Hey lovely people,
I wanted to write an up front blog post about something that's been on my mind lately – the price of precious metals and what that means for tiny businesses like mine, Off The Map Jewellery.
You may have noticed that gold and silver prices have gone absolutely mad recently. Silver has jumped by almost 30% in just the past three months alone, and gold hit record highs of over £103 per gram in October. When I see these numbers, I'll be honest, my heart sinks a bit, because it means I have to adjust my prices too.
Here's the thing about how I work
Unlike the big jewellery companies with big warehouses full of stock that they bought years ago at lower prices, I'm a tiny business doing things differently. I get my castings in small batches based on whatever the bullion price is that day. It means I don't have years of stock sitting around, but it also means I really feel the impact of price changes immediately.
Every piece you see is crafted from solid sterling silver or solid 9ct gold, everything's properly hallmarked where required, because I care about quality and doing things right. I hand finish each piece and pack it in the workshop, there's no drop-shipping or outsourcing here.
Here's my pink hair at the bench soldering some Compass Necklaces.
You're not being overcharged
I just wanted to reassure you that the prices you see aren't inflated. When precious metals cost more, I have to charge more – it's truly that simple. I'm not a faceless overseas company with rock-bottom prices and questionable quality. I'm just me, working hard to create classic pieces that you will enjoy wearing and love to gift.
What you do get for your money
When you buy from Off The Map Jewellery, you're getting a truly personal service.
Quality you can trust – Solid precious metals, fully hallmarked, made to last. Any problems at all I'm just an email or call away.
Personal service – You're buying from a real person who genuinely cares about your experience. Got a question at 9pm? I'm probably still online for a web chat, much to the annoyance of my husband!
Free engraving – Because I know how special it is to add that personal touch. You can choose the font, style and finish and I'll make it happen.
Free UK shipping – Despite the cost of post rocketing too I'm still keeping it free all the time I can.
Pieces with meaning – Whether it's a Travel Safe necklace for someone heading off on their big adventure, Roman numeral signet rings marking milestone birthdays (21st, 40th, 50th are the most popular choices), or something completely unique, these pieces tell your story and send you off on your own safe travels.
The difference between me and the big guys
We have all seen those massive online retailers selling "gold" jewellery at suspiciously low prices? There's usually a reason it's cheap, quite often it's not what it's claimed to be or mass produced, hollow inside with no fine details. With me, what you see is what you get – no nasty surprises.
Your Off The Map piece with simple care can still be worn years from now. You can take it travelling, wear it every day, pass it down to someone you love. That's the kind of jewellery I want to make.
A big thanks for understanding
I know price increases are never fun – trust me, I really don't enjoy having to make them. But I wanted to be completely transparent with you about why it's happening. The metal markets are beyond my control, but what I can control is continuing to give you beautiful, quality jewellery and the friendly, personal service you deserve.
If you've supported Off The Map Jewellery, whether you bought one piece or ten, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You're not just customers – you're part of this little jewellery-loving community, and I appreciate every single one of you.
Here's to adventures, milestones, and jewellery that means something.
Lots of love,
Stevie Holmes
Off The Map Jewellery xx
