Silver prices have retreated a bit from the record $49.50 high of a month ago, settling down to the mid 30s range - $38.50 today.  I have decided to open my Etsy supplies shop Cath's Destash Shop with slightly reduced prices on the sterling silver beads.  The beads are selling at BELOW silver price and/or below wholesale cost.  Just trying to give everyone who still wants to use sterling silver beads a break.  Also, I am now shipping to the U.K. and Belgium.  Enjoy!

Now on sale in my Etsy shop is a collection called "Jewels for Jo".   All the proceeds from the sales of these pendant necklaces go to help my friend Jo Van Buskirk in her efforts to travel to Zambia.  She is preparing to carry as many as possible of the 100 dresses that her local Vermont Mothers Without Borders group made for the children.   See her story below in the previous post.


Please consider purchasing one of these as a lovely gift you can put away for a special occasion or just to enjoy yourself.  They are all very reasonably priced, come gift boxed, and best of all you would be helping a very worthwhile undertaking by the Mothers Without Borders team.

If you are interested in helping with this project I will appreciate any donation that you are able to make. Your donation is tax deductible.  100% of the money you donate goes directly to volunteer efforts and program supplies.


Please use this form to send your donation :


or you can email her directly - jovt@gmavt.net

You can see photos and read her daily story of her first journey to Zambia in her blog : 
http://jovermont.blogspot.com


Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small. It's not what we do but how much love we put into it.     Mother Teresa

I follow the stock market, watching it every week day on TV, and checking my IRA portfolio.  I own a little gold for hedging security.  But I really should have invested in all in SILVER!  In one year the price of silver has doubled. What is happening, and why is no one talking about it very much?

The current silver price is $35.20 and it is hurting jewelry artists who work with sterling silver and fine silver wire and sheet.  To say nothing of the price increase in my favorite medium - PMC3 - now well over $110 for a mere 50 gram package.  I know I cannot afford to buy it now, and to make items in it for sale is prohibitive as the retail price for the items should be at least 50% greater than a year ago.  That means that earrings that sold for $25 would now have to sell for $37.50, and necklaces at $90 would be $135.  Do customers understand this increase?  Silver has always been seen as the cheaper metal - now we have to use bronze, and copper to make reasonably affordable jewelry.

So,  I am going through my stash of sterling silver beads and putting them on Etsy in my de-stash shop at the ridiculously low price of their weight in silver scrap!  To help other jewelry artists who still want sterling silver, and also maybe to get some cash so I can buy fine silver wire.  My Etsy Destash Shop.