HANDMADE STONE BEAD JEWELRY

It can be said that something retro is always in fashion, and now is the time for handmade
stone bead jewelry. Retro-inspired designs and new variations on vintage styles are popular items now.
Some of the gemstones used for natural bead necklaces, bracelets, finger rings, ear studs and earrings are:

Lava Stone Beads and Labradorite Beads Bracelet

LAVA STONE: this is real retro; the style originally of ancient Rome, classic but designed with a new look. Lava stone is  formed directly from the natural cooling of melted volcanic rock.
With their uniform color and elegant appearance, red, green purple, black or brown lava stone beads come in a great variety of shapes, round, oval, flat, or heart-shaped. Unique alone, but also combined with amethyst, turquoise and other stones in a complementary design.

Amethyst Ear Studs

AMETHYST: a quartz-like gemstone with a vitreous luster, found in light pink-purple, lilac and  deep violet-purple, this wine-stained gem's meaning from ancient Greek means 'sober or not drunk '. Makes a good combination with lava stone. Major sources are Austria, Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia, Canada, India, South Korea, some states of the USA and the Ural mountains.Once considered equally valuable alongside diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire. More amethyst deposits discovered recently have made the price of this gem much lower. The most highly valued amethyst is inclusion-free and is a uniform, deep purple throughout.

Amethyst jewelry such as bracelets can be combined with other stones, but amethyst alone can be used as it comes in a variety of hues. Can be worn with formal and casual attire equally well.

 Lapis Lazuli Bracelet

LAPIS LAZULI: a dark blue stone with gold flecks, lapis was created millions of years ago, Major sources include Afghanistan, Egypt, Canada and Chile. It was one of the first

 Onyx Beads with Crystal Ball Bracelet

ONYX: another quartz-like gem, mined in Uruguay, India. Mexico, Brazil and Pakistan, onyx is the most affordable of the black gemstones. It has a smooth surface like marble. Its hardness and fine texture make it suitable for carving into various shapes.  Highly recognizable by the typically back and white zebra-like bands running through the stone, though more common are the stones with bands of reddish or brownish.hues.
Cut and polished smooth or as a bead, onyx is a fine stone for prayer beads, rosaries and worry beads. In stone bead jewelry it is particularly beautiful in combination with other stones, pearls especially.

Freshwater Pearl with Crystal Ball Bracelet

FRESHWATER PEARL: pearls organically nurtured in an ideal environment. Japan popularized culturing techniques some 100 years ago but now China is the biggest producer of fine-quality freshwater pearls. These pearls have greater variety of color and size than marine pearls, making for more varied handcrafted designs.
Perfect in any number of jewelry items either on their own or with other stone beads.

Mother of Pearl Shell Bracelet

MOTHER OF PEARL SHELL: the mineral nacre from inside an oyster or similar mollusk, secreted as a coating to protect its soft body. One design that shows off its qualities is as a pendant necklace with a waxed linen cord selected to complement the iridescent hues of the mother of pearl. In addition, this shell is designed for finger rings, bracelet and earrings.

Turquoise Beads Bracelet

TURQUOISE: the gem regarded as sacred by ancient cultures across the world.  Hardness and
richness of color are the criteria used to determine its quality. Turquoise can come in
shades of green-blue or light blue. The fewer veins of inclusion a turquoise stone contains,
the more valuable it is. Turquoise can be made into beads of all shapes and sizes. Pricing of the beads depends, as for pearls, on their size in millimetres.


SYNTHETIC TURQUOISE: a good, less costly alternative to natural turquoise. The pulverized
stone powder is resin-impregnated, and the result is a bead that compares well with the real
thing. The synthetic stone may also have more luster than the natural one.

Synthetic Coral Beads Bracelet

SYNTHETIC CORAL: now that coral reefs, the natural source of coral, have been steadily
depleted, this product serves to fill the demand. It is easy to take care of and it is
virtually indestructible. Beaded coral jewelry with a mixture of pearls or strung with
natural Shiva Eye shell makes a stylish bracelet, and coral earstuds set in silver bezels make for intriguing designs.

Author: Michael Briton

Picture Credit:

http://www.naturalhandmadejewelry.com