I got quoted

Wow! I got quoted in the Northwest Times last week. It is always amazing what reporters pick out and print from what is said in an interview. I have been interviewed before for events and articles and this particular article came out good -- I like what I said.

It is true, all of us are Artists! But some of have more creative urge than others and that is what sets us apart. We find a way to get the tools and materials and learn to create the things that we visualize.

Check out the article if you have time.

All I can add is that helping each other is what is really important in life and this is my goal with this Blog. Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments.

Link for more Education and Events

Here's a new link for Rio Grande Education and Events. Check it out!
Rio Grande

More Resources for Learning and Travel!

Here is a link to some upcoming Conventions and Expos that should provide any attendee some excitement and opportunities to learn new techniques or procedures in the Jewelry making field.

Jewelry Shows and Expos

If you have it in your budget, make the effort to attend a show to get your juices flowing and get yourself fired up about making jewelry! It is always a good to learn new things and make new friends. Let Providence work for you. Here is a saying from Goethe that I really like:

Commitment
Until one is committed there is hesitancy,
The chance to draw back,
Always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation)
There is one elementary truth,
The ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself
Then Providence moves, too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one's favor
All manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance
which no man would have dreamed would have come his way.

Good time to buy Silver

Heads up! If you haven't been watching the price of silver, it just dropped about $3 an ounce in the past couple of days.

Like I have stated in a previous post, I am not an expert on financial subjects or trading commodities, but I do pay attention to the news. One week ago the Fed made a bunch of moves to shore up the US economy -- like cutting the Prime interest rate and pumping money into some banks, etc. It is all too complicated for me to think I know what is going to happen next... I don't! However, I would say that if you depend on buying silver to produce your goods, it is a good time to buy. I doubt that the spot price will drop much more and will eventually creep back up.

Remember the spot price is relative. It does seem like it hurts to pay 3x what we did just a few years ago, but everything else is more expensive too, so it really is just a reflection of the weak dollar, oil prices, etc. Personally, I'm happy that I am involved in the Arts and live in this modern age when I can readily get silver (at any price) and express myself this way producing my own adornment so I am grateful.

So, prepare your order and call it into your supplier first thing Monday before the market takes off, in order to save some money.

PMC classes

I just got notified of the schedule of PMC classes being offerd by Rio Grande. It is a good program -- by receiving your certification you are able to also teach a class plus you receive some good discounts on materials and get a membership to the PMC Guild. Here is the link: Rio PMC classes

If you are a serious jewelry maker and you haven't yet tried using PMC, I would recommend it. Personally, I don't think it will take the place of traditional silversmithing but it is allowing many people to create beautiful silver pieces without all the tools and equipment normally required.

I'll be teaching a PMC/silversmithing class in the summer. If your in the area (Arkansas), check it out: PMC Class

Also, here is the link to the PMC Guild

Rising Price of Materials

If you haven't noticed, the price of us silversmiths' main material -- Silver -- just reached another high today. As I write this it is sitting at $19.20/oz... whoa!! I check the price everyday and I have been watching it creep up little by little to where it is now from around $4.50/oz in 2001.

Except for the historic and failed attempt by the Hunt Brothers that drove the price up to $48.70 an ounce for a short time in 1980, the price of silver has remained low and an affordable material for hobbyists and jewelers. Now this (close to) $20/oz is really causing some changes in the jewelry industry. I don't see the price going back down.

I am not a financial analyst or a commodity trader but I know enough about what is happening to know that the price rise is caused by two things. Mainly it is a reflection of the weak US Dollar. For example, what I use to pay for a 200 ounce order of silver in 2001 (at $4.50/oz) was around $1200 which included fabrication charges and some shipping. That same order would now cost me over $4000. That price is an indication of what the dollar is worth and not based on the quantity of silver that is present in the planet. There is a lot of Silver!! I read once in an encyclopedia that most silver is micro-crystalline in form (not nuggets) and is actually a bi-product of other metal smelting processes targeting nickel, copper, etc., which are in even more demand than silver.

The other factor is actually the same one -- as the dollar weakens, more and people are using Silver as an investment strategy (along with Gold). Basic supply and demand working here, the more people that want something, the more the price rises.

So what do us craftsmen and hobbyists do? We really don't have much choice, just like we don't have any choice about the price of gasoline, so we must pay the price what ever it is. The good news is that it is clearing the field of people who have a ceiling on the price they can pay to create a product that has a preset cost. In other words, if somebody wants to make a piece of jewelry that wholesales for $8 they must reverse design their costs and at this point there is not a lot of cheap stuff that can be made using the current prices of metals.

I asked an associate in the manufacturing sector what he thought about this (actually, this was a couple weeks ago and Silver was only $16/oz) and he me told this: The trend will be in Stainless Steel, Silver with Gold accents, a lot of 10K gold and the manufacturing in the US will be ALL big-ticket. I am curious to see what will be in all the department stores showcases next season.

The good news is that as it becomes more and more difficult for the major manufacturers to pump out cheap goods (China, India) it creates more room for small merchants to fill in the space. That small merchant is YOU and ME!! The world is moving more towards handmade items and quality and away from mass consumerism. Another indication that this is true is the number of people who are making sales via the internet (eBay, Etsy, etc), home jewelry parties, and at shows.

What we must do is pay what we have to for the materials we need and adjust our prices accordingly. Actually, I am encouraged -- I have been selling my jewelry for a lot less than I wanted to for many years, and even though now I must pay more for my stock, I am actually realizing more profit due to the markup. Another really cool thing is that more people will be able to start craft ventures (woodworking, pottery, etc.) and make a living while joining the 'work at home' crowd... you've heard of that, right? Remember, one also gains tax incentives (write-offs) with owning a business.

So don't despair! Let's all stick together and support each other in our quests to learn the arts that we have only dreamed of in the past. I pledge my help to all those that I can reach with this Blog and through my classes. I encourage you again to subscribe so you don't miss anything. In my next post I will begin discussing tools -- what do you really need. Check back!

Upcoming Information -- Subscribe today

I have been making silver and gold jewelry for about 20 years now and during that time I have been asked many times, 'How did you learn to make jewelry?'

I started by taking a class at an Art Center. It was typical - crowded, not a lot of instruction, with short availability/access, and not enough tools to go around. But for me it was a great start, especially considering the cost, which was low. I took notice of what I needed and what I didn't -- I inspected what was there and I made a list of the essentials. For example, I wanted to solder so I knew I needed a torch. I then proceeded to buy the tools and materials I needed to make the things I wanted to make. Since that time I have accumulated many tools and gone through lots of materials in pursuit of my quest to learn.

Unlike many more typical careers like doctor. lawyer, fireman, etc., becoming a jeweler has always seemed to be shrouded in mystery. There are specialty schools and some really good metalsmithing programs at a few colleges around the U.S. where you can go and take classes. But the availability of these just didn't compare to other fields (for example, not many colleges have jewelry programs, but almost all have Philosophy), why is this? There are probably a lot of reasons why. One reason, I believe, is somewhere in the realm of 'social design'. In other words our culture just didn't need that many jewelers so it wasn't thought of as a normal money-making career. Our jewelry was made by lower paid people in third world countries and by factory processes. Since I wasn't looking at it as a way to make money I wasn't deterred. When I decided I wanted to learn to make jewelry, and I couldn't locate an easy path, I got some books and I taught myself.

Again I will say put your emphasis on creating and learning basic skills rather than starting out thinking about making money. If you develop your skills you will make money. In my opinion, it takes as much perseverance, training, skill, and enthusiasm to become a jeweler as it does to become a lawyer, doctor, engineer, or any other occupation. With the same dedication to training one can expect to earn a decent living as a jewelry maker -- it is really just a different application of very similar skills. What I am trying to say here is learning basic skills is the first and foremost task that one should try to complete. This means sawing, filing, hammering, and yes, soldering! (I have never understood peoples' fear of fire, I am much more in awe of the power of water).

The purpose of this Blog is to help people to learn how to make fabricated jewelry. So I will be providing lots of information about specific processes and tasks, tips and information, tools, materials and where to get them. A community will form and we will all be able to meet here to promote and cheer each other on. Since I am a person that was able to learn how to make jewelry and have seen that many people can excel at it with a little help and guidance, I am willing to share what I know. I have started a jewelry making and metal smithing program before and I currently teach classes to any group of people I can round up. Let me give you my opening introduction -- I always start the classes with this -- to what I will try to do.

I always tell my new students on day one, at the very beginning, that making jewelry is not a matter of having a bunch of tools and stuff. I liken it to learning a musical instrument, like the violin. I am willing to tell you everything I know and help you in any way I can, show you demos and direct you to great pieces of jewelry to be inspired by. But nothing happens until you practice. It is never a matter of me telling you something, it is up to you to learn from your doing. Having said that, I will say that it gets easier each time you practice and most of you can become very proficient very rapidly. I have seen students go from frightened to fantastic in a weeks time. You can do it -- you will be able to create beautiful jewelry!

I hope you will subscribe to my Blog so you won't miss anything. Right now my posts are a little sparse, but I am just getting started. I am spending a lot of time preparing great documentation to post that will help you. Videos, printed demos, audio Webinars, and an ongoing discussion of everything Jewelry, including metal prices, Gems, PMC, tools, etc. So look for the link on the right side of this page and subscribe today (your email will remain private).

PS - I teach classes both for groups and private instruction and I am available to travel to do this, just drop me a note if you are interested.