re: #114 Daniel Ballard

Oh you bet. Brass, silver, copper are all happening huge. Creative vibrant and affordable. Color is IN.

Gold will be back, even platinum can be found under $600.

What is your common mans/womans price point?

Roaming around San Diego it seems to me that there is still quite a bit of down-market pressure on adornment.

While traditional religious (crucifixes - remember, SD being originally a Catholic place) and ceremonial (wedding) jewelry is still seen, I notice a dearth of other fine jewelry. Indeed, when I see someone wearing a gold ring (other than a wedding band) it catches my eye because its something that doesn’t seem as common as it used to be.

The craft fairs I’ve scrounged in the recent past have not seen much as far as craftsmen showing expensive wares, and “jewelry” tends to be body piercing stuff.

I do not foresee gold and platinum prices coming down significantly unless (1) we enter another global recession, in which case reduced industrial demand will depress platinum, or (2) the US economy recovers at a stronger pace compared to the rest of the world and the dollar strengthens, weakening gold.

Copper and brass, as you know, is difficult to wear against skin continually (due to discoloration). I’ve been wondering if the other PGMs, such as Ruthenium, might see some fashion attention, but apparently not. Likewise for the more exotic group 4 or 5 metals, which are much more difficult to work with but got some attention from the art crowd. But none of those metals have stuck as a trend.