Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
June 20, 2010
I'm an amateur jewelry maker, and I deal predominantly in silver jewelry. Where can I buy the materials I need to make silver jewelry (like silver beads, silver wire, etc.)?
December 20, 2011
June 26, 2010
Jewelers often buy their raw silver material supplies from online suppliers or vendors. You may be hard pressed to find a vendor that will be willing to supply you with these raw materials when you are not ordering them in bulk. Most of the raw materials you need to make silver jewelry (such as molds, silver beads, wiring) can be found in local arts and crafts stores or coin shops. However, actual silver sheets and casting grain can only be bought from specialized suppliers. Look online for licensed vendors selling raw silver materials, you may even find what you're looking for in online auction websites such as eBay. You should keep in mind that raw precious metal materials do not come cheap, your silver jewelry hobby may turn out to be quite an expensive pastime.
June 23, 2010
Professional jewelry stores purchase their silver raw material either from silver refineries or wholesale silver suppliers. Both are very easy to find online. You should look out for those who specifically have a good reputation by reading through some customer reviews. Keep in mind that these suppliers expect to sell on a wholesale scale, i.e. in mass quantities. They might not be willing to provide you with raw silver material if you are interested to purchase only small amounts. You must also realize that raw silver prices are not necessarily cheap. Just a few days ago, Silver closed at around $18.50 dollars per troy ounce, keeping raw silver on a steady price escalation. If I were you, I would first try my luck at some small supply stores, who will most probably have the necessary silver wiring and silver beads in stock and will be willing to provide these items for you at smaller amounts. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you lots of good luck on your new business and I hope you have lots of success!
