There are moments in economic history when several forces converge simultaneously, creating what experts call a "perfect storm." We are experiencing one of those moments right now, and it is directly impacting the world of handcrafted jewelry.
The shortage of precious metals is creating an unprecedented scenario in the global market, affecting both investors and those of us who appreciate handcrafted jewelry.
If you wear gold or silver jewelry, or if you're considering acquiring a meaningful piece, now is the time to understand what's really happening in the global precious metals market. Because what happens in the financial markets of New York, the mines of Latin America, and the technology factories of Asia has a direct impact on the small workshop in Barcelona where we create every Persea jewel.
Gold: When central banks compete for a finite resource
During 2025, gold experienced a 66% increase in value, reaching levels close to $4,325 per ounce. To put that in perspective: if you bought the same amount of gold today as you did twelve months ago, you would pay more than double.
The 2026 gold market is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable of the last decade, driven by strategic decisions from central banks and growing demand.
But this is not temporary volatility or market speculation. It is the result of a coordinated strategy by central banks around the world. The United States holds 81% of its reserves in gold. Emerging economies are aggressively buying gold to diversify their reserves beyond the dollar. Each quarter, central banks and institutional investors are acquiring an average of 585 tons of gold.
What does this mean for an artisan workshop? It means we're competing for the same resource that governments consider strategic. Every time we need to replenish our gold inventory to create your pieces, we're buying in a market where institutional demand is skyrocketing.
Projections from JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs suggest that gold could reach $5,150 per ounce in the coming years. This is not an apocalyptic prediction; it is simply the reality of a finite metal in a world that increasingly values it.
Money: the revolution no one saw coming
While gold has been the predictable star, silver has been the true revelation. During 2025, silver outperformed gold with a gain of over 142%. Yes, more than double its value in a single year.
Why this explosion? The answer lies in your mobile phone, in the solar panels you're seeing appear on rooftops, in the electric cars driving through the streets, and in the servers powering the artificial intelligence that is transforming our world.
Silver is no longer just a precious metal for jewelry. It's an essential and irreplaceable component in the technological revolution. AI chips, solar panels, advanced electronics—they all require silver. And here's the problem: industrial demand is literally depleting available reserves faster than mines can extract them.
Understanding why silver is rising is key to understanding its impact on artisanal jewelry: the technology industry is absorbing an increasing share of global production.
For small artisan jewelry workshops like ours that work with 925 silver—that noble and pure silver that brings our romantic collections to life—this means that we are sharing a supplier with the most powerful technology industry on the planet.
From the mine to the workshop: the real impact on crafts
Let us be completely transparent about what this means in the day-to-day operations of our workshop in Barcelona. In our workshop , we are committed to ethical jewelry in Barcelona, where transparency and the authenticity of precious metals are never compromised, even in times of high volatility.
When the price of silver rises by 142% and gold by 66%, we're not talking about abstract numbers on a screen. We're talking about the real cost of the materials that arrive at our workbench every morning.
For a workshop that refuses to compromise on quality — using genuine 925 silver and not cheaper alloys, working with real gold and not superficial plating — the increase in the cost of raw materials represents between 30% and 40% of the increase in operating costs.
And here is the dilemma that every artisan committed to quality faces: do we lower the quality of materials to maintain artificial prices, or are we honest about the real value of our work?
The difference between price and value in times of transformation
There is a fundamental distinction we want to share with you: price is what you pay today, but value is what you keep forever.
A piece of jewelry crafted from genuine precious metals does not lose value over time. In fact, in today's market, every piece of gold or silver you own is intrinsically more valuable than when you acquired it. While a fast-fashion item depreciates as soon as it leaves the store, a handcrafted jewel is tied to the global value of its materials.
When gold goes up, your ring goes up. When silver appreciates, your necklace does too.
Why we share this information
At Persea Jewelry, we believe in radical transparency. We don't want you to discover these realities through misleading headlines or sudden changes. We want you to understand the full context of the market in which we operate.
The world is changing. Precious metals are being revalued by forces that extend far beyond the jewelry sector. And small artisan workshops, those that refuse to compromise on quality, are navigating these waters with honesty and commitment.
In the coming weeks, we'll continue sharing our perspective on what it means to create meaningful jewelry in these transformative times. Because we believe you deserve to understand not only what you buy, but why it holds the value it does.
Persea Jewelry: Romantic-style handcrafted jewelry created in Barcelona. Because true beauty doesn't follow trends, it simply endures.
