Thursday, April 21, 2011

Confounding Conundrum

Do the prices of silver - $46 / ounce and rising - have you pulling your hair out??? They have me losing sleep!

As a girl who has purchased sterling by the POUND for my jewelry classes, the thought of buying silver for my students to cut apart is killing me!  And as for jewelry making, I just don't feel I can charge any more for my sterling silver jewelry than I do already. What's a teacher / designer to do???

................. Seriously, I want YOU to tell me!
Calico Kitty - Now in Galvanized Steel! (Snork!)


  • I don't like copper unless it's coated and I'm not delicate enough to make jewelry using that anyway.
  • I've dabbled with galvanized steel - which will rust eventually. But I figure jewelry isn't going to be left out in the rain! But it is too hard for my students to deal with.
  • I actually love the look of anodized steel and made my mouse ear pendants with that.
There has to be something shinier and silver "looking" that holds up to wear and doesn't cost a fortune. 

So what have YOU tried? Have you tried nickel silver? Or Stainless? How does it hold up? Is it easy enough for students to handle?? 

I really need some ideas here and would appreciate your input!

-------------SECRET SALE SHHHHhhhh!-------------
After much research in ebay, I was SO shocked at their fees! I came to a conclusion: I would rather save my customers money than give so much to the ebay crapfund! So, from time to time, I'm going to have a SECRET sale. It will be posted on my Fan Page first (hey, you gotta get something for being my fan, right???) and after a day or so, I will post it here.

I have TWO items marked 35% off on Artfire today ONLY. Together, they would make  an incredible set!
They are both Red White and Blue Sweet Treats:


You KNOW those red white and blue holidays are coming! These are 35% off today only code: RWBfan




3 comments:

Kathy said...

HI - I have always used the coated copper wire. I think it feels about the same as the sterling. Students shouldn't have any trouble using it and it looks just like gold or silver wire so it looks nice in designs. My 2 cents : ) Kathy
www.artfire.com/users/angelnik

CreekHiker / HollysFolly said...

Kathy, You know... I completely forgot that copper comes in a silver coating! DOOOH!

Sharon Driscoll said...

Don't use Nickel - terrible for the allergenic types. stainless is a pain becasue of it hardess. I'd try some macramed pieces with waxed linen. Check out some of Alethia Donovans work - fiber, threads, linen. Chinese knots would help too. Good luck and this piece. Sharon