Bead Information and Pricing! Frequently Asked Questions About BeadsPrice Fluctuations in Precious MetalsOther Metal Beads FAQsPrecious Metals Sterling Silver Beads Bali Beads Gold Beads Vermeil Beads Cloisonné Beads Base Metal Beads Price Fluctuations in Precious Metals You may have noticed that the price of your beads varies from time to time. When gold and silver prices experience wider than usual fluctuations in price, the result goes all the way down the line to you! Gold and Silver as well as other precious metals have a high intrinsic value, backing world currencies, as well as for their use in industrial applications. Fundamental issues of supply and demand are important factors in their prices, along with political and economic considerations, especially when producing countries are involved. Inflation fears will stimulate gold accumulation and higher prices, as will war and natural disaster, especially in major producing or consuming countries or regions. Precious metals are held by central banks and are considered a storehouse of value. There are numerous investment vehicles that do not involve physical delivery: futures and options contracts, mining company stocks, bonds, mutual funds, commodity indices, and commodity funds. The values of these investment vehicles are influenced by metal price volatility, with commodity funds and indices, and futures and options, more sensitive to daily price swings. Many metals analysts and advisors recommend that 5% to 15% of investor portfolios be held in some form of precious metals as a long-term hedge against inflation, political turmoil and economic downturns. These tables show the daily fluctuation in the price of gold and silver:

|