Wholesale Silver Jewelry Blog

Trends for Fall 2010

2010-08-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that we are nearing the end of Summer! Here in Hawaii it's just a variation on the theme of warm weather and balmy trades, but for those on the Mainland it's time to start thinking about back to school fashions, cooler weather, and warmer clothing.

On tap for the coming season, look for artisan techniques as a recurring theme. Hammered, handmade and chunky semiprecious stones are all variations on this theme. People like the handcrafted jewelry, especially one-of-a-kind pieces like you see in Sundance Catalog.

There will also be emphasis on natural/organic materials like leather and painted wood beads. We'll see lots of "mixed media" looks that incorporate disparate elements like seed beads layered with bold semiprecious, or leather with chain and ribbon.

Jewelry customers are going to be on the prowl for rustic, almost vintage styles that remake familiar themes in surprising ways. Coral will be big this fall, especially in big, chunky faceted pieces mixed with other opaque stones like jasper and agate.

Looks will tie in with the trend toward natural fibers and organic fabrics that capture a Peruvian influence. Macrame, crochet, and hand-knit scarves make the whole big and bold jewelry a must in order for that coral necklace to be seen.

Can't wait to see these trends hit the street when temperatures drop! Check out our wholesale silver rings and other wholesale 925 jewelry at indiasilver.com

Surviving Thailand!

2010-06-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a dramatic trip to Thailand and India. I arrived in Bangkok the day after the government dispersed a rally of over 5,000 protesters that had walled themselves in in the center of Bangkok's shopping district. In the ensuing melee, 29 buildings were burned, including the second largest shopping mall in Asia.

Despite martial law, curfews and 120 degree heat in India, I managed to find some really unique pieces.

Although most of what I purchased will be coming in a few weeks, I did buy some ready stock from several suppliers. I have added some new designs to the site, and have restocked some of our best sellers.

One thing I am really excited about are these hand painted images set in sterling silver. They have a really intricate mandala pattern on the reverse, and they are just so cool. I'll be sending out the monthly newsletter in a few days with more about the trip and my finds.

Political Unrest

2010-04-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a buying trip to Bangkok with a new appreciation for America. Not just America, but the whole system of democracy.

Thailand is one of the primary suppliers of wholesale silver jewelry to world markets. It is a huge producer of sterling silver, with thousands of people in the country earning their living producing what the world wants.

Throughout recent history, Thailand has had a tumultuous political environment. The past few years have seen the Prime Minister and Parliament ousted, a military coup, a new government installed, and seemingly endless political protest that has resulted in the closure of Thailand's main airport and currently the shutting down of Bangkok as a destination for tourism and business in general.

Without going into the specifics, I will just say that the recent battles in the US over "partisan politics" pale in comparison to what has been going on in Thailand. There doesn't appear to be any end in sight, and the ultimate losers are the people who are suffering from the lack of income and jobs caused by this disruption.

Whether we are in retail, wholesale, jewelry, clothing, the stock market, the insurance business or some other line of work, be grateful that our form of government is stable. Riots in the streets and political unrest make our arguments over health care and Wall Street reform seem like minor blips on the radar..

Wholesale Silver Jewelry Prices Spike!

2010-03-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Silver prices, mirroring a rise in petroleum costs, have spiked over the past week, rising from the low $16's per ounce to over $17. As I've mentioned before in this blog, precious metals have been tied to the price of oil for the past several years.

As we recover from the current economic downturn, it seems logical that demand for oil will increase as well. At the Tucson Gem Show, I spoke with several large silver wholesalers from India and from China about this issue. The consensus was split, with one camp predicting higher prices and the other calling for a reduction.

Knowing what we know about the world economy and that great driver of commerce, China, I am looking for prices to rise in the long term, probably higher than we have seen in recent history. You might remember two summers ago when oil neared $200 per barrel, when the world economy was really rocking. I think we'll see a return eventually to those kinds of numbers if not this summer, then by next summer for sure.

As prices rise, I'll be posting tips and direction for dealing with higher silver prices. Stay tuned for more info as the situation develops! For more info and articles on wholesale silver jewelry, visit my website: Whirled Planet Wholesale Silver Jewelry.

Tucson Gem Show 2010 Review

2010-03-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

The Gem Show was pretty subdued this year, as buyers and vendors deal with the continued collapse in consumer spending. Most vendors I spoke to seemed to be happy with sales volumes, and they were hopeful for the coming year.

The hot stones this year seemed to be the same as last year: mystic topaz, kunzite and prehnite. There wasn't any new "must have" stone.

There was a huge influx of Chinese crystal, however. In a direct challenge to Swarovski, the crystal beads had rich, colorful coatings and there were a wide variety of size and shapes to choose from.

To give an idea of what this could mean for Swarovski, a typical 4mm bicone, the heart of their bead line, sells at retail for about 12¢, though it can be purchased in bulk through some dealers for as low as around 5¢ per bead.

The price most dealers at the show were charging for a strand of 100 bicone 4mm beads was $1. That represents a price advatnage of about 80% over Swarovski.

Chinese manufacturers have been trying to get their production right on this type of crystal for several years, but it looks like they have finally succeeded with a decent product and finish.

Make no mistake, this crystal is not as good as Swarovski. It is very close, however, and at 80% less than Austrian crystal, I am sure consumers will go for it.

The response from Swarovski should be interesting. I am betting they will go for the quality difference, but given what I saw at the show, this probably will not be enough to convince consumers to shell out five times more for a product that is hard to discern from the Chinese version.

I heard several people remark at the show that they thought this would be a real challenge for Swarovski. We'll have to wait and see what happens when all this new product finds it way through bead stores and designers to end consumers. My bet is that buyers will vote for Chinese crystal in big numbers...

For more info and articles on the world of wholesale silver jewelry, please visit our archive of past newsletters.

$15 Silver?

2010-01-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

Silver touched below $16 per ounce briefly today! We have been seeing an overall decline in price over the past week or so. Let's hope it continues.

The US Dollar has been gaining in strength against the Euro for the past month or so, with only a couple of hiccups. It seems like this might have something to do with the decline in prices. A stronger Dollar is better for imports, too (it makes the cost of buying imported goods in the foreign currency cheaper).

I'm hopeful we'll see further declines in silver and rising strength in the Dollar.

Restock of Popular Items

2010-01-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

I just received a new shipment from Thailand of popular products. Peace signs jewelry is still selling well, and we have several well-priced designs. Those little sterling silver peace sign posts shown to the left are just $2.75

We've also restocked our celtic amber earrings, and a couple of charms including our breast cancer charm.

Silver prices seem to be a on slightly downward trend since last week. Right now the spot price is about $16.80 per ounce, but it has dipped below $16.40 today. Let's hope for more of this!

Silver Prices

2010-01-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

Silver seems to be holding steady at the absurdly high price of around $18.50 per ounce. To give a historical perspective, in the late 1990's, silver was in the $4 range.

The price of silver is dependent on a lot of variables. It is of course dependent on supply and demand, but that is only part of the story. Supply is relatively limited, and new sources are hard to come by. As the price goes up, it becomes more economically tenable to revisit abandoned mines or mines that are less productive per ton of raw material.

Demand is also driven by speculation. When the US Dollar is weak compared to other currencies, like it is right now, investors tend to move their money into commodities like gold, silver and platinum. These are traditionally safe places to store value in times of economic uncertainty.

Another factor that entered the demand equation in the last few years was the creation of Exchange Traded Funds. These investment vehicles allowed investors to own silver without physically taking possession of it. This eliminated a lot of the logistical issues associated with moving silver bullion around from place to place, and it allowed buyers and sellers to come together quickly and easily. The net result is a more volatile market where transactions take place without regard to physical location and can be conducted quickly and efficiently.

Recently, silver prices have been tracking crude oil prices. There is not an exact correlation, but there is a link.

So where do we go from here? Silver prices have jumped 30% in the last six months, but we have seen these price levels in the last few years, albeit briefly. The last price rally to this level was relatively short-lived. In this case, we are looking at higher prices during an economic down-turn.

When the economy recovers and demand for the silver used to make all sorts of electronic, medical and photographic equipment bumps up, will this necessarily will mean higher silver prices? It will depend on the Dollar, speculative demand and who knows what else. If I had the answer, I guess I'd be rich and retired right now instead of writing this blog!

Stay tuned for more silver price updates as they arise.

Tucson Gem Show

2010-01-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! The Tucson Gem Show starts in a couple of weeks, and I am starting to get excited.

It's been a rough year or so for a lot of businesses, and this is especially true of jewelry wholesalers. Not only has demand dropped significantly, but silver prices have jumped about 30%.

I expect the mood to be somewhat subdued at this year's show, much as it was last year. On the wholesale level, I will be looking to reconnect with my suppliers from India. I do have some money to spend, but I will be looking for special pieces that really stand out.

I'll also be looking for deals. I expect to find suppliers that are hungry for new customers, and others that are just looking to move some units.

For our retail stores, it's going to be much the same thing. I don't have a lot to spend, but I do need some cool new products that will generate interest and draw customers into the stores.

I'll post here when I return with photos and a synopsis of the show.

Ai, Ai, Ai! Jewelry of the Sea...

2009-09-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

On my last trip to Thailand in September, I visited Ai, a designer I have sourced from many times in the past. She has always had really unusual products, but she tended toward heavier pieces.

Since the price of almost a

ll silver jewelry is to some extent based on the weight of the silver from which it is made, her pieces tend to be more expensive than other suppliers. Some of her line was special enough that I could justify spending the extra money on, but a lot o

f it wasn't.

This time when I met with her, I was totally blown away. Not only was her line outstanding in the way it looked, she had incorporated some mother of pearl, gemstones and marcasite to spice things up a bit.

Best of all, her pieces looked substantial, but she had spent a lot of time making the weights lighter. The net result was a line that has lots of pop, and lots of bang (for the buck).

I bought pretty wide from her line as a result. The photos I took are nice, but really they don't do the pieces justice. To see what we have, visit this wholesale silver jewelry link.

Thou Shalt Not Steal

2008-07-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

Shoplifting is a cost of the retail trade, but you can limit its effects with a few simple policies.

Archive of jewelry tips and resources...

I'll admit I have been naive about shoplifting. Our retail store is located on the sleepy Garden Island of Kauai. It's a small community where everybody seems to know everybody.

So the fact that I trusted most of my customers to be honest will not come as a surprise. I also thought that we did a pretty good job of policing the store.

My trust began to evaporate after we implemented a few simple policies to keep an eye on things. First, we installed a DVR camera system that could be monitored remotely over the internet.

We also really started making sure the ring and earring racks were completely full, with no holes. When something sold, we replaced the item immediately with more merchandise.

Once we did these two things, it was like the thieves came out of the woodwork! I discovered the first step in my recovery had to do with admitting there was a problem.

Knowing when things were being stolen alerted us to the fact that people really were stealing. Having the DVR allowed us to see who they were and how they did it. It doesn't feel any better knowing I've been hoodwinked, but it does help to know what to expect the next time.

Watching a mother with three kids casually palm six pair of earrings, then grab a ring on the way out makes my blood boil, but it also showed us that the thief is usually not the person you suspect. It's the one you would never imagine would steal.

We have nice margins, since we import and wholesale silver jewelry, so the overall effects of shoplifting has not crippled us, but every time someone steals from us I am reminded that it comes directly out of my bottom line. Vendors, employees, FedEx, and the electric company all get paid before I do. I get what's left over.

Now we have taken several steps that seem to have had an effect on the shrinkage. Each customer is greeted with eye contact. Making that connection seems to have an impact.

When there are customers in the store, all side-work is put away. We circulate out on the floor, rearranging things, following up with customers. Mainly we try to get out from behind the counter!

We also check the racks every so often when customers are around, to make sure they are full. This gives us a point of reference if and when something goes missing. When we think something is stolen, we can quickly review on the DVR, often within a few minutes of the theft.

Finally, we learn from our mistakes and identify problem customers. This means that we ask those we know to have stolen in the past (but couldn't prove it well enough for court) not to come back.

Politely telling a customer they are no longer welcome in the shop is never a pleasant experience, but it beats having to watch them like a hawk and hoping they don't steal something during a moment of inattention.

If you have any tips or thoughts on shoplifting that you think others might benefit from, please email me and I will add them to a future post.

30% Off Sale!

2008-05-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

All through May, we are offering a staggering 30% off our already great prices on textile products. As we narrow our focus somewhat to concentrate more on sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices, we are clearing out many of our textiles products, including handbags, home decor, and accessories.

We will continue to stock smaller items like coin purses and hot trend items like our canvas totes with Indian advertisements, but in order to hone our mix we have decided to do away with larger textiles products.

Take advantage of this great sale running through the end of the month. Click here to see our great deals on textiles at 30% off!

New Styles in Sterling Silver Jewelry

2008-03-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

We've added a bunch of new designs to the site. While at the Tucson Gem Show, I found some great new pieces at great prices.

This year it was a little more difficult to find decent prices. Silver has officially blown past $20 per oz. today, and is nipping at $21. This is the scenario the vendors at Tucson were worried about, so many of them weren't willing to wheel and deal the way they were back when silver was $12.

There was lots of moldavite at the show, but most was really expensive. I did find some nice pendants though after searching high and low. I also got some terrific golden sheen obsidian, lots of charoite and seraphinite (sister stones from Siberia), Indian cross stone, some rubies set in sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices, and some lovely green amethyst.

I'm gearing up for my trip to Thailand later this month. With the dollar all beat up and silver through the roof, it should be challenging!

Be sure to check out our wholesale sterling silver jewelry trends article on the site this month.

Is Plating the Silver Lining to Recent Spot Price Increases?

2008-02-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from the 2008 Tucson Gem Show, and it was fantastic as always. I enjoy connecting with friends and suppliers, and in particular I like seeing what's new and what's not.

This year, the topic was all about the price of precious metals and the decline of the dollar. Although prices haven't risen too much above last year's prices (many silver jewelry wholesalers have come up with stop-gap solutions to higher costs), there was definitely some tension in the air. I also came across people selling silver and gold plated items over base metal or copper, something that was not even a consideration two years ago.

The whole plating thing seems like a good idea on its face, since it can drastically reduce production costs, but it certainly has its negatives. Logically, it makes sense to try and reduce costs by reducing the amount of precious metal involved, but I think ultimately the product is cheapened to the point that consumers will rebel against it.

Plating over base metal makes the product very similar to fashion jewelry in perception, if not in actual fact. Even though plating, as opposed to vermeil or silver wash, is very durable and will likely never wear through, the idea that there is something less "pure" under the silver or gold surface will ultimately turn consumers off. Sterling and gold have a certain cachet that is diminished by the idea of plating.

One good thing about plating is that it offers consumers a choice. They may experience sticker shock or complain about rising silver prices, but when presented with a less expensive plated alternative, I predict they will head for the real thing nine times out of ten.

So maybe offering a few plated items will help customers internalize the recent and continued price increases. When given the choice between an "inferior" plated product and a "pure" precious product, customers will have an option rather than being faced with just the higher price tag.

More on this and a detailed review of the Tucson Gem Show later.

Tucson Gem Show

2008-02-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

The Gem Show is already happening in Tucson. I'll be headed there next week, and I'm very excited. It's only once a year, and there are jewelry, bead and findings manufacturers from all over the planet. If you are interested in finding out more about the Gem Show, visit this link: Tucson Gem Show Information.

Spot silver is pushing at $17 per ounce. It's ugly! The worst part is that it's right before Tucson, so all the manufacturers there will be freaking out and it will also be difficult to compare prices since some will adopt the new pricing now, and others will stick with their old prices.

We are still holding our sterling silver jewelry wholesale pricing at old levels, but we'll need to start ramping it up if silver prices don't drop (and I don't think they will!).

Market Drop Continues

2008-01-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

The stock market continued its bumpy descent amid concerns of a recession. Silver though held fairly steady at just under $16 per ounce. At times like this, I try not to watch the silver market too closely, unless I have an order pending with one of my suppliers.

For silver jewelry manufacturers, they usually base the cost of an order on the replacement cost of the silver. In other words, if you place your order and silver is at $14 per ounce, then it jumps up to $16 per ounce before you pay, you will usually be charged based on the replacement cost of the silver at the time you pay. In this case, if you hadn't paid until silver hit $16, you'd be charged based on that amount.

This system can cut both ways. If I think silver will be climbing, I try to pay as soon as possible, even if I don't know the final total. Sometimes I'll just wire some $$ to lock things in. I know of at least one wholesaler that buys silver futures in order to lock in prices. This can be an inexpensive way to leverage against volatility.

See a broad range of silver jewelry information at http://www.wholesalesilverjewelry.net.

Spot Silver Drops

2008-01-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

With bad economic news a daily event and fears of a recession hanging over everyone's head, it's no wonder we have seen a run up in silver and gold prices. Precious metals are typically the place people head when the going gets tough, and higher demand equals higher price unless there is more supply added to the stream.

As a silver jewelry wholesaler, the price of silver is a pretty big variable in my cost of doing business, so seeing it continue to climb after a couple of years of relative calm is disconcerting.

Funny too that it happens just before the annual Tucson Gem show, when major silver and jewelry suppliers come together for the largest jewelry show in the world. More on this as it comes closer...

Tucson Gem & Mineral Show 2006 Review

2006-02-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is an annual event that draws exhibitors and buyers from all over the world. The idea that this is just a "one-tent event" is a misnomer. In truth, the Gem show is over thirty different shows held at the same time all over Tucson. There are name brand venues like the Holidome, Gem Mall, GJX and Rodeway, and there are smaller, newer shows like the new one I saw this year being held on an RV sales lot near the Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers shows.

What's really great about the Tucson event is that regardless of what you need from across the gem and mineral spectrum, odds are you can find it here. Big manufacturers from India and China come to the show to buy rough gemstones for their production in the upcoming year. Vendors from China, Brazil, South Africa, Morocco, Madagascar, Russia and Mexico ship in literally tons of rough stones for resale by the 55 gallon drum. One large Indian manufacturer I know buys three 20' containers filled with rough to ship back to Jaipur for cutting and setting.

There is also a wide range of finished jewelry available of varying qualities and price points. Silver is everywhere as Indian companies flock to this Mecca of metalsmithing hoping to move hundreds of kilos and open new markets. What often happens is that they discover the bitter truth: the competition among vendors is fierce. Prices are low for high-volume buyers, often just pennies above the cost to produce the goods. Each year I see new Indian vendors come to the show full of high hopes only to go home with little or no profits to show after expensive travel, hotel and booth costs.

One of my suppliers from India pointed out an interesting fact to me last year. He said "look around, who is running all the booths now?" The answer was clearly Indians and Chinese manufacturers come to move their goods in the West. This has created something of a psychology of discriminatory buying. When a buyer sees a Western face, as opposed to an Indian or Chinese, they figure the price can't be good and they move on without stopping. I must admit, my first reaction when I see an American vendor is that they are probably not worth the time because they add the cost of the middle man.

The main shows are well attended, with the Holidome being an especially popular venue. This show is set up in two massive tents outside the Holiday Inn, and runs for just ten days as opposed two weeks for some of the other shows. The aisles are packed within an hour of opening. The crowd, while supposedly wholesale-only, consists as much of retail buyers as it does of business owners. This can add to the frustration level in the crowded conditions as business buyers have to work around the person looking to buy one or two pieces as early Christmas gifts.

What I love about the show is the sheer variety. A good example of this is the show at Rodeway Inn. The main tent had vendors selling silver , jewelry, beads, findings in silver, gold vermeil and karat gold. There were booths selling Chinese pearls in strands, Italian Murano glass, Moroccan fossils, Indian silver, American handmade jewelry, African trade beads, Thai hill tribe beads and artifacts, Chinese carvings, Russian amber, and Persian carpets. Outside the main tent, there are stands selling mineral specimens, handicrafts, food and even clothing. I saw an Afghani vendor selling Afghan carpets with American tanks and fighter jets superimposed over a map of the country. My favorite is the "dollar tent." Mostly from Indonesia, this makes the dollar store in your town look positively boring.

This year I went as a buyer for my two stores, focusing mainly on beads and silver findings. If you look hard enough, there are deals to be found, but you must bargain hard. For buyers in bulk there is room to negotiate, but for those interested in Christmas gifts, good luck! It's a great experience for Americans to learn to bargain. Most of us don't like to haggle, which is what we dread most about buying a car. After buying in Asia for many years, I feel I have some insight into the mechanics of driving a bargain, but I will be the first to tell you that I do not have access the same pricing that Indians or Chinese buyers get in their home countries.

Every show it seems there is some new item or trend that is hot. This year rhodocrosite was everywhere. Kyanite, which has been showing up more and more over the last two years, could be found in many different colors, shapes and cuts. It also seemed like every other booth had spools and spools of silver and gold filled chain. Not sure why this was, but if you weren't careful you could easily pay way too much for it! Of course there were a kajillion booths selling silver jewelry with a vast array of themes and qualities.

One of the more interesting booths I found was a small one run by a guy I know from Bangkok. He has access to precious stones, and since he is from India originally he also has access to Indian jewelry manufacturing. I bought a small quantity of his ruby earrings set in silver. You can see them here, and despite how it sounds, they are very reasonably priced.

Overall the show was an exhilarating look into the international world of gems and jewelry. There is a smaller show in September that gets mixed reviews, but if you have never been, mark your calendar now to visit Tucson during the first two weeks of February, 2007. It is an experience you won't soon forget!

(This article written by Mike McGinnis and published originally on indiasilver.com. We allow republication provided the piece is copied in its entirety with links and attribution.)

Opening Monologue

2006-02-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is the start of what will most likely be a sporadic blog centered around the silver jewelry industry. I'm the owner of a wholesale jewelry company called Whirled Planet. We import silver jewelry, women's accessories and home decor products from India, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

I've been involved in the clothing and fashion industry since the mid-eighties in one way or another. It's interesting and challenging, with lots of travel to the locales mentioned above.

My intent with this blog is to provide anybody that is interested with an insider's view of the jewelry and gift industry. There is a lack of information about what it's like to be a wholesaler or manufacturer, and it is my hope to shed a little light on this slice of the business world.