Beads by Mail Presents Fascinating Bead & Jewelry Facts
Free Bead & Jewelry Newsletter File from Beads by Mail
Our FIRST Newsletter was August 1999.
Partial list of topics covered in these files:
- Jewelry Findings
- Unusual Gemstones
- 2500 Years of Earrings
- Make Money Selling Your Jewelry
- Ancient Egyptian Symbols and Beads
- North American Indian Jewelry, book review
- Lookalike Beads
- Amber, Copal, Turquoise
- Findings
- Metals
- Tools
- Bead Trivia
- Bead Embellishments on Textiles
JANUARY 2005
JEWELRY FINDINGS
This month we are taking a look at the many different types of findings, or metal parts you need in order to add a clasp to a bracelet or necklace, add your earring beads to an earring, or finish your jewelry design with the appropriate hook, clasp, or "thingamajig". By definition a finding is a metal part that fits to and holds or attaches a gemstone or bead. (My own definition ...)
The attached pages show a variety of findings. (Pages are from The Best Little Beading Book.)
Many jewelry designers prefer to design and manufacture their own findings because there is nothing available that will work with their design, and also their jewelry will have a unique signature look.
Others simply use what is available on the market. There are tens of thousands of different types of findings in existence. Occasionally, antique or vintage findings become available and are much valued to give a design that "period" look.
Currently you can get most types of simple findings in various metals such as sterling silver, karat gold, base metal with plating in silver or gold, or pewter. There are some styles available in copper.
We have drawings for you to look at so you can identify the various parts.
We can also review some of the terminology in use.
For example, a clutch is the little gizmo you slide onto the back of the earring post to keep it from falling out of your ear. A post is the thin stiff wire soldered to the back of an earring so you can push it through a piercing. Beading hoops are circles of thin wire onto which you put beads, then you can bend one end up & it fits into a loop or hole. These are now very popular for "stem gems" to put on wine glass stems. Jump ring is an open circle of wire. You can't do without them, they are ubiquitous. You can also get them soldered. Split ring is like tiny key chain rings. They are wound around several times so they are very stable, unlike jump rings which can spread and fall. Memory wire is a strong but brittle wire that keeps the shape it was bent into.
It's so easy to make beaded designs with memory wire. It comes in ring, bracelet, and choker sizes. We sell the bracelet size. Bead cones are cone-shaped metal pieces to use on the ends of necklaces or bracelets, especially multi stranded. Bead caps are decorative cup-shaped metal pieces with a hole in the center that fit over a bead. Very decorative to add to any design. A bail is a shaped attachment for a pendant so you can hang it from a chain. Bails come in many different sizes and shapes.
Chain is also very useful in designing jewelry. Each pattern of links has a different name, such as box, cable, long & short, rolo, curb, figaro, anchor, rope, herringbone, foxtail, Byzantine, omega, snake ...
For more photos and pictures of findings, see
http://beadsbymail.com/toolbox.htm
If you have questions or comments, let us know!
VALENTINE'S DAY IS ALMOST HERE!
We have a full page of heart-themed beads and ideas at
http://beadsbymail.com/valentines.htm
Beads by Mail Newsletter June 2001
UNUSUAL GEMSTONES
You can see photos and further details of these in most any gemological handbook. A few of them are on our web site on our gemstone pages.
Most of these stones range in hardness between 6.5 - 7.5. (Diamond = 10.0)
ANDALUSITE named for the area in Spain where it appears. A brown crystal with pink highlights. Or it may be a yellowish green with some violet. Hardness 7. There is a variety of this called CHIASTOLITE which has a cross-shaped marking in black.
ANDRADITE belongs to the garnet family, named after Portuguese mineralogist J. D'Andrade. Found in black, green (demantoid) and honey yellow. Hardness 6.5-7.5. In its demantoid form it is one of the most valuable semiprecious stones. Found mainly in Russia & Norway.
BENITOITE is an extremely rare stone found only in southern California, it is mostly light blue and resembles blue diamonds when cut in diamond shapes. It is a valuable stone but so far very little has been found, and not in large sizes. Hardness 6.5.
BIXBITE is an extremely rare form of ruby red BERYL and so rare that it is a collectors' item. Hardness 7.5-8, the same as for beryl. Color is a strong violet red. Very little has ever been found. Not to be confused with bixbyite, an opaque iron oxide of no value.
CHRYSOLITE is another name for PERIDOT or OLIVINE. This stone has been known since antiquity. Found in the US, Myanmar, and Brazil. Very large stones command value.
CHRYSOPRASE is the most highly prized version of CHALCEDONY. Chrysoprase is bright green (leek green). The exceptional luster and ability to take a high polish make all versions of chalcedony valuable to jewelers. Light blue translucent chalcedony is very popular these days.
CYMOPHANE another word for CAT'S EYE, the yellowish brown version of CHRYSOBERYL that possesses chatoyancy as a result of the presence of many fine needle-like formations. Highly prized and of high value. Many fakes exist. Found primarily in Brazil & Sri Lanka.
HIDDENITE is the green variety of SPODUMENE (below). Named after J.G. Hidden, the owner of the mine in the US where it was first discovered. The best specimens are a bright emerald green. Good specimens are extremely difficult to find. The finest gems come from North Carolina, and finds of a large size are costly collectors' items.
COMMERCIAL INTERRUPTION
We reorganized our gemstone page so it should be easier to browse. We've added quite a few new gemstone items as well, if you haven't seen it for a while please take a look.
http://beadsbymail.com/gemstonebeads.htm
Our web site also has a new look!
http://beadsbymail.com
Continuing ...
HESSONITE is a yellowish-brown or pinky-orange garnet of low value. When viewed through a lens, the inside appears "treacly" or wavy, not clear. Nothing like this is found in any other gem of similar color such as citrine, topaz, etc.
INDICOLITE is the blue variety of TOURMALINE.
KUNZITE is the lavender pink variety of SPODUMENE, named after the American mineralogist G.F. Kunz. It can be quite an intense violet-pink. In value it is about on a level with good quality garnets. Found in California, Brazil, Madagascar.
SPODUMENE occurs in crystals of huge size. Some weighing over a ton have been found. It is greenish gray or pink, or whitish gray. Hardness 6-7. Found in Sweden, UK, S. Dakota, NM, Connecticut. The name translates to "burnt to ashes" which is a reference to the dull grayish color of the stone. In its pink and green varieties -- kunzite and hiddenite -- it is lovely.
ZOISITE in its blue color was discovered in Tanzania in 1967, and is known as TANZANITE, a very popular violet blue stone. Hardness 6.5. The opaque green variety of ZOISITE is a bluish green with ruby, pink, and red inclusions called RUBY ZOISITE.
January 2001--2500 Years of Earrings
Hi Jewelry Fans!
Also in case you didn't receive the notice, we have a special page for visitors who are new to beading:
http://beadsbymail.com/getting-started-with-beads.htm
**2500 YEARS OF EARRINGS**
Several years ago I found a wonderful book called "Earrings From Antiquity to the Present" by Daniella Mascetti and Amanda Triossi (Rizzoli, 1990). The authors are specialists in the history and archaeology of jewelry. They were associated with the jewelry department at Sotheby's and are active as jewelry consultants and lecturers. This book is absolutely fascinating. I am taking the liberty of summarizing the more important points in this issue, and strongly recommend the book, which is brimming with detailed color photos and drawings.
In the foreword the authors say "Most women possess many earrings and without them they feel naked."
*Antiquity--Etruscans (Central Italy)*
In the 5th century BC, the most fashionable type of earring was a gold hoop decorated with the (solid cast) head of a ram, a woman, or a lion. This style was popular for the next 2 centuries. In the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, a hollow earring was designed in which women could keep small amounts of perfumed oil. This was a very popular style. Etruscan jewelry was worn in all areas of the ancient world. The Etruscans of central Italy amassed great wealth and fashioned elaborate earrings and other adornment. Photos in the book show ornate earring designs of gold in all forms, including tiny sculptures of birds and other animals, large rosettes from which dangled complex shapes, filigreed crescents and dangling chains with gold or pearl beads. Some earrings were unearthed that were 5 to 8 inches long and 2 inches wide and unbelievably ornate.
Rome
The decline and fall of the Roman empire had an adverse effect on the production of jewelry. Women seem to have lost interest in earrings, for there are few remains of jewelry that have been unearthed from the 3rd century AD up to the 9th century.
Middle Ages
Earrings disappeared from the 11th to the 16th centuries. This was in part due to the elaborate hair styles and coverings, high collars, and ornate headdresses which left little room for earrings. The text illustrates how clothing fashion influenced trends in jewelry.
Renaissance
In the early 1600s when the high ruff collar was replaced by a simpler standing collar, women began to wear earrings again. From the 17th Century forward, earrings took center stage and were elaborate and ornate, always set with large cabochons or faceted stones, and used lots of goldwork. Necklines were open again, framed in lace or ribbon, and clothing was often ornamented with jeweled buttons, pins, and aiglets as well. A photo shows a pair of heavily encrusted earrings having a surmount (the part with the post that goes in the earlobe) from which hang crescent-shaped hoops thickly covered with gold flowers in which stones are set, everything polychromed. Six pairs of pearl beads dangle from the bottoms of the pendant hoops. These were made in 1640. One can see the same shape earring today, in less expensive materials.
Elegance in the 18th Century Two styles of earrings reigned supreme in the 1700s: the girandole and the pendeloque. The former featured a circular or oval surmount with a central element formed of a ribbon or bow shape from which dangled 3 pendants containing precious stones, 2 smaller ones on either side of a larger one in the center. Each precious stone was surrounded with additional decorative motifs and smaller stones. Most of these earrings seem to be about 1-1.5 inches wide in the center, and perhaps 2 or more inches high. The pendeloque had a surmount with a ribbon- or bow-shaped element attached to it, from which hung another often pear shaped dangle. The stones and beads used in these were large and chunky and were usually surrounded with rows of diamonds. Seed pearls were often used in less costly earrings. There were no "costume" styles per se, although people had costly earrings duplicated in paste (glass).
19th Century
Earrings were extremely popular in the 1800s. "The Elegant lady would suspend almost anything from her ears providing it was decorative." There are photos of some really wild styles from this period: dangles made to resemble bushel baskets full of apples, hens sitting on eggs in a basket (wish I had these!), jeweled arrows seeming to pierce the earlobe, acorns, flowers in a basket, a bell with a clapper dangling from a chain, carved faces of Greek gods. There were also hundreds of different dressy or formal designs in precious stones and gold. A fabulous pair of earrings set with kite-shaped aquamarines in repousse gold is 12 cm long (almost 5"!) but extremely light weight.
There is much more in the book including a fascinating chapter on earrings of today which contains many designers' sketches for costume as well as precious metal earrings.
Hope you and yours have a wonderful and peaceful Holiday. Thank you for your friendship, and let's plan to meet again!
June/July 2004 Newsletter
*** How to Make (More) Money Selling Your Jewelry Designs ***
The idea for this newsletter's topic came to me during a chat with a customer who is starting to sell the bracelets she has been making. Unfortunately she is selling them for too little ($8 each, some for $10 or $12). The low price means she is not factoring in her creativity as well as other costs that may be intangible but which she is nevertheless paying. Creativity is the most highly prized and eagerly sought after human capability. It is extremely rare and therefore valuable.
If you are already selling jewelry or if you are considering doing it, you may benefit from some of the ideas in this newsletter. You may also have some additional points to make which I encourage, since this is a two-part newsletter. I would like to include your comments (anonymously if you wish) in the second issue of this letter, so please reply with any thoughts you may have, either on this topic or a related topic.
Another Country Heard From?
My credentials include 15 years as the owner of a costume and fine jewelry shop in a busy east coast metropolitan shopping street, parents who were retailers for most of my childhood years, and numerous part time jobs as a sales clerk in department stores during college. (During my formative years, the department store experience was in its heyday. There were no discounters like WalMart, KMart, Costco, et al. Department stores occupied a strict hierarchy of class with Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf's at the top and Sears, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, and JC Penney closer to the bottom. An excursion to a fine department store was a treat.) But I digress.
You Can Tell the Truth: Creativity Liberates
If you are selling the fruits of your creativity you are engaging in the most enjoyable and possibly profitable sales activity. Because you are selling products that you create, you are in control of the sourcing, production, pricing, and marketing of the items. You can choose the audience to market and sell to.You can tell the truth about your product because it came from you. This liberates you. Some people call this "right livelihood" -- doing what you love. Each buyer who lays down (the right amount of) hard cash for your creation is paying you the supreme compliment. So it is an ego trip.
Limiting Factors
On the other hand you are limited by the availability and cost of materials and technology, lack of time, shortage of funds for promoting your products, and your need to learn new skills, both in your craft and as an entrepreneur. Overcoming these is part of the thrill of entrepreneuring.
What follows is a partial digest of my experience selling jewelry.
Learn to use a loupe (pronounced loop). This is a 10X magnifying glass that you can hold up to your eye to examine beads, stones, any small item. Always use the loupe when purchasing high-priced jewelry components. You may find flaws that will lower the price or disqualify the items. You can see much more with the loupe than with the naked eye. Just waving the loupe in front of the seller can lower a price. It's an invaluable tool. Examine your own creations with the loupe, especially where findings connect parts.
The profit margin from selling my own designs was always the highest. (Margin is the difference between the cost of the item and the selling price, before you deduct overhead and other expenses, sometimes referred to as gross margin.) They were also the easiest to sell for the highest margins.
Jewelry containing precious and semiprecious stones or beads and karat gold is another high profit area. However, I'm not a jeweler and can't set stones, solder metals, etc. If you encounter some beautiful gemstone beads by all means take a flyer--you will sell them. Customers are willing to pay more for jewelry containing precious/semiprecious gemstones, karat gold, or sterling silver. Each customer has a favored gemstone. Ask what she likes and show her more examples. Some semiprecious beads cost the same as glass beads, or even less depending on the stone, so investigate the enhanced profit margin for a semiprecious piece vs. glass. Karat gold puts jewelry in a completely different price point but is also more subject to pilfering. 14karat gold fill beads are less expensive and add a glow to any design. You can then raise the price of the piece because it has gold.
Pearls are another profit area. The variety of pearl material is huge. Salt water pearls are costlier. Freshwater pearls come in a wonderful range of colors from cream to dark iridescent purple-gray (peacock or Tahiti) and in many shapes. Pearls mix wonderfully with semiprecious stone beads. Always buy the best quality because the additional cost is small given how much more beautiful the highest grade pearls are.
Start thinking about Christmas NOW. Jewelers ring up 40% to 50% or more of their annual sales during the 8 weeks of the Christmas season.
Make what you like, in colors you prefer, and wear it. Then you can talk about how easy it is to wear and how many compliments you always get when other people see it. (Product testing.)
Develop a signature style. Invent a new look. Think about your "brand" -- can people immediately recognize a piece as yours? This is challenging.
Shop jewelry departments as frequently as you can. Notice fads, stable sellers (bread & butter styles), colors, prices. What is on the closeout table? Is costume jewelry large scale or smaller? Are there a lot of clip earrings and fewer earrings for pierced ears?
Research the Internet. There is a lot of jewelry for sale on various web sites. It's hard to judge quality but it's good for general information purposes.
Watch the jewelry shown in mail order catalogs. It's a source of ideas as well as pricing. Unfortunately, we will never know if an item sold well or bombed!
Most museum shops sell jewelry. Research their selections and prices. (It's a good excuse for visiting a museum.) Look at the museum's collection of ancient or historic jewelry. The ancients made some wonderful jewelry.
Read books about jewelry (there is a good starting list on our site at beadsbymail.com/booklist.htm) Learn the names for various jewelry techniques.
Find out if your customers are allergic to any metals. There are many women who can't wear any metal at all, but are delighted to buy a necklace without any metallic parts. They could also wear a brooch because it would not come in contact with skin. You can create bracelet clasps with loops and beads that have no metal.
Jewelry sets sell for higher profit margins than the pieces on their own. Necklace, earrings, bracelet, that's a set and you can and should get more for it.
People buy more earrings than anything else. (2 ears -- 1 neck -- )
Pricing is an art and a science. Large companies test prices in different cities. They hold focus groups and do a lot of costly reseach to establish the best price for a product. If you are dealing one on one with your customers, face to face, you have an ideal opportunity to arrive at the ideal price through negotiation. The law of the marketplace says that merchandise "finds" the most acceptable price as a result of haggling or negotiations between buyer and seller. If you think you are "giving it away" (and you are if you don't pay yourself for your creativity), put a higher price on an item and negotiate it to its most acceptable level.
If you have hired a builder to remodel your home or office recently, ask him or her how they arrive at prices. Ask your dentist, your doctor, your mechanic, your cleaning service, your dry cleaner, your workout club, how they set their prices. You might be surprised at the variety of approaches. Pricing should not be a seat of the pants activity. You should work out a few formulas so that you can develop a consistent approach to setting prices.
You may find your sales will slow down, short term, if you price your jewelry at a fair level. However, the longer you hold a one of a kind piece, the more reasonable the price appears as time passes, as long as it isn't a fad item.
Customers may suggest that your prices are too high.This is insulting! But they will develop a certain respect for your refusal to cheapen the fruits of your creativity. And you will learn to seek out the customers for whom quality, originality, and uniqueness are more important than price.
Since this is not the sole source of income for you but is a way to make some money on the side, hold out for the higher price. Wouldn't you rather deal with customers who value your work properly?
Do business in a professional manner. Don't fall for layaways or sales on approval. Don't let customers take pieces without paying for them, or you will often be in the awkward position of having to chase them for the money. Try a jewelry party. It's fun, and you can sell to a larger group during the 2-hour session.
Beads by Mail Online Interesting Facts Bulletin April 12, 2004
Ancient Egyptians and Beads
The recent discovery of thousands of Egyptian mummies in a network of tombs reinforces the fact that Egyptians were obsessed with dressing the mummies in the proper clothing and jewelry to prepare them for their trip to the underworld.
Egyptian burial sites have provided knowledge about the history and use of beads in ancient civilizations because so much beaded material has survived in their sarcophagi. Much of this jewelry was too fragile to have been worn, but has survived because it was made specifically for use in the other world.
Egyptians practiced pantheism and also believed that the naturalistic likeness of a deceased person or creature in the form of a statue or painting contained the ka, or actual life-force, of that individual.
The Egyptian civilization was a peaceful one -- they were protected by the surrounding desert, yet the annual flooding of the Nile ensured that crops would flourish.
For example, children wore fish amulets to protect them from drowning.
The Ba bird, a statue of a person with huge outstretched wings, represents the soul of the dead.
The scarab or beetle signified rebirth, creation, and power. The bottom of the beetle was inscribed with a person's name. This led to the development of the signet ring.
Horus, the sky god, was a falcon wearing a double crown. Often only the eye of horus is shown on an amulet or carving.
Egyptians shaped jewelry into many different creatures such as snakes, birds, horses, monkeys and apes, frogs, pelicans, rams, or spiders. Each shape represented a specific type of power or idea.
Palm branches symbolized millions of years.
The basket symbolized royal power.
The patroness of birth is Toerris, the hippopotamus goddess.
Anubis, the jackal, was another symbol of royal power.
Osiris was the great god of the underworld; Isis was his wife, and her son was Horus-the-child.
Thoth was the god of wisdom. His sacred animals were the ibis and the baboon.
Astarte was the goddess of love and war, often depicted on horseback.
Pearls are symbolic of wisdom.
Egyptians wore rings with large bezels containing cartouches with symbolic meanings.
Much of the jewelry found in Egyptian tombs was made of faience, a vitreous (glass) paste which when fired turned a beautiful blue-green. Many pieces were made from gold worked in complex designs. Egyptians also used semiprecious stones such as agate, carnelian, quartz, lapis, and some of the jaspers. They were quite sophisticated in the jewelry fabrication techniques they used.
Statues and drawings from the early Egyptians are naturalistic, depicting facial features and body types exactly as they were. Most of the statues wear some type of jewelry, and we know that both men and women pierced their ears.
Beads by Mail Newsletter Februuary 2004
North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment --Outstanding New Book
Lois Sherr Dubin, the author of this magnificent work, published “The History of Beads” in 1987, and it's a beautiful book that every bead lover should own. In her most recent offering she has focused her considerable intelligence and energy on North American Native artwork. The quality of her research and her respect and admiration for the artistic accomplishments and traditions of Native artists is evident throughout. The subtitle is "From Prehistory to the Present" -- and the coverage of these historical periods is fascinating. The foreword was written by Chief Phillip Martin, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and begins, "Within these pages are gathered a magnificent array of beadwork, jewelry, and other regalia created by American Indians over more than a thousand years." Every page, and there are over 500 pages, is rich with color and b/w photos of jewelry, regalia, Indians in individual and group portraits, and charts. Dubin shows how today's Native silversmiths and beadworkers have taken over the spirit of the traditional shaman.
As a child I lived on a Reservation in Washington State. The experiences I had among a clan of Nez Perce Indians made indelible impressions on me. Although it was a bad period for them, tribe members possessed an inner calm and ability to be at one with nature. I will never forget watching the thrilling July 4 bareback breakneck horse race (men only) down a terribly steep high embankment into the Grand Coulee River! And I would give anything to have saved the magical beaded moccasins given to me as a gift by one of the elder women of the clan. I can still recall the smoky aroma of the tanned deer hide on which she had embroidered seed beads in a geometric design.
The book is chock full of tidbits, lore, and stories that needed telling (to the right listener). Just one example is the importance of corn or maize to the Southwestern native way of life. You will see some beads that resemble ears of corn on our web site. You could incorporate these corn beads as an offering to the Corn Maiden or to symbolize your reverence for Mother Nature, or He-She-Who-Created-Everything. (The ubiquity of delicious corn chips and other corn-based foods signifies the importance of corn in our civilization as well.)
We Get Requests
We ask for your help in locating some of the items our viewers have requested. If you are looking for hard to find beads let me post it here and other people might help locate it.
Lookalike Beads
We thought you’d like to know more about lookalikes-beads that you can comfortably substitute for other beads. We have many of these on our web site.
- Semprecious black onyx. You can use jet black druck beads. It is nearly impossible to see the difference.
- Semiprecious hematite. You can use the hematite druck beads. They are absolute dead ringers for the real thing. If weight is a consideration you should use the drucks because they weigh much less.
- Howlite. There are several (dyed) colors of howlite. You can get it dyed to look like malachite, lapis, or turquoise. The resemblance is very close. The lapis and turquoise are especially attractive. In smaller bead sizes such as 4mm, you really can’t tell that it is not malachite. Natural howlite is white with gray veins and is attractive on its own.
- Jade. This is one of the most frequently “forged” stones. Green aventurine does a good job of imitating jadeite, although it does not have the characteristic “waxy” look of jade. Amazonite, a very attractive light blue stone, has a waxy surface but is opaque.
- Dyed fossil stone. The lapis color is a perfectly good choice when you don’t want the expense of true gem lapis. When new, the fossil beads have more shine, due to the fixative that stabilizes the color, but this will decrease with use.
- “Rock” crystal, which is actually quartz. I have some semiprecious clear crystal beads that look exactly like their glass druck counterparts. There is no way to tell the difference, except that like all gemstones, the natural beads are cooler to the touch.
- We have clear crystal druck beads in 8mm at 25 beads for $2.49, on sale.
- Ivory. There are many substitutes for this prized and illegal material. Camel bone is the most frequently used substitute, and you will see hundreds of different styles and shapes. Whale teeth and other large animal teeth have also provided a canvas for skilled carvers and designers (scrimshaw) In an earlier age whalebone was used for corset stays. Bone is easy to carve and color, so you have a wide choice of designs. Certain types of bone amulets worn by Native American shamans possess the ability to help heal. Tribes used bones from bears, deer, and other kill in an effort to conserve and also to give respect.
Any additional suggestions on this topic will be welcome!
December 2003 Beads by Mail Newsletter: Amber, Copal, Turquoise
Amber
Millions of years ago—perhaps as many as 15 million years ago—in dense forests that flourished in Europe, Central and South America, Russia, and Europe, some of the trees released a sticky golden resin that trapped and held insects, plant material, small vertebrates, and other life forms.
A piece of transparent amber containing a perfectly preserved (extinct) bee, termite, beetle, cricket, spider, or plant part serves as a fossil record of a faraway time in the life of the earth. If it's the real thing it can also be extremely expensive. Nowadays it is almost impossible to determine if you are buying a forgery.
Many amber deposits have been discovered at the bottom of bodies of water, having washed there as a natural result of storms, upheavals on land, and other occurrences.
True amber fossils almost always contain extinct species. Therefore if a piece of amber contains a modern specimen, it might be a forgery. However, it would take the knowledge of a specialist to determine this.
Amber colors vary from a very pale yellow (“butter amber”) to a very dark blackish red (“cherry amber”).
The most desirable amber is transparent and contains one or more extinct life forms. Some of the more spectacular amber finds include amber containing a lizard more than 3 inches long, an entire gecko with a partially eaten leaf, a snake’s shed skin, a bird’s feather, a queen termite with all her wings still attached.
Forgers can fool even the specialists so you must be very careful when purchasing amber.
Copal
Copal is a highly fossiliferous substance with attractive colors that are in general lighter than those of older amber. Copal can also contain insects and plant material. It is much younger than amber, dating back only about 40,000 years, so it can be carbon dated. Copal comes mainly from Colombia, Dominican Republic, East Africa, or Mexico and is sometimes sold as amber or Baltic amber. Its molecules are not so tightly bound as those of amber, so you can put a red hot needle on the surface, which should release resinous fumes.
Copal can be softened by heat and various items can be placed inside. It can also be cut open to insert a dead bug or other item, glued back together, and would fool almost anyone.
Scientific Uses
Scientists can remove and examine cellular material that has been preserved in amber for more than 40 million years. Ancient DNA has been extracted from a stingless bee, a termite, a leaf, and a weevil.
Turquoise
Turquoise has been revered for thousands of years. 5500 years ago Egyptians mined it for Hathor, the Mistress of Turquoise. A beautiful sky blue, blue-green or rich green, it’s a compound of hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate found in only a few locations on earth. The earliest mines were in Turkey and Persia. (Turquoise is the French word for “Turkish.”)
Persian turquoise is clear pale blue and many consider it the finest color. American turquoise is a deeper sky blue. No matter the color, the stone can change its hue as you wear it, because its porosity picks up oils and perspiration as well as soap residue. Therefore the term “stabilized” turquoise means that the stone will not change color. Purists consider stabilized turquoise a travesty, but many admirers prefer to have a stone that remains the same color over the years.
Turquoise is believed to bring good luck and ward off disease.
The best jewelry designs using turquoise are created in the Southwest US by Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, or Laguna artists. However, many of these designers use imported stones as well as those mined near their homes in Arizona, Nevada, or New Mexico.
The Cerrillos area of New Mexico was probably the largest producer of turquoise, mostly from open pit mines. Native Americans mined turquoise over a thousand years ago, sending it south to Mexico and the Yucatan.
Gallup, New Mexico is a center of turquoise trading.
One of the world’s finest collections of turquoise jewelry is in Taos, New Mexico at the Millicent Rogers Museum. Ms. Rogers collected approximately 600 pieces of jewelry, mostly silver and turquoise, all hand-made by local artisans.
Turquoise is a sacred stone to many native peoples in the Americas and the Near and Far East as well as mountain areas like Nepal, Tibet, etc.
Turquoise jewelry can be made from treated or stabilized turquoise. There are some very good forgeries that use plastic, which is extremely difficult to spot. If you like the jewelry and it's priced reasonably there is no reason not to purchase it since most turquoise jewelry made today is costume jewelry.
September 2003 Beads by Mail Online Newsletter
We wish everyone a happy bead new year!
Please look at our new Czech machine cut faceted beads in Spring hues of peridot, jonquille, aqua, rose/copper, all with AB (aurora borealis) coatings. They are gorgeous, and the prices are very reasonable.
http://www.beadsbymail.com/austrian.htm
Our previously published newsletters are archived at
http://www.beadsbymail.com/archive.htm
We hope you're having as much fun opening your bead shipments and sorting your beads as we enjoy packing your orders. The beads are so colorful and various in their shapes and hues--it's downright relaxing just to gaze at them. We always find it interesting to see each individual customer's order in combination. It seems no matter what beads you choose, they always have a new look when packaged for shipment.
We have had some requests for unusual sterling silver beads. These can be quite expensive, sometimes as much as $10.00 each, so we have hesitated to offer them. If you would be willing to pay $1-$10 for one sterling silver (handmade) bead, please let us know, and we will make them available. Also if you could let us know what styles you are looking for it would help.
We thought it might be a good idea this newsletter to review some information about how to connect those beads together into designs. The topic this month is ...
FINDINGS.
The original meaning of "findings" was shoemaker's supplies and accessories. Another early meaning was contrivance or instrument. The OED shows that the first occurrence of this usage of findings was in 1843. Jewelers had been creating astounding, fantastic designs of precious metals and gems long before then. We think there was really no specific word--that survived in English-- for all the tiny elements that hold a jewelry design together until someone started using the term findings in the mid to late 18th century.
This is probably due to the fact that prior to mass production, jewelers created their own pieces in a limited number by hand, from karat gold or fine silver. Thus there were no such items available for purchase. With the invention of metal plating and mass production, these small pieces could be produced quickly and cheaply and sold on the open market.
Findings are mass-manufactured parts and pieces, usually metal, that you use for putting together jewelry. Findings include jump rings, split rings, bails, any type of clasp for a necklace or bracelet, fancy connectors, earring parts, headpins, eyepins, wire, bezels, prongs, shanks, posts, clutches (for post earrings), clip closures for earrings, any type of earring parts, mountings for coins, conchos, bolo slides and tips, chain, castings, hoops, drops, and so forth.
Stringing materials such as needles and cord, thread, beeswax, etc. are generally not considered findings.
ORGANIZING YOUR FINDINGS
It's really important to keep your findings organized and away from dust. Dust is the enemy of these metallic pieces! Small ziptop bags work best because you can see what's inside. We sell tiny reclosable baggies -- 1.5 inches square -- 3 dozen for a dollar; larger ones 2" x 3" are $1.29 for 2 dozen. See them at http://www.beadsbymail.com/toolbox.htm These are perfect for clasps, rings, small quantities of beads, or any small item. (I'm sure if you have received an order from us you have seen these.)
You should also get some plastic or lucite compartmented boxes to keep your findings and sorted baggies. You will find these boxes, available at any hardware store, invaluable for safe and visible storage. They take up very little space, your cats and toddlers can't get into them, and the boxes are nicely portable. I really like the smaller cabinets with 40 or more small clear plastic drawers, also from the hardware store. Although it would be a disaster if the cabinet fell over!
By the way if you have beads made from bone your dog will sniff them out ... be sure to keep them securely bagged and stored.
THE GREAT METAL DEBATE
Customers wonder if they should invest in expensive sterling or gold findings. It depends on the use and on your taste. For bracelet clasps, nickel plated or gold plated base metal are stronger, last longer. Sterling silver is not really robust enough unless you use really solid pieces. Sterling tarnishes, and gold sometimes turns skin black.
I prefer the base metal findings for many applications. However I do like the look of a sterling or carat gold clasp for a necklace or bracelet that has precious or semiprecious stones or beads, or special unusual beads.
Also I think sterling and karat gold earring findings add a lot to your designs. You should experiment with different combinations. Also visit a jeweler to see what he/she uses in necklaces and beaded bracelets, for example.
Gold fill is a wonderful alternative to karat gold. Gold fill is gold with more alloy so it's somewhat less pure. It looks just like 14k gold, but is much more affordable and may even be stronger.
Vermeil is a special very beautiful artists' metal, sterling with gold overlay. There are not many findings in vermeil, most jewelry designers craft a few for their own designs, as discussed above.
TOOLS
If I'm in a hurry I have been known to pry open a jump ring with my fingers. It's not recommended. Your manicurist will get mad.
Your single most indispensable tool is the chain nose pliers, and you need not spend a lot. We have a good chain nose pliers--$8.50. Reduced from $13.99.
http://www.beadsbymail.com/toolbox.htm
You also need a small size wire cutter. Most people seem to have one of these around the house. If not you can get one at a craft store or hardware store.
You also need a loupe. This really helps you see what you are doing when working with very tiny objects. The best is the kind you strap around your forehead leaving your hands free, but I have 2 small 10-power hand loupes -- one goes with me and one stays in the workarea. You should always take your loupe with you when you go out, you never know when you'll need it. It has saved me a lot of money. You'd be surprised what you can see with the loupe that is invisible to the naked eye. It also irritates the hell out of flea market sellers and mall jewelers when you pull out your loupe to examine their wares. I was once told the jewelry store's policy did not allow customers to look at items with a loupe. Bye-bye!
In general, this jewelry design process involves a certain amount of experimentation. You should try different types of metals, challenge yourself to make more advanced designs, try a new techniquwe such as wire wrapping or off-loom bead weaving, perhaps even take a class in lamp work bead making.
August 1999 Bead Bulletin from Beads by Mail Online THIS WAS OUR FIRST NEWSLETTER
On that not so distant day when we send our first man into space to visit an inhabited planet, with what offering should we provide him to assure his welcome? Even if the beings whom he encounters have mouths and ears as we, he will, most probably, not be able to speak with them. If they do have eyes, however, history suggests our answer—he should offer them a string of colorful glass beads. For the exploration of this world has been accomplished in the past with the aid of shining beads—beads of all the colors of the rainbow. They possess a magic and exert an appeal which touches on some deep longing in the inhabitants of this earth.
--The Universal Bead, Joan Erickson
Ms. Erickson observes that beads possess a "certain something" that fascinates us. This seems an apropos way t o start off this series of free newsletters about beads and gemstones. If you want to find out more about her very interesting book, go to http://www.beadsbymail.com/booklist.htm for the listing in our book list.
The purpose of this newsletter is to share our excitement about beads and bead crafting. If you want to contribute you will be more than welcome! Send any words to me at janey@beadsbymail.com . (Announcements of commercial content, e.g., bead shows, should be posted to the rec.crafts.bead or alt.beadwork news groups.)
In this issue:
***AUGUST BIRTHSTONE: PERIDOT *
**BEAD TRIVIA
In future issues:
How to make/do/create/design, along with any helpful hints for bead crafting. Supplies, tools, findings, techniques. Bead history and manufacture. Bead art and artists. Gemstones
We'll examine various topics in each issue.
The other most important idea behind this publication is: Unless there is something really interesting or compelling to communicate, we won't publish. But there's always something interesting, right?
I hope this forum will become a meeting place to share and communicate about beads.
PERIDOT – AUGUST BIRTHSTONE
A transparent greenish yellow or bottle green semiprecious stone found mainly in Australia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, St John's Island (in the Red Sea), Arizona. Mohs hardness 6.5-7. Silicate of magnesium and iron. Also known as olivine. Specific gravity 3.3.
Egyptians used peridot in jewelry as early as 1500 BC. They called it the gem of the sun. To ward off evil they wore a peridot strung on donkey hair. Powdered peridot was prescribed as a medicine for asthma. A peridot placed under the tongue was thought to decrease thirst in someone with a fever. Many additional magical properties were attributed to peridot over the centuries. Ancient Egyptians referred to peridot as topazos because it came from the island of Topazos, now St. John's. A peridot, however, is not a topaz. Confusing? Peridot has a distinctive oily or velvety appearance, and due to its softness, scratches easily. Large faceted peridots of good color are not expensive and can be extremely attractive. We're selling a 36-inch strand of peridot nuggets for $12.00. See it at http://www.beadsbymail.com/chips.htm This is the only sales pitch in this newsletter issue!
BEAD TRIVIA
I've been collecting these for years. Now I can pass them on to you!
Savion Glover (famous young tap-dancer) never removes the necklace of hand-carved wooden beads his grandfather made for him when he was "just a kid."
In New York City (where else …) an artist builds room-size installations from seed beads. Millions of 'em! She glues them into all kinds of abstract shapes. She even created a "lawn" of green seed beads and crystals. Look her up at http://www.nytimes.com in the archive under Venerable Bead. The article appeared in July this year.
Sotheby's set a record for a 13.8 carat marquise-cut yellow diamond ring -- $3,302,000. That's about $240,000 per carat, not unusual for a fine colored fiamond. The record was set in 1987 by the Sultan of Brunei's purchase of a .95 carat red diamond for $926,000 per carat.
In the great religions of the world, the pearl is a symbol of wealth, virtue, and wisdom.
Cultured pearls must by law receive a specific type of shell and tissue nucleus that comes only from the US. So Japanese cultured pearls get their start right here, mainly in Tennessee.
Pearls too small or flawed for jewelry get ground up as calcium carbonate for use in medicine, toothpaste, and cosmetics. Check out the ingredients label on your toothpaste! Ever wonder why teeth are called "pearly whites?"
Pearls were the most desired gems until the 19th century, when diamonds became the status symbol of choice.
It's said that Julius Caesar invaded Britain in hopes of getting pearls.
The color shocking pink was inspired by a rose-colored diamond of 17.27 carats known as the Tete de Belier (ram's head).
The Smithsonian has a walking stick completely covered in a seed bead design made in Cameroon.
Beads (and sequins) are used lavishly to create objects for the rituals of Vodou (voodoo). Haitian bead crafters make flags, covered bottles, deities, and miniature coffins. All these have specific roles to play in ceremonial situations.
Swarovski, the company that manufactures crystal beads and stones as well as calibrated gemstones, built a $12 million exhibit called Crystal World at their headquarters in Wattens, Austria. The exhibit includes crystal sculptures by Keith Haring and Niki de St. Phalle as well as a geodesic dome of 590 mirrors meant to simulate the inside of a crystal. If you go please send me some pictures!
Beadwork is one of the most compelling traditions in Africa. African peoples value beads for their artistic potential as well as for their intrinsic worth as currency. Beads play a principal role in the design of bridal aprons, headdresses, royal accoutrements, and religious rituals. Interestingly, many of the bead designs in African objects resemble the woven designs in American Indian rugs.
Alexandrite was named for Czar Alexander II. Discovered in Russia in 1830, alexandrite changes color: in daylight a blue-green, under incandescent light it is a brilliant purple-red.
Visit the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York City and ask to see the jewelry collection, which includes a 1000-year old Egyptian necklace, as well as contemporary jewelry from living artists.
The word crystal comes from the Greek krystallos, meaning ice-cold.
Bloodstone can stop a nosebleed, or so people once believed.
Diamond cutters soaked stones in goats' blood to make cleavage easier.
Garnets, once called carbuncles, were thought to possess great powers to protect against illness.
NEXT ISSUE: the truth about Jade! Inside information about Amber! And the September birthstone, SAPPHIRE you lucky Libras!
OCTOBER 1999 NEWSLETTER
Let us know if you get more than one newsletter. Please bear with us while we figure out how to email to a lot of people! Any suggestions as to good email programs would be appreciated – we have about 200 subscribers and more joining daily.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING GETS INTO THE BEAD ACT
The Do it Yourself *Fall 1999 issue of Good Housekeeping on the newsstands now has a color photo feature on using beads for Xmas ornaments and other attractive gift items. If you’re interested in making any of these email me for tips!
NEW BEADS BY OCTOBER 8
Now that we have cleared out some beads, we are making a glass bead buying trip on Monday October 4 to a warehouse space crammed with boxes of Czech, Japanese, Austrian, and German glass beads--so watch the glass page for news! You’ll be amazed at what we find--and the prices will be good!THIS MONTH: BEADED EMBELLISHMENTS ON CLOTHING
This month's focus is on making bead embellishments for your clothing and accessories. It looks complicated but it's REALLY easy.
Gorgeous designer dresses, tops, skirts, dripping with bead embellishment ... tricky-looking bead motifs sewn on clothing ... One of a kind beaded accessories ... does all this have you calculating how many years it would take to pay off the bill?
No wonder! It's beautiful and a really big fashion trend this season.
So you don't want to pay big bucks for an item with some beading? Convinced you can't copy these looks? Oh, but you can!
If you ever sewed on a button, altered a hemline, or if you have a mother or aunt who knows how to embroider, you're a bit ahead. But anyone can learn this fun craft. You were born to bead your blouses!
IT’S EASY
It's really easy to embellish your clothing and accessories with beads. All it takes is the right beads and tools and some expert advice. And that's why this newsletter may change the contents of your closet, and the compliments will keep you smiling as you bank the bucks you saved.
Think about the pocket flaps, collar points, scarf hems, hats, or evening bags just waiting for their magic sprinkling of beads.
Also, this type of creative handiwork is extremely relaxing to do. It will allow you a quiet breathing space and you will feel better. Even if you only have 15 minutes a day to bead, that’s enough to finish a project in a FEW DAYS.
Many crafters become frustrated when they don't have the right tools and supplies to do the work properly. Our kit contains everything including practice fabric swatches.
Before you leap into the big project, get started the right way by learning the basics. Our kit will teach you to be an expert in bead embroidery. The kit contains the right thread, needles, background fabric, and beads .... and we guarantee if you follow the EASY instructions, you'll see gorgeous results in minutes!
You need an ironing board and an iron .. you have those, right?
A word about sequins -- they're great, but tend to shatter with wear, leaving just the bead that you used to anchor the sequin.
P.S. Beaded items make great gifts! You’ve seen those cute scarves with beads along the edge … you could do one yourself very quickly!
P.P.S. Please send photos or scans of your creations so we can share them with the world!
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