ABOUT THE GEMSTONES
The beads are sourced from reliable online wholesale companies and gemstone dealers, many of whom I know from my contacts in the jewellery trade. The beads are already polished, shaped, drilled and sold in 16” lengths. This is the job of a skilled lapidarist, as they have to know how best to cut the raw materials. The gemstones are very hard, so they have to be cut with diamond tipped tools using running water to cool the drill or grinding stone.
I love all the colours and natural patterns of Gemstones. It’s so hard to choose when I go to a Rock and Gem Fair. I’m like a child going into a sweetie shop! After looking for good quality, I’m mainly guided by price when I buy, to keep the price of the finished article affordable. Under the listing of each piece on my website, I state the stones used.
The vast majority of my beads are from the Quartz family as it’s a large group. It includes the more rustic colours of Jasper, such as Dalmation Jasper (Spotty on beige body colour), Picasso Jasper (looks like scribbles on greyish colour), Landscape Jasper (wonderful brown/beige/grey patterns). The amazing layers and stripes of Agate which take a high polish, Crazy Lace, Blue Lace, Botswana Agate (striped grey, white, pinks and browns) Orange and Red Cornelian, Moss Agate, Onyx. Then there are all the familiar stones, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine, Rock Crystal.
STONES
Other stones used, depend on what I see at the time. Many can’t be sourced again, keeping my pieces unique.
Here a few of the others:
Amazonite
Amazonite is an aqua blue stone that has become more reasonable after finding a source in China. Originally it only came from the banks of the Amazon.
Labradorite
Labradorite. This comes from Labrador in Canada. It has lovely flashes of colour through a greeny grey background colour. Again, it’s quite expensive in larger good quality beads. Snap up a piece of jewellery quickly if you like Labradorite.
Garnet
Garnet, red Pyrope. I use small beads as spacers, sometimes I find nice nugget beads for larger designs.
Turquoise
Turquoise. Natural Turquoise is usually resin bonded to keep it stable as it’s quite a soft stone. Dyed Howlite is a cheaper, more readily available substitute.
Sodalite
Sodalite, a blue/white stone, is easy to come by and not expensive.
Howlite
When dyed blue, Howlite is a cheaper substitute for Turquoise.
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is becoming expensive and rare, as it mostly comes from Afghanistan, with all that country’s problems.
Pearls
Pearls. The pearls used are all bright, good quality freshwater cultured pearls. Natural colours are used as much as possible but some are dyed with a permanent dye, to give a range of colours.
Kind Words
BLOG POST
A little bit about Quartz, it’s a large family of stones.
Many of our familiar stones belong to the Quartz family, so I won’t attempt to talk about them all in
Labradorite, a beautiful stone related to Moonstone.
What is Labradorite I hear you ask? Labradorite is a beautiful stone from a family of gemstones called Feldspar (which
Broken or Unused Necklaces?
Do you have broken beads or necklaces you no longer wear? I am a professional pearl stringer. I can re-design
WORLDWIDE SHIPPING
But only UK shipping is included in the price of the jewellery
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MADE WITH LOVE
Handmade in the UK
