Holy Cow!

I can't believe the price of silver!   It has skyrocketed!  Twenty years ago it was in the $3 an ounce range and has steadily crept up in price over the years, hovering between $15 and $20 over the past two years.  But silver is fast approaching $30 an ounce.    And, of course, gold and other precious metals have followed suit.  With the state of the economy as it is presently, many jewelry makers have had to resort to combining copper, nickel silver, bronze, and other base metals with precious metals in order to make pieces that are still affordable.  And perhaps, that's a good thing.  It forces artists to be more creative in design rather than just relying on the intrinsic value of the materials used in a piece.  Yes, there will always be the likes of Tiffany, Cartier, and Harry Winston who have a client base that wouldn't think of adorning themselves with anything less than gold, platinum, and diamonds.  But, thankfully, the true art jewelry aficionado sees beyond that kind of glitter and prefers owning one-of-a-kind pieces.  They find art jewelry infinitely more interesting - pieces that are individually made by hand rather than machine that exhibit true ingenuity and craftsmanship.  Yes, the utilization of mixed metals and materials make these pieces more affordable to create and purchase, but in my opinion, they render a visually richer and more complex piece as well!