A Small Treasure From Around The World The Gemstone Bead

By Author: Jaimes Watts
Total Articles: 38
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Gemstones carry a message from a distant land or from your own back yard. From the Mexican fire opal and its muted flames, to the icy African moonstone, and on to the startling blue of the Afghan lapis, gemstones are the international ambassadors of the jewelry world. A gemstone bead carries with it the flavor of its homeland. When strung into a lovely piece of handcrafted artisan jewelry, it becomes living art.

Incredible Flexibility

Unlike precious stones, gemstones are cut into a variety of shapes and sizes. While still measured in carats, their similarity to their upscale siblings ends there. You will never find an emerald cut into the shape of a crescent, but you can find lapis in that form. String those beads on a slender silver chain and you have a work of unique beauty.

Have you ever looked at spinel? This little gemstone is nearly as hard as a diamond, but comes in a variety of shades and in all the colors of the rainbow. Perhaps you prefer turquoise, long believed to hold medicinal properties and available in a variety of shapes – some carved some smooth. You can find nearly any color, ...
... shape or size when you look through the family of gemstones.

What can you do with a Bead?

One bead all by itself really doesn’t seem to have much potential, but in the hands of an artisan, that bead is combined with others and soon you have a strand that has as many uses as you can imagine. A long standing favorite is the opera length strand.

These long strands can be worn doubled appearing as multiple strands where only one exists. Make one strand long and the other short and you have a choker/draped necklace combination. Tie a gentle knot in one end and you create a new look. Only your imagination limits you.

Perhaps the nicest thing about the gemstone bead is that you can make a complete set of jewelry pieces from the same stone. A necklace, bracelet, and a set of earrings all made of one type of stone complement each other. Intersperse the same stones with sliver or gold beads and you have a completely different look.

The Options are Limitless

The variety of the gemstone bead provides artisans with a nearly endless palate of color, style, and shape to play with. With jewelry making techniques such as wire wrapping, stringing, weaving, and more, handcrafted pieces of beadwork offer you versatility and beauty at a fraction of the cost you would pay for precious gems.

To know more about jewelry clasps visit Design Jewelry.