Did you know the earliest known European beads date from around 38,000 b.c.e.? These beads - made from grooved animal teeth and bones - were found at La Quina in France.
Lava Rock beads are made from cooled down molten rock. They are lightweight, comfortable to wear, and fairly inexpensive compared to gemstones. Lava rock beads’ irregular shape and sponge-like textures make them an interesting element in jewelry design.
Do you know that back in ancient times, beads were made from various materials including wood, sea snail shells, tooth, bones, seeds, insects, and others? They were also used as currency in earlier times.
Pearl jewelry is known for its purity and sophistication. It is classic, elegant and luxurious. Jewelry made of real pearl beads gives a modern yet classy look.
Want to test the authenticity of coral beads? Simple, put some coral beads in a bowl of milk. If, after some time, the color of milk changes from white to slightly colored, it indicates that the coral beads are real.
Lampwork beads are handmade beads with elaborate patterns and designs. These beads can be created with a vibrant array of colors and layers of glass to suit different projects.
Crystal beads are made of leaded glass. They are mainly popular for their glittery and shiny surface that resembles diamond or other precious stone. As such, they are perfect for making special jewelry pieces.
When it comes to wood bead designs, the sky's the limit. The flexible nature of wood allows these beads to be sanded, turned, drilled, dyed, and painted with ease. Buy unfinished wood beads and customize them for your projects.
Seed beads are commonly used for beading projects, especially for embroidery and jewelry. They come in a variety of colors and shapes, such as square beads, delica beads, bugle beads, triangle beads, and hex beads.
Crystals can be cut into many different shapes such as rivoilis, bicones, rounds and rondelles. Crystal beads with flat-backs are called rhinestones, which have a wide range of applications in arts, crafts, and sewing.
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New to beading? Make sure you have the correct wire gauge before you start a project. Gauge is the thickness (diameter) of wire, and the smaller the number, the thicker the wire. For example, 10-gauge wire is thicker than 20-gauge.
For those who have trouble pulling their zippers up and down, a beaded zipper pull is a simple and colorful solution! You can choose colors that match the coat or jacket, and use as many beads as you’d like to make the zipper easy to grasp.
What is a cabochon? A cabochon is usually a gemstone, but it can be a bead made of glass or synthetic material. To use one, you have to place it in a metal piece called a cabochon setting.
The earliest known European beads date from around 38,000 BC, and were discovered at La Quina in France. The beads were made from grooved animal teeth and bones and were probably worn as pendants,
In the 1840s, Plains Indians utilized seed beads in designing necklaces and other kinds of jewelry as well as to adorn clothing. Most of the items created from seed beads served as barter materials for trading goods and services with other tribes.
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Glass seed beads are made by blowing or winding glass, while natural seed beads are handcrafted using a variety of plant seeds and nuts with holes drilled through them.
Pony beads are similar to seed beads, but they are not as small and are produced using various materials, including plastic or glass. The choice is purely an aesthetic one.
The most common material used to create seed beads is glass. After that comes metal and ceramic. Nuts and seeds are used to create natural seed beads.
Lampwork beads are handmade individually by melting slender glass rods with a flame torch, or originally, a lamp (hence the name). The hot glass is wrapped around a coated wire, which forms the hole of the bead.