves

Two reasons a jewelry seller toolkit includes gloves, not one. First, hygiene and tarnish prevention — bare-hand oils are exactly what dulls silver and gold-plated pieces over repeated handling, and buyers notice a seller who visibly cares for the product. Second, and more specific to live selling: gloves keep fingerprints and glare off polished metal right as the camera's on it, which shows up on stream in a way it wouldn't in a photo you could just retake.

Building toward your first show

Start with the mandrel, gauges, and tester — those answer the two questions you'll get asked every single stream. Add display pieces as your inventory grows past what fits in your hand. None of this needs to be bought all at once, and a lot of first-time sellers overbuy display equipment before they've run a single show to know what their actual table setup needs. Once your kit's together, the next question is how to actually run a show — Selling on Whatnot — live auction guide covers listing mechanics, pricing/bidding strategy, and what actually converts in a live jewelry room.