Let’s address the elephant in the room.

You’ve probably heard us mention it here and there — in emails, on socials, maybe even during an in-person visit to the shop. But it’s time to be more direct about what’s happening behind the scenes at CMD, because it’s real, it’s ongoing, and it affects everything we make.
 

Here are the facts — literally.

As of the day we’re writing this post:

Sterling Silver: $93.01 per ounce today! (It was $84 just a week ago and $31.09 in November of 2024.)

14k Gold: $4,666.85 per ounce. (2,736.43 in November of 2024.)

Those are not typos. If you work with precious metals, or rely on them for your livelihood, you already know this has been one of the most volatile pricing environments in years. If you don’t, here’s the short version: our raw material costs are historically high and continue to climb.

And yes — even 14k gold-fill is affected. Gold-fill isn’t “fake” or thinly plated; it contains a substantial layer of real 14k gold bonded to a core. When gold prices rise, everything tied to gold rises with it.
 

Just when we caught our breath…

After a long stretch of elevated gold prices, we thought we were finally stabilizing. And then, almost immediately, silver spiked at the start of the new year.

It honestly felt like the universe asking, “Cool. How much can you handle?”

The answer, of course, is: we’ll handle it — but not without being thoughtful, transparent, and creative.
 

What this looks like inside the studio

Behind the scenes, we’re doing what small, values-driven studios do when things get tight: We’re cashing in every last scrap of material. Those are CMD’s financial reserves and when prices spike like this, we need to start dipping into our scrap pile.

When we cut metal, there’s always a little bit left over — tiny slivers, off-cuts, filings. Every one of those pieces is being collected, sorted, and recycled. Nothing usable is going to waste. Silver especially is being treated like gold (because, right now… it basically is). This isn’t new for us — but it is happening with renewed urgency.

In the twenty years I’ve been in the jewelry business, silver has never been even remotely close to this price. The biggest concern that I have is WILL OUR RAW MATERIALS become unavailable due to a shortage? I’m currently scheduling meetings with our vendors to make plans for the months ahead so hopefully, this won’t become an issue.

Full disclosure: our pricing will fluctuate and increase in the coming weeks. If you have had your eye on a piece, now would be a good time purchase while it remains at this price point! Additionally, we are keeping our inventory SUPER lean so every last piece will be made to order so thank you for your patience in our lead time for delivery. We are working as quickly as we can without rushing through our production line as quality remains super important to us. We are trying to work out some kinks so we can ship things as swiftly as possible but just remember, we are not Amazon. We are a small, handcrafted jewelry company and we still stand behind knowing: it WILL be worth the wait, we promise!
 

And this is where things get interesting…

We’ve been quietly working on something that feels aligned, responsible, and genuinely exciting... for us and for you!

Soon, we’ll be offering customers the option to recycle their own sterling silver and 14k gold jewelry in exchange for CMD Bucks (AKA store credit) toward future purchases.

Note: This is not for cash — we’re not a recycling center, but it is a way to turn unused metal into something meaningful you’ll actually wear!

Right now, we’re running case studies with a few longtime collectors. We’re currently on our fourth (maybe fifth) test run, working through logistics, refining the process, and making sure this is something we can offer responsibly and fairly. Once the kinks are worked out, we’ll open it up more broadly.
 

Yes — that jewelry counts!

That 18k gold necklace you got when you were 16 and never wear? Yes, we'll be able to recycle that for CMD Bucks.

Your grandmother’s 14k gold ring that you treasure but know will live in a drawer forever? That too!

Instead of letting precious metal sit unused, you’ll be able to put its value toward a solid, well-made piece from CMD — something designed to be worn, stacked, lived in. Think of it as turning old metal into new armor!
 

Why we’re sharing this now...

This post is the first in a short series. Coming next, we’ll walk you through real customer case studies — what was recycled, what kind of credit it generated, and what those customers chose to make or purchase with it. But this first conversation matters because:

• You may notice price increases.
• We want you to understand why.
• We want to be transparent about what it takes to keep a small, materials-based business alive right now.

We’re committed to continuing to offer promotions, thoughtful sales, and fun moments with our community — but doing that sustainably means adapting in real time.

If you’re another small business owner navigating this, we see you.

If you’re a customer wondering how all of this works, we hope this gives clarity.

And if you’ve got old gold or silver sitting around… stay tuned!
 

More soon. 💛
Colleen