I've been drawing at Scrabster quarry for a few days now. I'd love to know more about this disused quarry that sits on the edge of a 200 foot cliff on the very north of Scotland, it must have been a harsh environment to work in in winter! Today though has been beautifully sunny and warm enough to finish a sketch before the sun dropped below the horizon. I love the solidity of the caithness stone and irregularity of the mounts of discards pieces.
Much has been written and spoken about recently on the rising cost of silver in the media; the political landscape coupled with the new industrial demands for the material has created a perfect storm. The leap in cost crept up slowly until the middle of 2025 and then pounced on jewellers right before Christmas. Especially those, like me who have varying requirements of silver purchases which makes it more difficult to notice the rise as each purchase is slightly different in weight. On top of that, I personally haven’t reassessed my prices since I initially calculated the costs for me to sell wholesale, when I attended Scotland’s Trade Fair at the SECC in 2024. To work out the costs, I had carefully timed myself making various items in the workshop, then made the assumption that I could probably make more than one item in an hour, and priced accordingly. The mistake I made at that point was not taking in to consideration the extra time it may take to cut an...
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