With economic times being tight, we are all looking to save money in any way possible.  We all come across those strands of gemstones that we envision wrapping around our necks and hanging from our ear wires.  The reality is, right now the price often turns us away.

Although we all tend to strip off as many layers of clothing as we can with the increasing temperatures, there is no better time to start layering our jewelry.

With the summer in full swing, we are all searching for that perfect white dress. Whether it is long or short, accessorizing is the best way to add versatility and appeal to an outfit. This season color is in! Some of us may feel more comfortable sticking to neutrals but now is the time to take a risk with your jewelry and brighten up your wardrobe.

We have picked one of our favorite style white dresses and have paired it with jewelry that is sure to spice up your look and add that pop of color that everyone is talking about!

Last week a lovely customer came in and made this beautiful peach coral and Soo Chow jade necklace.  We didn’t recognize her so we asked how she had heard about us.  She replied:

“I was having dinner with some girlfriends last night, walked by your store and was reminded of how I used to shop here when I was a child.  I wanted a summer necklace so I figured I would just make one!”

This is a familiar story.  We hear from many of our customers about how they used to shop here as girls as a special treat with their mothers, or how they had attended a beading birthday party for a school mate and were instantly hooked.  In fact most of our staff have fond memories of first being bitten by the beading bug at Beadworks as children.  Since our store has been in Norwalk for almost 25 years, we’ve helped inspire a few generations of beaders.

How did you discover Beadworks?  Did you visit as a child, maybe as a teenager looking for something crafty to do on a rainy Saturday, or as an adult helping a girlfriend to pick out beads for wedding jewelry? Tell us your story and we may feature it here on the Beadworks Norwalk Blog.

Today, a young woman came into the store and wanted to make a necklace for her mother as a gift for Mothers Day. She knew her mother loved pearls, but she wanted something a bit different, not your typical white pearl necklace.

After a bit of shopping and designing, this is what she came up with: beautiful peacock pearls spaced with silver charlottes and accented by a glowing labradorite pendant, wrapped in sterling silver. Its not the most traditonal pearl necklace, but we thought it was stunning.

Happy Mother’s Day!

In addition to the natural beauty of semi-precious stone beads, many beaders consider the metaphysical and healing properties of stones when designing their jewelry.

Crystal quartz is said to impart its wearer with clarity while dispelling negative energy and was even used in ancient times to ward off black magic.

Today, crystal quartz is most commonly associated with the crown charka for its ability to clear the mind and promote balance. It is also an acceptable substitute for April’s traditional birthstone, diamond.

If you or someone you know celebrates a birthday this month, a gift of crystal quartz beads can inspire more than just good design!

Chain, chain, chain! We’ve got precious metal and plated chains in new styles and restocked old favorites! Keep an eye out for delicate sterling and gold filled chains and funky plated styles in cool finishes like gunmetal and antique brass.

We’ve stocked our new Swarovski section with tons of new shapes, finishes and pendants all at new low prices! Also check out our engagement rings!

New mystic finish spinel rondelles! Special gold, silver and iris finishes will give your designs extra sparkle. Use them as an alternative in this months free project!

Perhaps one of the most important things to know when you are designing your own jewelry is the difference between precious and plated metals. In this article we’ll be focusing on gold, and pointing out the differences, pro’s and con’s of gold filled, vermeil and gold plated metals.

Gold Filled: by definition, gold filled is a piece of jewelry or other base metal item (chain, finding, bead, etc) with a sheet of gold applied to its surface using heat and pressure. The plating of gold on a gold filled item is typically 10K, 12K, or 14K and is at least 50 times thicker than regular gold plating. Gold filled items can last years without wearing through to the base metal and are, in most cases, more expensive than vermeil and gold plated items
Vermeil: pronounced “ver-MAY”, vermeil is the process of applying a plating of gold 2.5 microns thick over sterling silver. The plating can be done in many different karats of gold, ranging from 10 karat to 32 karat, but is typically 18 karat to 22 karat. The gold plating on vermeil items can wear off, in some cases, more quickly than on gold filled items. However, since the base metal is sterling silver, the piece is 100% precious metal.

Gold Plated: items that are gold plated have a single layer of gold over a base metal, usually brass or copper. Since the layer of gold is so thin, it can wear or tarnish much more quickly that gold filled and vermeil items. Gold plated items are typically much less expensive than gold filled or vermeil, and is a great alternative when designing costume jewelry, or pieces that will not be worn daily.

Bead holes can present a variety of challenges when beading. Hole sizes vary according to the material of the bead. Gemstones and pearls are generally sold on the basis of weight so producers drill the smallest hole possible. Gemstone holes are hand drilled from each side of the bead until they meet in the middle so the hole size is thinner in the center of the bead. This can make stringing frustrating. Similarly, bead holes often have rough interiors that fray your stringing material over time leading to necklaces that break. Having a bead reamer at hand for your beading projects could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. The bead reamer acts like a circular nail file and it smoothes out through edges of the existing bead hole. If you use the bead reamer extensively you can file away some of the bead’s body to enlarge the hole. Obviously, this will only work on beads that are made of a material that can be filed – gemstones, pearls, bead, bone and soft materials. Lampwork glass beads and metal beads may have their holes smoothed but not enlarged. Always use water to lubricate the diamond bits when you are reaming glass or stone beads. See the technique for using Beadalon’s battery operated bead reamer in their video here.