Impending Doom
It’s coming. I can sense it. I predict things are going to happen that will turn my life upside down in the next two years, maybe even earlier. Personal stuff AND business stuff. I feel like my time here is running out and I have to do something, or it will be the end of my sanity and unfortunately the end of Darkness in Paradise.
Pertaining to business stuff, have you seen the price of silver these days? As of June 8, 2025, it is $36.19 an ounce. It is expected to hit $37 by the end of this month and $40 by the end of this year. I was looking over old invoices and noted that around this month last year, the price of silver was $28.14. What will this mean for Darkness in Paradise? 100% of my work is made with sterling silver. What shall I do when it becomes so unaffordable? I mean, IT IS already unaffordable for me but what happens when it gets so bad that I have to choose between making a new piece to sell or having food to eat. I mean, I guess I don’t have to eat. I hear you can survive with just water and no food for a good amount of time. HAHA
But in all seriousness, the rising cost of silver does worry me. I use a lot of sheet metal for the backing plate you see on all of my pendants. This 6x3 inch sheet cost about $100 this month. Who knows how much it will be next month. And it’s not just silver sheet and casting grain that worries me. What about all the silver findings I use—lobster clasps, jump rings, bails, earring posts, ear nuts, tags, etc.? I know I’m forgetting something…
And wire! Can’t forget the silver wire. There are many different kinds of wire I use in various gauges—round, square, rectangle, half round, low dome, patterned and of course bezel wire. Wire is used to make ring shanks, ear wires, used for wire wrapping, headpins, jump rings by hand, and basically everything in between.
And then there’s the chain. I love experimenting with all kinds of chain, but I tend to lean more towards heavier and fancy chains which of course means more money. More silver = more costly. I may have to consider the cheapest kind of chain for everything I make which is probably cable.
And with everything I make, there is usually a focal gemstone—a cabochon, faceted stone, or even a bead. There are no stores here in Hawaii that sell the materials I use. And if they do, they jack their prices so high which I understand that they have to. But to avoid spending extra, I try to plan ahead and buy majority of gemstones from India on Etsy which is more affordable. Downside is you have to wait at least a month for it to arrive and of course pay for shipping. Sometimes you do get bad deals though. In one instance, I ordered these beautiful labradorite cabs. Based on their images, they appeared to possess the more sought-after blue and purple flashes. However, upon receiving it, I found that they were all of low quality. I don’t really want to use those kinds of stones in my work. Another example: I bought several 2mm pink sapphires on Etsy for cheap. When I received them, they were cut all uneven and had so many inclusions. I should have known that was going to happen. In the end I didn’t use them and wound up buying good quality pink sapphires from Rio Grande.
I’ve learned so many times; you get what you pay for. It’s just like jewelry tools! Why pay for a knock off when you can hold off for a bit and save for the Durston one. HAHA! But I’m not saying pricier is always better! You sure as hell can make do with the more affordable stuff. I have a Green Lion saw which is one of the higher-end saws. But do you know which saw is my absolute favorite? My hand me down (thanks Caitlin)-rusty AF-no brand name-made in Germany saw. I use it every day.
Pictured left to right: Green Lion Saw $60, Rusty AF saw $17, Generic saw that I bought online for only $5 that broke on the second day of using it.
Anyway, with the rising cost of silver, I’m considering maybe shifting my focus back to beading. Which makes me excited to announce that I will be adding gemstone beaded pieces to my website pretty soon. Three reasons: to offer something at a lower point, to add variety to my website, and because I LOVE beading.
I’ve spent couple months now deciding what I want to make and researching the different materials that I think will work best with my projects. For example, I’m pretty adamant about using this specific type/brand of wire that is durable yet…. soft. Also, what kind of gems to use, what size to use and what metal to use. I will be introducing gold filled to Darkness in Paradise. I’m definitely more of a silver loving kind of gal, but I do know people prefer gold.
Well, this rant/post has gone in many different directions… But the main key points are: My life is miserable, price of silver is too damn high, buy quality within reason, BEADS and please buy my jewelry.
If you are among the rare visitors to my website whom I can count on one hand reading this, thank you.
T