Beads and Bead Making: A Brief History

By: Mark Saunders
Since time immemorial, humans have been finding ways to accentuate what they have to work with. We have been blessed with the ingenuity to craft things from nature and to use what we can find around us to our advantage. In the area of aesthetics and personal accents, one of the most longstanding and popular accessories are beads.

Look around you today and you will know what I mean. Humans of both sexes seem to lean towards the use of beads in many ways. From bags to clothes to jewelry beads are continuously being utilized. Have you ever thought of where beads and the practice of using them came from?

Beading has its roots in our ancient ancestors. Even before the modern” civilizations emerged, the early humans were already practicing some sort of beading. They would make use of sea shells, bones, seeds, seed pods, nut shells, and even teeth. In those times, however, the use of these accessories was more for a religious purpose than aesthetic.

With the rise of the Egyptian civilization, the knowledge of making glass was discovered. Naturally, glass beads became the norm. The ancient Egyptians became very adept at working with glass and they came up with countless combinations to make glass beads of various shades and hues. Not only that, they learned how to combine the glass beads with other precious and semi-precious metals and gem stones. The result was high quality and absolutely beautiful pieces of jewelry, which became sought after throughout the whole world.

The rest of the old world was not immune to the beauty of beads. The ancient Romans were known to trade beads. Even the violent Vikings and the Celts had their own brand of bead making experts. In North America, the Native American Indians have always incorporated beads into their culture. Even today, Native American beading is one of the most popular.

The people of Asia also have their own bead culture. Thailand, Indonesia, and other neighboring countries make use of the natural stones and gems found in their surroundings. Their beads are actually some of the most sought after beads in the world market today. Indeed, beads and beading have come a long way since that first instance when our ancestor picked up a piece of bone and strung it around his neck.

As you can see, beads and the art of beading are not limited by geography. Even better, with the trend in globalization today, people from all corners of the world have better access to beads from different countries and cultures. You can find beads in specialty shops in your area. Better yet, utilize the power of the Internet and can even find beads originating from various countries online.

The Jewelweaver is an online store that offers the best beads from all over the world. Their stock of beads includes beads made of glass, silver, opal, pearl, coral, crystal and more. They also offer tools and supplies that a beadaholic must have. For more information and to see their current stock, visit their web site at: http://www.jewelweaver.com.

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About the Author:For more information please visit www.jewelweaver.com/

The Joy Of Craft Bead Jewelry

By: Samantha Davis

The latest rage sweeping the country is to have jewelry made from different types of beads in assorted sizes, colors and textures. The more beaded jewelry the better as you can change the appearance of your outfits to be more dress-up or causal.

You can purchase beaded jewelry from local stores or you can make your own by using craft beads. Local craft shops such as Michaels, AC Moore and others offer a wide selection, superb quality and low prices for the beads they sell. Whether you are a novice or experienced working with beads, you will find the beads, findings, wires, threads, tools and everything else you need to create stunning jewelry and decor pieces for your home.

Craft beads can be plastic pony beads, fabric beads, paper beads, pearl, glass, to Swarovski crystals and everything in between. Stores that carry beads usually carry a wide selection of literally thousands of different types and sizes of beads.

Some of the more popular types of craft beads include Bead Heaven, Elegance Collections, Crystal Innovations, Better Beads, Elite Better Beads, Fancy Finery, Westrim, Blue Moon and Bead Gallery assortments. There is also a wide selection of Bead and Jewelry Making Kits that are perfect for people just starting to work with craft beads. These kits provide everything you need along with detailed instructions to get help you start and complete your project.

As with any craft, you will need to purchase the proper tools and equipment. These can be purchased individually or in sets. If you are not sure you want to invest this much money on a craft that you are not sure you will want to continue doing, you may want to take a special training class offered at your local craft store. They will have tools available for you to use and if you decide to continue working with craft beads, you can then purchase the extra supplies needed for your new hobby.

Your craft store will also be able to provide you with great ideas on bead projects. Whether you take their in-store classes, work independently with a prearranged kit, or if you buy a book, the ideas for your own craft bead jewelry will be unlimited. You can make sets that include your necklace, bracelet, earrings, and pin and each set will be uniquely yours, which is a one-of-a-kind jewelry set.

You may think that you do not have the talent to create your own jewelry or home décor items using craft beads, but you will never know unless you try. Sign up for a class and start out small. As your skills develop, you can advance to more complicated projects.

Before you know it, you will be an expert at making your own jewelry using craft beads and your friends and family will be asking you where you bought your jewelry. And, who knows, you may want to start your own home business making jewelry for other people to purchase. The opportunities are endless and you are only limited by your own imagination when it comes to using craft beads.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
For more information on crafts, try visiting http://www.craftguidance.com - a website that specializes in providing craft related tips, advice and resources to include information on craft beads

Semi-precious Beads for Jewellery Making

Author: Claire Humpherson

Making jewellery with beads is a rewarding and enjoyable hobby. Semi-precious beads are an ideal medium to work with in order to produce a special, meaningful and long lasting jewellery design. There are many different types of gemstone bead but those most popular for jewellery making are listed below. Read on for details of the properties, appearance and how best to use these special beads when making a necklace, earrings or bracelet.

Agate Beads
Agate beads tend to be available in red and black, and often display stunning banded markings in white. Yellow and green agate are found less frequently but are hugely popular due to their vibrant colouring. Agate is ideal for making striking pieces and is often available in larger bead sizes which make fabulous feature beads for necklaces. Try using black and red agate together for a stunning contrast. Make sure banded beads stand out by stringing them with plain beads.

Amethyst Beads
Amethyst makes beautiful beads which vary in shades of purple. A-grade amethyst beads are top quality, displaying a beautiful clarity and an even colouring. Lower grade amethyst beads may display some cloudiness and natural inclusions.
A great stone for jewellery making, amethyst is often available in various sizes of round beads, gem chips, tumbled nuggets and faceted beads. These beads look fabulous simply spaced with small silver spacer beads. Swarovski crystal beads are available in an amethyst shade which adds real glamour to your amethyst jewellery designs. Contrast these purple beads with greens to make more vibrant jewellery.

Fluorite Beads
Fluorite is a popular gemstone that is usually green and purple in colour. Colouring can be dark or pale, and each bead can vary individually.
Fluorite pendants
are such a popular item for jewellery making. These can be matched with fluorite beads, hung on a simple chain for an effective yet simple design or matched with a stone that brings out the purple or green colouring in the pendant. It is best to try not to overpower the natural beauty of fluorite as it can be subtle.

Jasper Beads
Jasper beads and pendants vary widely in colour and appearance. However, in general jasper is recognised by its beautiful and intricate patterning. Types of jasper such as picasso jasper have such unusual markings they look as though they have been painted.
When making jewellery with jasper beads or pendants it is best to match with a plain coloured stone, silver or gold bead as anything too busy will fight with the gorgeous patterns in the jasper.

Quartz Beads
Quartz is also known as crystal as it is clear in appearance. Clear quartz beads are useful to space between brighter or more patterned beads as they won't fight against them in a jewellery design. Faceted quartz beads catch the light beautifully.
Another popular type of quartz is rose quartz. Soft, pale pink in colour, rose quartz is a very romantic stone. Using rose quartz with silver beads creates jewellery that is beautifully simple and sophisticated.

Using semi-precious beads to make jewellery is a fantastic way to make a personal gift for a loved one. They can even be used to make keyrings, handbag charms, mobile pohone charms and more. If you haven't already started making jewellery and accessories with semi-precious beads then I recommend you have a go!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/semiprecious-beads-for-jewellery-making-615588.html