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.

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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

2009 Beads Jewelry Fashion Trends Forecast

In 2009 you’ll see more bright and natural colors in fashionable beads jewelry…

Spring of 2009 is right around the corner and there’s no better time to plan for the upcoming bead jewelry trends than right now, before the 2009 spring and summer seasons really begin! Predicting future fashion and jewelry trends is always a little bit of a game, but I’ve been reading a lot of fashion magazines, listening to my customers that visit my bead jewelry display table and generally talking to people about what they are looking for. There are some definite trends for 2009 and here are some of the things I’m hearing:

Colorful and Natural

I have seen some emphasis on "nature" influences which sometimes shows itself in the materials such as wood or stone beads use in jewelry, but I’ve also seen a lot more "flower" and "leaf" shaped beads and pendants on the scene. Any sort of botanical or organic looking jewelry pieces or beads are still popular from what I’ve seen. I don’t make much, but I’ve actually had people asked me if I have anything that has "natural warmth".

Big and Beautiful

It sounds like the days of dainty shiny pieces of metal jewelry are gone for the moment and the big and colorful gemstone jewelry and beads are still pretty hot right now. People are still asking for more “chunky” jewelry, sometimes with larger stones and crystals that catch the eye, sometimes with asymmetrical patterns or at least oddly cut beads and gemstones.

Cocktail Rings

If you're shopping, wearing or making rings, consider “rings with bling!” Cocktail rings are generally over-the-top diamond or gemstone rings that are overly colorful, shiny and, yes, sometimes a bit gaudy. But that’s part of the fun! These go along with the bright and bold bead jewelry you might be wearing and could even match or compliment it with similar gemstones or beads. You can make cocktail rings with gemstone beads, crystal beads or just about any other shiny materials.

Charms and Pendants
Again, going with the bold and bright bead jewelry, what stands out more than a beautiful chain that meets with a large bold diamond or gemstone charm or pendant on the end?

Modern Metals

Yes, natural and chunky are in, but there is still room for metals in beaded jewelry, especially when it is sleek and modern looking or even mixed with natural materials like wood and stone beads. There are always people who like the more “modern” beads and jewelry as opposed to the more traditional bead jewelry designs. You can buy modern beads for jewelry making or you can go for a more unique look and actually make

beads jewelry out of hardware washers!

Silver and Gold

Silver has been popular for the last few years and that will probably continue, but you’ll also see more gold and even two-tone chains and metals being used in both beads and jewelry pieces. Some of those silver and gold Trollbeads are excellent examples of mixed metals being used as a charm or pendant in bead jewelry pieces.

Faux Foreign Influence

I’m still seeing a lot of Asian and Moroccan influences in fashion, home furnishings and even jewelry. The influences don’t have to be completely genuine or "realistic" but that sense of something coming from a foreign country and past time are still popular. Even the big chain stores are catching this vibe and a lot of their house wares and jewelry give off that "Pier One" vaguely Indian or Eastern Orient vibe. When you’re creating bead jewelry necklaces or bracelets you could think about using dark wooden beads (natural) and mixing it with large metal Oriental looking coins and rings with a hole through the center to bring in the foreign feel!

Colorful

You'll want to think about bright and bold, but remember that natural element! Neons and wild synthetic colors are not popular, but bright natural colors definitely are in, both in clothing and jewelry fashion. Once again, I have to turn to the color experts at Pantone who have picked out the trendy colors for 2009. Don’t forget to look at the 28 page Adobe Acrobat guide there! It’s fun and inspirational! I’m thinking about printing a few of the pages out and hanging them around my beading area for inspiration when I’m creating my jewelry.

Last, if you have seen any other bead jewelry trends for 2009 that I missed, pls don’t hesitate to let me know...

About the Author:

I'd like to introduce and display an excellent selection of China fine art products and gifts - http://www.123giftfactory.com/ to you, also give you great suggestions about gift ideas and the latest fashion art trends in China.

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