Making Your Own Bead Jewelry

Creating your own bead jewelry is a creative hobby that allows you to produce unique pieces for yourself, family and friends. Here is how you can get started. If you ever asked yourself “couldn’t I do that myself?” as you looked through rows of bead bracelets, necklaces or earrings at a trendy boutique, the answer is “yes”. Beading is a creative and entertaining hobby that not only will have you produce unique, handmade items of jewelry, but will also be a great source of gift ideas for family and friends. The first step would be to find a good local bead shop. While there are wonderful mail order catalogs and websites that will sell you all the supplies, nothing substitutes for the support and advice of experienced sales personnel. Ideally, this store would also offer a number of beginners’ classes that would help you learn basic techniques (if there is no bead shop in your town, some introductory books such as The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beading will have to do). Start with a simple project, such as a bracelet or basic necklace, and do not go overboard with expensive beads and findings (clasps, hooks, etc.). You might be wanting to use Swarovski crystal, sterling silver and semi-precious beads right now, but you can work up to that later. Some stores will even offer packaged starter kits that include a beading board (which helps you with project layout and measurements), some basic tools, beads, wire, findings and a how-to-book. You should then set up your “beading space” – preferably an uncluttered, well-lit area. You might have to invest in a good lamp, maybe one combined with a magnifying lens. Remember, you will be stringing some rather tiny objects! Make sure you have plenty of containers to keep different types and colors of beads separate – nothing will spoil your joy of beading like having to hunt for a single bead in a jumbled pile. Beading stores will sell you various storage systems (including beading bags for the beader-on-the-go), but you can also experiment with inexpensive plastic containers meant to hold small hardware or fishing tackle. Well, there you are ready for your first bead jewelry project! Don’t forget to protect your beading space from curious cats and toddlers. Happy beading, and have fun waring your hand-crafted...

Green amber is a form of natural Baltic amber that has a very dark, rich green color. Amber of any color is formed from fossilized resin produced by pine trees, and most amber is between forty and sixty million years old. The green occurs when organic material from plants is trapped within the natural amber, giving the green color. The various chemical compositions and variations on the plant materials that became covered with the thick and sticky resin provide the variations and patterns in green amber. The tones and shades of green will vary within the amber, and the unique rich colors will captivate the eye and draw attention to the beauty of the gem itself. Green amber is considered to be more valuable than the more common brown amber, but the most valuable and rarest of ambers is the clear and completely transparent amber. Amber and legend In many ancient traditions and religions, amber is seen to have a special place. The ancient Chinese defined amber as “tigers soul” and wearing amber was believed to give the wearer the strength and courage of a tiger. The ancient Greeks believed that amber represented the tears of Apollo’s daughters, and considered the gems to ward off evil spirits. Due to the amber’s chemical composition, it first attracted mystics with its properties of transparency and the appearance of movement within the gem as the light hit from different directions. In addition amber would burn if heated in a fire, and this added to its qualities and uniqueness. Amber jewelry has been found that dated to the Paleolithic area, around 12,000 B.C.  Both the Celts and the Romans used amber as a rare commodity in trading. In the 1100’s Gdansk was the major center of amber production, and the Baltic area continues to be the largest producer of amber to this day. Green amber in jewelry The beautiful rich colors of green amber make it a natural match for both silver and gold jewelry. Green amber (like all amber), while considered a gemstone, is one of the few gems that is not of mineral origin. The more colored and patterned the green amber is the more the jeweler can use these patterns to work into the setting of the gem. Green amber that also contains fossilized material is very rare and very valuable. Green amber is a soft gem, and is very warm to both the touch and to wear. It is not cold against the skin like other gems, and amber collects and stores static electricity. Very lightweight, amber is an excellent gem for earrings as it adds little weight to the metal that it is set in. Green amber is used in making bracelets, necklaces, rings and all other forms of jewelry.  Green amber is easily cared for with simple polishing or buffing to remove the slight scratches that may occur on the surface of this soft...