Tucson Bound!!

January 30, 2026

Tucson Bound!!

I can’t believe that it’s that time of year to be heading out across the country to Tucson. I always look forward  to see what beautiful gems I can find to fill my stash and feed my creative juices. This annual trip has really helped me continue to find my center creatively and it is a great opportunity for me to see what lovely gems my friends from all over the world have been working on. It’s the highlight of the beginning of each year and one I am so grateful I am able to make. I chose to make a priority so that you too can be inspired by what I bring home with me to create new work for the upcoming year.

This show season is going to start a bit early for me. I have a couple exciting events I will be a part of this February so please do if you can make one come by and say hi and see some of my new work! This year I’ll be a part of a new event, The Winter Artisan Fair  to be held at the Rockland Elks Lodge on Saturday February 7th 2-7pm. This inaugural event will be a winter celebration of art, fine craft, music, wine and food. I’m grateful to be included in the list of artisans and hope that my local Maine folks will be excited to have something artsy to do to brighten the winter mood.

At the end of February I’ll be on the road again and excited to be back at  theAmerican Craft Council show in Baltimore Feb 20-22. It’s been almost 10 years since I exhibited at the event and my work sure has grown since then. I’m happy to be able to connect with friends that live in the out lying areas of Baltimore, DC and Philly to name just a few! My booth at the show will by #820 so please do come by and check out the work and say hi!

I would be remiss if I didn’t share a few things that have inspired and sidelined me a bit since the end of 2025. On the 29th of December I had carpel tunnel surgery. It’s a dreaded situation  for anyone who works with their hands, but a necessary one in order to continue to be able to do what I do. Happy to report that things are moving along and I hope to be back full strength soon. I also was grateful to be able to visit a dear friend and fellow artist in her home in Puerto Rico with my jewelry bitch friends. Great to finally be able to do something that we always say we’re going to do but never get down to it. The water down there was amazing and I brought the memories of laughs and love shared with others home with me.

In closing I feel as though I do need to address the rather large elephant in the room and that is metal prices. I wish I had good news here folks, but it seems that prices are likely to continue to increase in both gold and silver. I know many of you are aware of how gold has been creeping up for years and we have consistently spoken with many of you about its solid value. Sadly silver has been put to the test as to its value of late. Prices of silver have increased over 60% since just January 1 of this year. I purchased a few items on the 30th of December and checked the increase yesterday on 27th. Check out the photo for the increase.

I have done my best to take everything into consideration and will continue to make jewelry in both silver and gold, really still focusing on the mix of the two which seems to bring the most joy to me and to you! The best news if you have jewelry that you have purchased its value has gone up exponentially. The other good news is that if you continue to make purchases the forecast is for continued rises in pricing so it’s a sound investment in the long run, if there is a real upside. There are many reasons for the increase in both gold and silver, some are tied to AI centers, solar panels, semi-conductors, technology and as a result silver has been listed as a critical mineral subject to tariffs. Market manipulation and investment in metal due to the volatility of the dollar globally is another cause. I share this just for your information and please know that this is a trying time for many in the jewelry industry which is the smallest sector of the metal market in terms of overall purchases.

So in the long run there will be increases yes, but I will say there are many one of a kind items on my website and stock I will bring to events that will be priced at the “old market” standard. Moving forward on new work I’ve implemented increases where I need to. I will re-evaluate as need be and purchasing new metal on an as needed basis. I appreciate the support you have shown me over the years and hope that you find my work still continues to inspire and delight

So many makers are doing their best to deal with the market increases and choose to continue to bring beautiful work into the world, while also focusing on doing the best way we can every single day in terms of being part of humanity. Using our voices where we can to bring action on behalf of those who are forced to hide or be targeted seems to be important every day as we watch what is unfolding in Minnesota and now in my beloved state of Maine as well. It’s more than a bit conflicting to try and work and focus on jewelry when folks are fearing for their lives. As Martin Luther Kind said; "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter“.

I’ll send out another email at the end of March with the dates firmed up for the rest of the 2026 season. I’ll be at most of the same venues and keeping things fresh and continue to bring my best work to you. Again thank you for your love and support so that I may continue to do what inspires me and please stay safe out there.

peace,
anita

Here's my contact info:
text 603-475-0762, email me or reach out on Facebook or Instagram. So many ways to stay connected and I must say I'm so grateful for them all!!
603-475-0762
www.circlestonedesigns.com