{"title":"Silver Jewellery","description":"\u003cp\u003eSilver Jewellery - in plain Silver or set with Gemstones\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"54130-0-boulder-opal-in-999-silver-created-by-silverforms-special-process-in-the-1970s-then-gold-plated-no-longer-made-and-few-available","title":"54130. Boulder Opal in 999 Silver Created by SilverForm's special process in the 1970's then Gold Plated No longer made and few available","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese \"Silverform\" Silver Pendants was made between mid 1970'sand mid 1980's using a special manufacturing process.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe stone is a solid Boulder Opal from Queensland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe few pieces we had left at the time of closing the factory, was packed up, stored away and basically \"forgotten\" until now.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo my knowledge, these are not being made today and it is not likely they will be made again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Silver is not 925 Sterling Silver, but pure silver, 999, except for the bail (loop for the chain) which is stamped 925.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe manufacturing process by which these pieces were made became very important around 1980, due to its efficient use of Silver, at a time when Silver prices went berserk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom 1975 and up to 1978, Silver had been hovering between about $0.10 to $0.14 per gram and then quickly increased to about $0.20 pr gram by January 1979.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTHEN; just ONE year later, January 1980, it had skyrocketed to about A$1.60 per gram…!!!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn INCREDIBLE 700% increase in just ONE year… AND… it was a man-made increase, or more correctly, three brothers manipulation of the Silver market which resulted in them having really and truly “cornered the market”. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the Hunt brothers lost control over their “venture” and by mid-1980 the price had fallen to about A$0.30 per gram… and incredible rise, and fall, in one single year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTiffany got involved and placed an ad in The New York Times where it condemned the Hunt brothers for their actions, an action by which it was estimated that they had gotten control over about 35% of the entire world silver stock not held by governments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is a fascinating story and one which had a dramatic impact on the jewellery industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut one which unfortunately caused people to sell beautiful old handmade and hand engraved Silver household items like cutlery, candle holders, silver photo frames etc along with Silver chains and jewellery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEven though it is illegal to do destroy CURRENT money, Australian 50, 20 10 and 5 cent coins of certain dates which contained Silver worth more than the face value of the coin itself were melted down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd “down” is also where the Hunt brother went… right down to an eventual bankruptcy…\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gem Exports Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"1 Piece","offer_id":46930268684512,"sku":"","price":275.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2 Pieces","offer_id":46930268717280,"sku":"","price":535.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 Pieces","offer_id":46930268750048,"sku":"","price":755.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 Pieces","offer_id":46930268782816,"sku":"","price":975.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5 Pieces","offer_id":46930268815584,"sku":"","price":1175.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"6 Pieces","offer_id":46930268848352,"sku":"","price":1355.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"7 Pieces","offer_id":46930268881120,"sku":"","price":1515.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 Pieces","offer_id":46930268913888,"sku":"","price":1655.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"9 Pieces","offer_id":46930268946656,"sku":"","price":1775.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0726\/8719\/0240\/files\/20240421_155247nnn.jpg?v=1792617166"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0726\/8719\/0240\/collections\/676393318586803eb4db3381.jpg?v=1793133888","url":"https:\/\/gemexports.com.au\/collections\/silver-jewellery.oembed","provider":"Gem Exports Pty Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}