“The world has gotten a lot smaller,” says Mike, who not long ago
might receive a telephone call at three o’clock in the morning from
someone in Brazil who would tell him that if he could get there within
the next 24 or 48 hours, he’d be the first to examine what they’d just
found in some out-of-the-way mine accessible only by foot or donkey.
Mike would find himself on an airplane headed for Brazil a couple
hours later.
It doesn’t happen so much anymore.
“It has changed a lot,” he says. “The guy who would most likely call
me from Brazil would now get on a plane and come up and offer it to
me directly, or ship it. Brazil has developed. They have FedEx.”
Many of the mines have closed and “people who used to go out
and dig the earth in search of rocks,” Mike says, “can find better jobs.”
So, less is being found.
Mike travels less and what travel he does is now to go to shows
in Bangkok, Europe, and elsewhere. He says he no longer has the
advantage of geography and that “All the easy stuff has been dug.
The supply end has been cut off, and the demand end has increased.
Our competitors,” he says, “are now antique dealers rather than other
jewelers.”
As for trends, Carole suggests that, “more and more people
want to wear their jewelry in the daytime.” Which fits in well with
Silverhorn’s emphasis on the informal.
“Our instinct,” she says, “is always to look at a gem for its own value
and then think about how to create a piece of jewelry to embellish the
stone.”
Mike notes that Silverhorn’s design abilities are still unparalleled.
“We do a lot of custom work according to people’s wishes,” he says.
“Quite often, [the customer will] pick out the diamond or gem and we’ll
work with them to design or fabricate what they want, so they have
an individual piece rather than something that is stamped out. That’s
what makes us different from other jewelry stores who rely on some
manufacturer that supplies them.”
Time to Donate
M
ontecito residents have become familiar with Silverhorn’s unique
products because of the regularity with which the Riddings
donate precious items for local fundraisers. When asked about that,
Carole replies, “That goes back to when we first moved here. I quickly
saw some distinctive qualities about this community, and it’s quite
different from the small town in Canada where I was raised.” She says
she observed people here giving generously, giving back, and that
giving to public schools, private schools, policemen, firemen, was by
private individuals, not government.
“I was impressed and figured that one way we could contribute as
a small business was through our products. I can’t write a check for a
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ewels
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ems
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