Sterling Silver Bead Chains

Silver has been recognized from time immemorial for its brightness and ability to accentuate decorative objects, including jewelry. Although there is no evidence to recognize when silver was first recognized or made, remains of silver smelting operations dating back to 3000 BC have been found. Since then, silver has been well-represented in the wealth of some of the world’s most famous civilizations.

Sterling silver is a popular option for use in trendy jewelry due to its color, strength and malleability. Fashion trends for all seasons include simple yet elegant jewelry and sterling silver is a sure means to look your best. One of the must-have accessories for any season is the sterling sliver bead chains. They are the right match if you choose classic or sophisticated looks are sure to add the much needed elegance to all your outfits. It is perfect for all ages too, transcending age groups and even genders. Sterling silver bead chains complement any color you choose to wear, so you can team it with a variety of gemstones too.

Dainty Designs at Reasonable Prices

Beaded chains in sterling silver cost remarkably little when compared to the prices of pure silver jewelry. However, that does not mean that sterling silver is not as good as silver. It (silver) has a Mohs rating of 3.25, which makes it extremely soft and prone to easy damage. Hence, it is combined with copper (7.5%) and this leads to a more sturdy material (sterling silver), which can be used effectively for jewelry design. Being nickel-free, it is a great option for people who are allergic to nickel allergies too.

Sterling Silver – Why It is Better than Gold

Silver outshines gold as it is the most reflective metal available. The light color of silver agrees with most skin tones, adding glamour to simple dresses too. Also, it can be worn with both casual wear to glamorous outfits with panache. Most importantly, it is affordable when compared to gold, making it an affordable option for most people.

However, you need to take the necessary precautions to ensure that your sterling silver jewelry remains clean. Avoid keeping it in a humid environment; keep it away from damp air (especially if you live near the sea).

There are a number of dealers online, who sell fashionable sterling silver beads chains at the best prices. With a little research, you are sure to find a piece which you will cherish for a lifetime!

Gemstone Healing

Since times immemorial, gemstones have been primarily used for healing and spiritual rituals. They are storehouses of empowerment and benevolence. Kings and queens had gems set in their crowns, which connected them with the forces, while the cosmic energies guided them to rule efficiently. Priests of different religions used gems in rings for similar reasons. Gems can exhibit their power in either a beneficial or a detrimental way – depending on how they are used.

Gemstones are sorted by their colour. Each colour has different healing properties. Our body is divided into seven chakras – the Root for instinct, Sacral Hara for sexuality, Solar plexus for self-knowledge, Heart for emotion, Throat for creativity, Third eye for gaining and using higher knowledge and the Crown for connecting with the divine. Each chakra is a power or energy point, connected to a specific aspect of health or life. Thus, by placing different stones on or around these chakras, your body can experience various positive effects.

Gemstones are a manifestation of vibrancy, light and colour, life, textures, transparency and clarity. They are used in healing, transforming and balancing your life and in attuning your body, mind and soul through the purity of their rays. Their magnetic powers in varying degrees work wonders in terms of therapeutic cures. The vibrations and frequencies emitted by them create strong energy fields that keep you charged up. Precious stones also have a way of healing inharmonious emotions.

Different stones work differently on your mind and body. For example, Diamonds remove mental blockages and promote clarity of thought, stimulate unity and love of self and others. Emeralds develop keener insight into dreams, alleviate hidden fears and eliminate negativity. Amethysts amplify thought, increase intuition and integrate the emotional, mental and spiritual bodies to function as a single unit. Similarly, the red gems are used for vitality and will, pink for love and beauty, brown stones help in getting things into order, orange stones help you cope and aid in endurance, golden stones help you gain wealth and yellow gemstones help you gain hope, happiness and knowledge and so on.

Thus, each gem helps you in its own special way. The stones you use should be in direct contact to absorb their healing properties. Since these crystals work using energy and by transmitting vibration, gemstone healing does not have any risky side effect. It is an ancient and all-natural form of healing that therapeutically cures most of your physical and emotional ailments.

Semi Precious Gemstone Beads

Rare and durable, versatile and affordable, what else could you ask out of semi precious gemstone beads? From tiny chips to large carved beads, you are sure to be spoilt for choice with semi precious gemstone beads. Its splendid design will surely impart a regal look. Apart from jewelry, you can sue semi precious gemstone beads to embellish garments too. The gemstone beads are available in a variety of stones. However, they come in an array of bead shapes, which have been cut from larger gemstones.

With the extraordinary variety available, there is surely one you can find for yourself. The selection of semi precious gemstone beads listed below should help you find one quickly!

• Agate: Available in a wide variety of colors and patterns, the agate is definitely the most varies among all the semi precious gemstone beads. You can choose agate, which has stripes and swirls (old crazy lace) and golden, red and white agate too.

• Amethyst: This opaque or translucent stone has fascinated many with its various hues of purple. You can choose from pale lavender to dark purple amethysts for the jewelry of your choice.

• Carnelian: Exotic in appeal, this semi precious stone comes from South America. Available in bright golden to deep, fiery red, this semi precious gemstone bead is sure to light up your attire.

• Fluorite: This translucent bead is available is a variety of colors, ranging from a pale lavender to a bright rainbow.

• Jasper: Another bead, which comes in a number of colors and styles, Jasper will delight you with its soft peaches, dark red or neutral tones.

These semi-precious gemstone beads are available in many different colors and styles. Choosing the semi precious gemstone bead type for yourself can be fun with the wide choice you have. It is not just the vibrant color and shape differences, the natural variations within a type of gemstone beads are vast.

Buying Gold-filled Findings for Creative, Resilient Jewelry Pieces

Findings are required material for creating many types of jewelry pieces. In the past, many jewelers used solid gold findings, but since the price of gold has gotten much higher over the past few years, gold-filled findings have been a blessing to jewelry-makers. Gold-filled findings are inexpensive relative to solid gold findings, but have the same classic, elegant look as gold, so they have become increasingly popular among today’s jewelry designers.

Whether they are used for making fine jewelry and accessories or less-expensive beaded pieces, 14K gold filled findings are durable and attractive. Made from a thin outer layer of 14K gold pressure-bonded onto an alloy base (typically brass), gold-filled findings are tarnish resistant because the gold will not wear off over time. The jewelry industry requires that the quantity of gold must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total finding and that the karat measurement of the gold be marked on the piece. This means that gold-filled findings contain much more gold than gold-plated findings, so they are also far more valuable and can be used in keepsake and heirloom jewelry pieces. Gold-filled findings are not difficult to work with, so they can be used by beginning, intermediate, and advanced jewelry designers. In fact, gold-filled findings are usually easier for less-experienced jewelry designers to use, because they are not as soft as solid gold findings, which can be damaged by jewelry-making tools. 

Gold-filled jewelry findings are available in many varieties, allowing jewelry-makers to create unique pieces of jewelry; studying the wide range of findings can also inspire new designs. Types of gold-filled jewelry-making components include spring rings, split rings, jump rings, earring wire, cable thimbles, bead end-caps, bead tips, crimp beads, lobster clasps, bails, toggle, leverback, eye pins, and head pins.

Tips on purchasing gold-filled findings:

•Use a reputable jewelry supplier that has been in business for a number of years

•Buy from a wholesaler to earn a price cut; ask about other available discounts, such as a frequent-buyer discount

•Choose a supplier that offers a wide variety of findings and updates their product line regularly so you can take advantage of all discounts by being a loyal customer to one company

•Be sure the findings are designated “gold-filled,” not “gold-plated” and conforms to strict quality standards

•Make sure the supplier marks the karat measurement on their gold-filled findings

Chinese Cultured Freshwater Pearls

Chinese cultured freshwater pearls are gorgeous additions to a jewelry-maker’s repertoire. They are of great quality, rivaling that of expensive natural pearls, yet they are much less pricey even than cultured pearls; in fact, freshwater pearls are available at wholesale prices from jewelry suppliers who import them directly from China. This means that jewelry artists can make pieces featuring luxurious-looking pearls in earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and rings available to their customers at reasonable prices. The pearl is the birthstone for those born in June and pearl jewelry is popular with brides and as a graduation gift.

The first record of pearls in China is from 2206 B.C. Pearls were used by the wealthy and privileged in many Chinese ceremonies. In an Imperial funerary rite, a pearl was placed in the mouth of the deceased to keep the body from decomposing. Additional pearls and other jewelry were placed in the coffin with the deceased. China now leads the world in freshwater pearl production. Freshwater pearls take from three to six years to be ready to harvest; farming techniques are constantly being refined to remain competitive in the industry. Most pearls go to Hong Kong, where they are sold in huge marketplaces amid fierce competition.

Both freshwater and saltwater pearls are fascinating because they are the only gem to come from living animals. Freshwater pearls occur in mussels and saltwater pearls come from oysters; both types are formed in a similar fashion. Some irritant enters the mussel and, unable to eject it, the animal coats the irritant with a secretion called nacre (also used for shell-building), eventually forming the pearl.

Freshwater pearls are composed entirely of nacre, giving them a luminous quality comparable to natural pearls. They can be purchased half-drilled for rings, pendants and earrings, or full-drilled for necklaces and bracelets. They require no cutting or polishing and since they are made of shells and thus very durable, they do not chip easily or wear down quickly. They are available in many colors besides the traditional white, including pink, gold, black, green, peacock blue, and orange-pink. They are also available in many different shapes including the familiar round and smooth to those with rougher, more natural-looking textures in shapes including biwa (a crooked oblong shape), button (round with one flat side), coin, diamond, rectangle, star, teardrop, and many more. The diversity of colors, textures, and shapes allows for great creativity on the part of the jewelry-maker, and the relatively inexpensive price makes combining different styles in one piece of jewelry feasible.