Comments on: Buying Precious Metals Online

By: Sarit

Sarit — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 05:56:32 +0000

Pasternak Findings is a great source for gold findings. I buy from them for many years and fully trust them. pasternakfindings.com

By: Dennise Larson

Dennise Larson — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 23:28:00 +0000

I buy a lot of Bali beads and findings straight from Bali. They are always high quality. Rio Grande is a good one for quality. I bought sterling silver wire from one of the companies that sends out tons of catalogues but it was plated! I had returns and had to rewire several bracelets and necklaces. I stick to Rio for all my wire now.

By: Dionne Siegrist

Dionne Siegrist — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:02:33 +0000

You could also try a smelting company. They handle gold and silver. Hope this helps.

Dionne Siegrist
Molten Wrx, Beads of Glass

By: Veronica Rausch

Veronica Rausch — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:27:11 +0000

Seems to be a consensus as I also buy from and trust Rio Grande. They keep up with the market and post daily silver and gold prices. Reliable service 🙂

By: Ladymockingbird@gmail.com

Ladymockingbird@gmail.com — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:18:47 +0000

I, too, use Rio Grande for most of my precious metal stock. But for a larger variety of pattern wire styles in Gold & Sterling, I go to Ross Metals.

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 18:28:08 +0000

I use Rio Grande also and like their fast delivery.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 17:41:25 +0000

I agree with what others have stated. I buy all my metals – sterling, fine, brass, copper – from Rio Grande and Monsterslayer. They price based on market prices daily and you can purchase almost any quantity. I would not purchase from Etsy sellers as the prices are way too high.

By: Mary Wong

Mary Wong — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 17:24:28 +0000

I buy my Argentium silver from Rio Grande (New Mex) and Wire-Sculpture (Utah). The prices are better with Rio but with sales Wire-Sculpture’s prices can be competitive too. I don’t buy fine gold but gold filled. Both trusted sites have all the metals and in many gauges.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 16:51:04 +0000

yes, stick with the big, well-known companies & you’ll get what you paid for. i also really like monsterslayer.com for metals & all sorts of things.

By: Skye

Skye — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:06:21 +0000

I agree with everyone, Rio is the place to go for quality metal. I also use Thunderbird Supply Co. They have very competitive Sterling prices and have price breaks based on qty purchased along with great sales throughout the year. Quality is comparable to Rio however they do not carry gold. I would go with a long standing company with a good reputation. Precious metal is expensive and you do not want to get burned! Good luck!

By: Maxine

Maxine — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:05:58 +0000

I have great confidence and experience with Fire Mountain Gems. They are upfront with their products, disclosing what things are and aren’t.

By: Patty V

Patty V — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 11:42:10 +0000

I agree with stac. Rio Grande is a great place to buy metals, as well as anything else you might need. You can even send them your scrap and get credit for it! They sell top quality things, and the products are reviewed by jewellers, metalsmiths and hobbyists. Their YouTube vids are also a great place to learn about a product or learn about a particular skill. Good luck and have fun!

By: stac

stac — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 11:16:52 +0000

riogrande.com is very reputable company. I buy all my sterling and gold from them. You can call them with questions. They are my go-to supplier. Also, the more you buy of the precious metals the price goes down. I often put an order together with my friends so we get a great price.

happy shopping and creating!

By: Sarah S

Sarah S — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 03:56:06 +0000

I tend to stick to larger sites that have a trusted reputation for precious metals – Rings ‘N Things, Fire Mountain, Bello Modo, Fusion Beads are all ones I have used.

If you are wanting to go through etsy, I would say do some comparison shopping, check the seller’s feedback, check for return policies, ask friends for any they have used and trusted.

As to how to tell… sadly, this involves sacrifice. If you bought something claiming to be solid sterling/or gold the easiest way to check it is to cut it. If you cut through it, the color – the metal – should go all the way through. If it doesn’t it is plated and/or filled.