Metal Beads in Silver, Gold, Cloisonné, Filigree, Other Metals, & Charms
FREE ... Every bead order includes FREEBEES--$5, $10, up to $20 worth OF MORE BEADS!
Silver & Gold Add Sparkle & Shine
Our sterling beads are hand made in the USA, Bali, Israel, Japan, China, India.
If there is no Add to Cart button it means the item is sold out. Call/email for more information.
We display beads at close to actual size, and are not responsible if your monitor displays the images differently. Please take the time to look at everything on this page. The descriptions for each photo convey a lot of information.
How light passes through a bead is an important design consideration. Many of the beads in this category contain "negative space," or openings where there is no material, just air. Negative space can be an important design component. Other examples of the expert use of negative space are found in lace, ironwork, the grilles on vintage automobiles, Victorian "gingerbread" trim on houses, snowflakes ...
A Word About Measurements
We usually give bead measurements in mm (millimeters). One inch = 25 mm. So a 12mm bead is about a half inch. We try to show beads at their actual size, but your monitor may show them larger or smaller. So please take note of the sizes we indicate--as well as all the other details we provide.
FREE ... With your order of $80.00 or more (excluding Kenneth Jay Lane) you will receive $20 worth of beads & findings
FREE ... With your order of $50.00 or more (excluding Kenneth Jay Lane) you will receive $10 worth of beads & findings with sterling bail, ready to wear.
Unique Dzi Beads with Sterling Ends
Very special, unique "dzi" beads with sterling repousse endcaps. They are old. The size is impressive, 2 inches to 2.25 inches long, 16mm in diameter at the center. Would be outstanding with the mammoth ivory pendant or any of teh interesting bone beads on this page. Dzi bead with sterling, $24.99 each.
Antique Afghan Inlaid Silver Ornament
A dramatic silver hand worked ornament, consists of a solid repoussed silver piece with 6 dagling elements made of oval, round, and diamond shapes. Each symbol certianly has a meaning although i dont know what they mean. The 3 glass chunks are set in hand-tooled bezels. The center one is emerald green, the others citrine colored. Length of the piece is 5.5". Take it to your jeweler to get a hole drilled so you can put it on a cord. Afghan inlaid silver ornament, $48.00.
Sterling Star of David
Sterling Star of David, in marcasite or with gemstone points. Each is about the size of a quarter.
The marcasite version also has a repousee bail with an interesting woven design. The gem set star has garnet,
rose, citrine, amethyst, peridot and aqua stones set into each point. Star of David, $45.00 each.
Delicate, Antique "Shard" Porcelain Pendants
These one of a kind pendants, created from antique porcelain pottery shards, get snapped up whenever I have them. On the left, a man doing Tai-chi, 1.5" wide. Middle, an older gent with a parasol at the river. Right, a young man in traditional scholars' clothing, 1.75" high. Each shard is set into a sterling bezel and has a loop for your fine silk cord. The background is pure white, and the pastel tints are lovely and permanent. Shard pendant, $59.99 each.
Beautiful Goldtone Accent Beads
Beautiful gold spacers with rich 18k gold plating over pewter. Very reasonably priced and look like real gold. The applied granulation gives an ornate look. There are 3 designs, priced the same. Top, dotted berry, SOLD OUT. Middle, Dotted cylinder, 5mm, 39 beads on 8" strand. Bottom, dotted rondel, 5mm, 54 beads on 8" strand. Gold plated pewter accent beads, 8" strand any design, $14.99 per strand.
Old Coins with Hole
Here are some coins I had my jeweler drill. Each coin has a hole at the top. There are 12 coins sized from 20mm to 28mm. They would be perfect for ethnic styles or a charm bracelet. Most are copper with a nice antiqued finish, others are silver. Drilled coins, 12 for $6.50.
NEW Decorative Components with Swarovski Crystals!
Every one of these high quality, well made components will lift your designs out of the ordinary into the very special. Most are a very delicate size, 25mm high and about 18mm wide. The larger rectangle, "bloom", is 30mm x 24mm. Each one has 2 sets of loops on the back for double stringing. You can also string them with one strand. The loops don't show to the front. The surfaces are nicely textured and the colors are superb, accented by Swarovski crystals to match. Above is an extreme closeup of the purple daisy enlarged many times, so you can see the excellent detail and fine workmanship on these components. I can think of many ways to add them to beads or pendants strands. The colors are pure and true. (The lighter streaks are reflections from the cellophane wrappers.) You can order POSEY in hyacinth, daffodil. You can order DAISY in amethyst, peridot, or rose. SPRAY is available in gold only. BLOOM is available in rose only. Posey, spray or daisy, 3 (same color) for $8.99, 6 (any 2 colors--specify mix on shopping cart) for $16.99. Bloom, rose only, $7.99 each, 3 for $18.99 save 20%.
A Few Design Ideas
Of course, these sparklers go perfectly with swarovski crystal beads! Here are a few combinations to show you the size and how they look with various glass & gem beads. Ask for the instruction sheet to make the Lady Bracelet, we can email it.
Copper Bead--Is Copper the New Silver?
Copper works up into a detailed, elegant bead. These are 12mm and very finely detailed with rope and exacting wire trim.
Color is darker & more coppery than photo.
Solid copper, no plating! Findings to match on the toolbox page. Copper bead, 4 for $10.99, 15 for $33.00 save 20%.
Ba-Gua or Yin Yang Disc--Protecct Yourself
This octagon disc bead is the mystical ba-gua that incorporates the 8 trigrams of the I Ching. The design is used to plot correct feng shui arrangements. Bagua prevents any bad "chi" from hurting you. Wearing the ba gua is said to bring good luck an dhealth. Each triangle or trigram of the octagon signifies the power and perfection of the universe. The yin-yang in the center is the Chinese symbol for balance, the uniting of 2 opposites. The disk is 20mm in diameter and about 8mm high in the center. It looks good with any of our other silver, gold, or semiprecious beads. Finished on both sides. Octagon disc, $3.75 each.
NEW bead --Ancient Style Beads made Today--Hill Tribes
I looked for these finally found them. Resin beads with sterling endcaps in 3 sizes.
The red is really deep & pure. The "amber" has mottled areas. Both colors opaque.
The silver endcaps are carefully made--there is a coiled rope design and a floral design.
Try these with some of our African hand made metal accents below.
Amber size, 28x30mm. Large red size, 32mm x 24mm.
Small red size, 12mm x 10mm.
Hill tribes repros, amber/silver, each, $5.99, large red/silver, $8.99 each,
small red/silver, 5 for $12.00, 10 for $20.00. The large brass beads are a modern reproduction of a very old style of
filigree. They are about 30mm long & 15mm at the widest point. Each bead is slightly different
from the others -- visual appeal from Ghana.
Nice large holes. Brass filigree from Ghana, 4 beads for $9.99. The other bead in the photo is a "daisy" spacer, only this style has a double row of "dots"
around the edge. Size 6mm. Bali sterling daisy spacer 6mm, 10 for $4.99, 20 for $7.99.
Hand made Beads from Hill Tribes
These large amber-toned beads have fascinating sterling silver overlays. Lovely melon shape
and large holes too. Size 32x24mm. Photo enlarged to show details. Amber-toned oval bead with sterling overlay, $16.99 each, 2
for $28.99 save 20%
Hand made Beads from Ethiopia, Ghana
Here are some wonderful funky hand made silver & brass beads from Africa.
They make great accents and fillers with any type of gem or bone bead! Top row,
a wrapped wire tube, slender, you don't have to master wire wrapping just use these!
Bright silver, 12mm long, with a large hole. Wrapped wire tubes, 20 pieces for $8.50, a strand of 50 pieces for $18.00.
Next the silver rondels, with an appealing matte
lustrous finish. These are about 3mm and strung on a thick cord so they must have
large holes for such a small bead. Silver rondels from Africa, 32" strand for $28.00.
Oriental Lily Bead in Silver or Vermeil
This bead is a very elegant accent bead. It is slightly puffed,
with the same design on both sides. The bead has 6 openings in its more or less oval shape
for multiple stringing options. The silver version is slightly antiqued to bring
out the embossing. The gold version has a very rich effect. Size 23mm x 14mm.
Silver or gold lily bead, 4 for $7.50.
Antique Silver Beads--China
Here are 2 pairs of very old Chinese silver beads. The round ones are embossed
with fish, aquatic plants, and are 25mm with quite large holes. The long oval beads
have 3 butterflies, one blue, one pink & yellow, one teal, with quite a bit of colorful enamel
in teh cloisonné style. These are 40x14mm with small holes. They are quite elegant.
Large round silver beads, sold out. Long oval cloisonne beads, 2 for $18.00.
Terms Used in Metal Working:
Bali style Sterling Spacers
Two styles of high silver content (.975) beads from Bali. Nicely finished in
the antique silver color which emphasizes details. Top of photo a "beaded" rondel with a
nice large hole that fits leather cord, ribbon, etc. Note the 2 rows of twisted rope each
side of the center. Lots of painstaking work done on these. Size 6mm x 9mm. Nice weight.
Bali Sterling "beaded" rondel, sold out
Save with our 5mm daisy spacer, same quality only a bit smaller, bali daisy spacer 5mm economy style
50 for $7.99, 100 for $11.99, 200 for $20.00.
High Quality Clasp with Inset Gem Handmade
These are extremely well made (by hand) sterling silver clasps with either an amethyst or a peridot
stone set in the middle, surrounded by rope twist and granulated trim. Note that they have a soldered ring on each side to which you attach your
stringing cord. Very easy to open-close and quite lovely. Liberal use of high-grade 97% sterling. Length,
1.5" including the rings. You can assort colors, just input choices on the shopping cart page.
Clasp with gem setting, $8.00 each, 4 for $25.00 assortable.
Sterling Rose Pendant, Hand Made
These solid sterling rose pendants are really beautifully hand crafted in Bali. The silver is very pure and
the detailing is fantastic as you can see. Each rose measures a full 28mm in diameter (with some variation) and
is 8mm high. The loop is positioned just right for hanging so that you can't see it from the front.
We highly recommend this item.
Sterling rose pendant, $10.00 each, 3 for $26.00.
Featured Cloisonne Bead Star design
I love these beads! 3 colors: bright green with dark green star or diamond, medium blue with navy star,
and lilac/purple stars. (Lemon yellow sold out) The silverwork is complex.
Beads are very pleasant to touch because of the highly textured
surface. 14mm. There is one style in greens with diamonds.
Cloisonne 2-tone star bead, specify color, 2 beads same color for $4.99.
Cloisonne Cylinder, Floral Motif
Here is a pretty cloisonne cylinder bead with detailed floral design in maroon and 2 shades
of blue with silver etching. 18mm long. Cloisonne cylinder, 4 for $6.99, 8 for $11.99 save 20%.
Dramatic Cloisonne Bead Diamond design
I love these beads! 2 colors: a soft and lovely golden amber enamel with dark red
dots and diamond detailing or a pure turquoise with garnet,
lapis, and carnelian accents. The silverwork is complex. The amber enamel is shiny, which is not obvious from the
image. It is very pleasant to touch because of the highly textured
surface and the egglike shape. 22mm x 15mm. If you want to assort the 6-bead quantity, input your choices
on the comments box at the shopping cart. Cloisonne Diamond design, Amber & silver or turquoise & silver, 2 beads for $6.99,
6 beads (assorted) for $14.00 save $7.20.
Use a Heavy Cord & Make it Part of the Design
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| Sometimes you just want to make something with a heavy cord, tie some crunchy knots, and feel like a Berber Princess. The design shown above might be what will work for you. The beads have very large holes and a lot of character! The cord is a silky aqua twisted rayon (we don't sell it sorry). Sometimes it's fun to go to the trimmings department and look at different types of cords. Make sure you cut enough cord, since the knots use it up quickly. You might need to dip the cord end in glue to keep it from unraveling. To wear, just tie it around your neck with a square knot. Or, make a loop by wrapping sewing thread around many times, and tying it off, then sew a button to the other cord end. Make a pair of chunky earrings to go with it. (Photo reduced.) This is an old photo & the beads are all sold out--sorry. |
Delightful Cast Bee Bead
The photo above shows the wonderful realistic bee bead, cast pewter, detailed on both sides, with a nice large hole as well. We also show a pewter ear stud finding in the shape of a zinnia or daisy, with a loop, that matches the finish on the bee perfectly. The bee bead is 12mm long with a wingspan of 24mm. You can gently pry the "antennae" straight for a different look. The flower ear stud is 20mm with a post on the back. Lead free pewter. Bee bead, $1.99 each. Flower ear stud, sold out.
Thanks to the Honeybee We Have Apples!
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| Here is a necklace idea with our beautiful cast bee bead ($1.99 each) and the leaf beads with the apple pendant (sold out). |
| Right, an earring idea with the bee bead and a rhodonite bead. |
At the Bazaar
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| Precious lapis and pearls with carnelian, set off by our lapis-blue pressed glass oval pendant and silver, red, blue enamel diamond design oval bead. The pendant is sold out. (the oval silver bead with red and blue enamel in Turkish style is 2 for $6.99). The 4mm lapis beads are $27.00 for 100. |
See What You Can Do
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| The carnelian butterfly is happy to be flying with our oval cloisonne diamond pattern beads 2 for $6.99 (metal page), tan colors, and our Aussie wood beads 20 assorted for $7.99 (bone page). Added garnet 5.5mm rounds for accent. |
Studded with color and Embossed
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| Above, think about this bead with some accompanying gemstones like turquoise, coral, jade, for those are the stones that have been inlaid into bezels riding high on the surface of this bead. The maker also scattered smaller floral shapes centered with protruding granulation all over the remaining surface. Each bead has about 6 studs with gemstone cabs 5mm in diameter. This bead looks like a very old "find" from a historic site. The bead itself is 15mm--copper based silver plated. Studded silver bead, $5.50 each. |
Beautiful Flower Basket Pendant
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| Above, artistry in silver over copper. Detailed and dimensional flower basket pendant same on both sides, with a hanging loop and 2 loops on the lower edge to add more of your own creative style. Note the fine "wicker" detail on the basket. The pendant is 32mm x 28mm, that is less than 1.5" high. I enlarged the photo somewhat to show the detail. You won't believe the price for this unique centerpiece! From the Orient. Basket pendant, $6.99 each. |
Sterling Silver Hand-Enameled Direct from India
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| We found these beautiful hand enameled sterling styles in India. You will love the quality
and originality. These beads will help you create many beautiful designs. The colors are
the traditional jewelry colors used for centuries. I doubt you will see these styles elsewhere! There are no rough edges to catch on clothing.
The red is much richer than in the photo. Also the enamel has a
deep intense glow that doesn't show here. It has been applied liberally and in many layers.
Counting From the left, beads #1 & #5 are available, the rest are sold out. |
Gorgeous round "polka dot" enameled bead --dark blue base with double rope circles filled in with red & green. Enamel #5, $3.99 each.
Elegant Hand Enameled Sterling Bead Necklace
 
Our wonderful hand enameled sterling beads from India are splendid in this necklace. The bright blue
pyramidal shape bead used as the focus of the earring is truly original.
The colors of these beads are deep and pure. |
The Swinger
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| Above, we show 3 views of this carefully modeled cast sterling silver pendant of a man or woman enjoying the pleasure and relaxation of a swing. About an inch high--the photos are somewhat enlarged to show the perfection of the silverwork. Hand made, a tiny work of art. Loop on top for hanging. I was holding it with my pliers -- Sterling swinger, $35.00 . |
Realistic Sterling Dragonfly Pin in Flight
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| A delicate sterling filigree dragonfly pin with turquoise eyes and deep purple enamel body, tail, and wing decor. The tail is flexible. The back is beautifully finished as well. Secure clasp. Well made by hand. Wingspread is 2", height just under 2". He is waiting to land on you! Sterling dragonfly, $24.99 each, very reasonable price considering all the work that went into this piece. |
Hand-Made Sterling Silver Beads from Bali
Above left, lacy tapered bead with filigree pattern & tiny openings. One of our best sellers. 10mm. Sterling lace bead, $1.50 each.
Sterling Alligator Charm
Above right, exquisite lifelike alligator charm with lots of detail. Smooth on the back. 30mm. Sterling alligator charm, $3.99 each.
Basic Sterling Silver Beads
Spacers are (usually) smaller beads of gold, silver, or glass that you string between the larger focus beads. They can really dress up the design and provide added interest because they separate the focus beads and serve as a type of "background." We show a few different types, actually there are hundreds of possible spacer beads in precious metals as well as plated.
Treasures from the Far East
Jade and Silver Necklace
| This design shows the dramatic impact of silver with jade. The fascinating center piece is a "50 silver" bead representing longevity. Jade is a revered and protective gemstone in Oriental tradition. You can see the longevity bead on this page further down. The center longevity silver bead is attached to t the necklace with a headpin. Scroll further down on this page for more information about the jade beads, which are shown in the necklace in 6mm and 8mm sizes. |
Artistic, Colorful Silver Bead
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| This bead has so much beauty and interest it deserves a closer look. Blue tones predominate, with a larger cobalt area representing a river, and there are areas of soft pink and green in a flower and a green star with 3 pink dots. A very artistic rendering with silver wire. 12mm. Enamel star bead, $2.99 each. |
Cobalt Silver Figural Bead
A gorgeous bead of silky smooth cobalt enamel with embossed bright silver design of a frog in the midst of leaping for a butterfly. 14mm. Cobalt bead, 2 for $5.99.
Tapered Drop Shape Floral Cloisonne
Delicate floral tracery in pink and green with blue accents cover a tapered drop shape bead. 12mm. Cloisonne floral tapered bead, 6 for $4.99, were 4 for $6.99.
Blue Maroon Floral Cloisonne
Pretty, detailed cloisonne bead in blue with maroon and lighter blue accents and delicate silver tracery. 12mm. Blue maroon bead, 2 for $3.99.
Silver Longevity Bead
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| An example of highly skilled repoussé work, this silver bead would make a lovely focus piece at the center of an Oriental theme necklace or choker. The central symbol represents longevity and is held by two bats, revered creatures in Oriental thought. On the other sides, 4 ying-yang circles represent completeness or perfection. The design is on both sides. We darkened the photo a bit to show more detail, the silver is actually much lighter. Size: 38mm in diameter, 11mm high in the center. There is a triangular perforation at the tails of the bats for stringing. Longevity bead, $9.00 each. |
Detailed Circular Cloisonnne
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An example of highly skilled cloisonné work, this donut-shaped bead with a medium-green slightly iridescent background, and pink/white/green floral designs inside the gold cloisons. The design is on both sides. The center hole could accommodate a bead up to 3mm for added interest. Size: 15mm. For the bracelet we made links using goldtone eyepins. cloisonné donut, 4 for $9.99. |
Ba-Gua or Yin Yang Disc
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This octagon disc bead is the mystical ba-gua that incorporates the 8 trigrams of the I Ching. The design is used to plot correct feng shui arrangements. Bagua prevents any bad "chi" from hurting you. Wearing Each triangle or trigram of the octagon signifies the power and perfection of the universe. The yin-yang in the center is the Chinese symbol for balance, the uniting of 2 opposites. The disk is 20mm in diameter and about 8mm high in the center. It looks good with any of our other silver, gold, or semiprecious beads. Finished on both sides. Octagon disc, $3.75 each. |
Tube Bead with Scorpion Symbol
This silver-embossed tube has the most beautiful cerulean blue background. The ends of the bead have a darker blue band. The embossing represents a scorpion. Size 20mm x 6mm, drilled lengthwise. Blue scorpion bead silver or gold trim, 2 for $5.25.
Floral Cloisonne
These basic cloisonné beads have detailed floral designs, in lavender, pale green, red, black, cobalt, or pink/aqua. 8mm. You may assort, specify colors on the shopping cart page. REDUCED! were 4 for $6.00. 8mm cloisonne 4 for $3.25.
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