The first thought that enters your mind when you hear the word “beads” may date you and give away your age faster than physical attributes. If you’re a product of the 50’s, your mind may wander to pop beads, those plastic pull apart, pop together baubles that have risen in value from pennies to $20, $30 or more. If you’re a product of the 60’s, you may think of “love beads,” which complemented the long-haired, unkempt look, or your mind may wander to the long strands of beads that once adorned inside doorways in Haight Ashbury with sounds of The Mamas and the Papas blaring in the background. Thanks to television, it’s difficult to forget the beaded belts of the 70s.

From Ancient Trade to Modern Computer Applications

Beads predate the mid-20th century by eons. Remember the abacus? Of course, you can’t actually remember back 2000 years unless you possess powers unknown to this author, but you can remember learning about the abacus in school. In Europe, Venetian glass beads and German metal beads served as currency in trade as early as the 16th century. Beads also played a central role in Native American jewelry.

Bohemia (aptly named) was the center of the European bead trade from as far back as the Middle Ages. Through the twists and turns of history, bead making moved to Bavaria and now, has once again found its home in the Chezk Republic, in the Bohemia area, home of Swarovski Austrian crystals.

In 1990, Native American traditional beadwork intersected with computer sciences. Several college campuses introduced a pilot program in which beadwork shaped the foundation for courses AutoCad and other design program courses for Native American students. The popularity and applicability of these courses continues today.

Modern Beads

Now that we’ve strolled down memory lane and taken a quick look at vintage beads, beads no longer in production, where do beads fit into today’s jewelry scene? They’re everywhere you look from casual chokers and necklaces to fine Swarovski Austrian crystal designs.

Think beyond a single strand of beads. Start by thinking of a single strand of beads from which a pendant dangles. From there, think pins—yes, pins adorned with beads, beaded bracelets, barrettes, earrings, etc. In fact, think beyond jewelry to purses and other accessories. If you look closely at your surroundings, you’ll find beads everywhere.

The Many Faces of Beads

Another thing that you might rethink is the composition and shape of beads. Today’s beads come in a myriad of shapes and materials, with Austrian crystal topping the list. Today’s look du jour of transparent, translucent and iridescent beads don the bodies of the rich and famous along with everyday mortals. Venetian glass beads often encapsulate swirls within the beads for a unique, timeless quality.

The latest in fashion trends includes little beaded silk purses. While you wouldn’t want to cover yourself in head-to-toe beads unless you’re auditioning for a singing gig in Nashville, a silk beaded purse with a complementary beaded necklace turns an ordinary evening outfit into a walking work of art.

Open your eyes and look for one-of-a-kind, handmade beaded jewelry. It’s everywhere, and it’s calling your name.

Check out our pick of the day – this fresh watermelon pull-on cuff bracelet!  It’s bright, unique, and best of all, handmade!  It’s hand crocheted in pink and green and has cute little hand embroidered seeds.

You can buy it at the Fyre Wurk Shop Etsy Store.

Beads: let your creativity flow with beaded jewelry making!

To work effectively with friends, customers and suppliers, jewelry makers  should learn the terminology of jewelry-making supplies.  The right  terminology will help define a need for the right jewelry closure when images  are not available.Jewelry toggles make up a second category of jewelry closures, along with  lobster claw clasps, for handmade artisan jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry  and fine jewelry.  You will see toggle closures on jewelry pieces from  Tiffany and David Yurman down to special Mothers Day gifts that only a mother  would wear.  Toggle clasps can fasten jewelry and enhance jewelry  appearance.  Many jewelry-makers use toggles as closures for their  necklaces, bracelets, and anklets.

What is a jewelry toggle?  (Jewellery toggle for you  Brits!)

A jewelry toggle is a set of two pieces: a jewelry loop and a jewelry  stick.  The jewelry loop is attached to one end of your jewelry chain,  strung beads, seed bead weave, wire crochet, etc.  The jewelry stick is  attached to the other end.  To hold the jewelry together around the neck,  wrist or ankle, one inserts the jewelry stick through the jewelry loop; the  stick then rests against the jewelry loop by gravity to hold the jewelry  together.  If the jewelry piece does not have some slack, then the size is  most likely too tight for long lasting jewelry.

Mechanics of Toggles

The shortest distance from your anchor point (often a ring  soldered on or cast midway a metal toggle stick) to the end of the stick must be  longer than the widest opening of your toggle loop.  Otherwise, the toggle  stick will easily slip through the loop and the jewelry will drop off.  The  toggle loop must be big enough to accommodate the smallest beads on the end  attached to the toggle stick.  The stick must be pulled through the loop  before it can be turned to rest against the toggle loop.  For that reason,  many designers who use toggles will graduate end beads down in size.  A  toggle that is heavy with respect to the beads and other components will help a  bracelet to hang comfortably, with the toggle loop underneath the wrist.   Lighter weight toggles will let a bracelet rotate around the wrist as gravity  drags on the heaviest parts of the bracelet.

Your “stick” may be as simple as a button with a shank used with a loop of  seed beads on bead wire.  Your loop may be quite fancy, with “expandable”  toggles of several rings attached together.   The rings on both the  toggle loop and toggle stick should be firmly attached.  Cheaply  manufactured toggles will often have rings that will twist off or deform or  sticks that have no rigidity and bend under tension.

Fastening Toggles

When using chain, toggles will usually be fastened with open jump rings,  split rings or link locks.  If one wishes to have soldered connections,  then chain end caps will be used.  Jewelry designers will usually fasten  toggles to bead wire projects using crimps.  The wire is strung through the  toggle or stick loop, then doubled through the crimp before it is flattened into  place.  Bead wire projects and fiber projects such as knotted silk jewelry  pieces will often use clam shells or bead tips to make the transition from the  knotted fiber to the toggle.  Inexpensive leather or fiber pieces may be  knotted directly onto the toggle pieces with overhand knots.

Toggle Materials

Most toggles used in the United States will be made of cast or assembled  metal alloys.  High end jewelry will use Platinum, Gold, Palladium and  Sterling Silver toggles.  One will often see Stainless Steel, Surgical  Steel and Titanium for edgy, contemporary jewelry.  Middle-market products  will most likely use Gold-filled toggles and Sterling Silver toggles.   Plated toggles will feature brass, surgical steel or copper with plates of gold,  silver. copper, gunmetal/”blackened nickel”, imitation rhodium, imitation silver  and imitation gold.  Gold, silver, copper and brass may be oxidized or  antiqued for the look of aged jewelry components.  Solid copper toggles  have their enthusiasts for the alleged medical benefits.  Raw brass and  lacquered brass toggles have their fans, too.  One may also find toggle  sets of wood or stone.  Some toggles are decorated with crystals, cubic  zirconia or gemstones.  Pot metal toggles will appear on only the very  cheapest of jewelry.

Fashionistas usually regard jewelry toggles as more fashionable than lobster  claw clasps.  However, toggle clasps come with a bit more risk than lobster  claw clasps.  Even well-sized jewelry using toggles may fall off the body  in the wrong situation.  These “wrong situations” may be as simple as  resting the wrist on a desktop or otherwise relaxing the tension on the  piece.

Fancy toggles will often be used at the front of a necklace as a visual  centerpiece — especially fancy shaped toggles or toggles with addition  decorations.

Jewelry toggles come in a wide array of designs:  plain round toggles,  oval toggles, square toggles, diamond toggles, heart-shaped toggles, floral  toggles, stirrup toggles, etc.  Jewelry aesthetics and individual taste  will usually define the possible toggles to match a jewelry piece.   Fortunately, toggles are available in a wide range of materials, shapes and  prices.

“Selecting a bracelet, a ring, or earrings for someone else requires some vision, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult task,” says Janette Ewen, a style expert for Pandora Jewelry in Canada. “The key is to move away from cookie-cutter pieces and find something personalized. With a little guidance anyone can select just the right adornment for those special moments—without breaking the bank.”

With Valentine’s Day upon us, Ewen offers a few more shopping tips, with additional ideas at Pandora.net:

Observe the colour that becomes her. Watch to see if she prefers to wear silver or gold. If it’s silver for example, a set of sterling silver, stackable rings will likely dazzle her. If gold is her colour, a 14K gold chain is classic and it can also be customized with beautiful pendants and stones.

Observe what she wears. If bold clothing is her style, consider statement pieces such as a grand cocktail ring. Does she like a little glamour? If so, a selection of heart charms and dangles with pave accents will add just the right amount of sparkle to a bracelet.

Get personal. If, for example, you start a charm bracelet, you can add mementos that have special meaning for the two of you. Ewen points out that the Pandora selection comes in sterling silver, 14K gold, two-tone, coloured fabric and leather designs. Take a look at the hundreds of hand finished charms available – some with Murano glass, wood, and gemstones – so you can design a bracelet as unique as the woman you are buying it for.

Wear your heart on the jewelry. Heart-shaped pieces are naturally popular for Valentine’s Day. Add this symbol of love to her charm bracelet or give her a pretty heart-shaped pendant on a chain. Or choose something more dramatic and less traditional, such as a sterling silver necklace with a black polished onyx heart.

www.newscanada.com

(NC)—If you find it hard to express your feelings for her, a gift of jewelry can do it with no words at all.

Better still, observers say, jewelry is a gift with two-way benefits. She will get to wear a timeless adornment of your affection—and in turn, the giver gets endless brownie points for thoughtfulness and creativity. And if by chance the object of your love has many admirers, you can count on a feminine piece of jewelry to raise your status way above the fray.

“It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be appreciated, but to make her feel even more special, go the extra distance with a gift that is personalized,” says Janette Ewen, a style expert for leading jewelry brand, Pandora. “For example, to capture your special moments together why not start a charm bracelet? Adding hand-finished charms over time is a perfect way to celebrate the milestones of sweethearts— and it’s also an ideal gift for mothers and daughters, or between sisters and girlfriends. Other Valentine favourites include stackable rings shaped like hearts, and interchangeable earrings.”

Here’s a snapshot of those choices with more information online at www.pandora.net:

• Charm Bracelets: Choose one in classic sterling silver, 14K or 18K gold, or in a combination of both. For a contemporary look, consider the coloured fabric cords, or leather bracelets in several pretty shades. With hundreds of hand-finished charms to select from – some with Murano glass, wood, and precious gemstones – the bracelet will be just as unique as the woman you are buying it for.

• Stackable Rings: By wearing them in a creative combination of one, two, or three rings at a time, this personalized gift is a trend-setter. Be sure to view the variety in different metals and precious gemstones.

• Interchangeable Earrings: Hand-finished quality applies to earrings as well. Choose something unique just for her in sterling silver or gold. Start with base hoops and select from a vast offering of small hanging pendants for day time, or long dangling earrings for a night on the town.

www.newscanada.com

Beads: let your creativity flow with beaded jewelry making!

Those who work with jewelry supplies and beading projects may forget that  not everyone knows all the terminology of jewelry making components.   Learning the terminology of jewellery-making supplies will help you to  communicate your desires for jewelry components to your local bead store, your  jewelry designer or your jewelry supply vendor.Handmade artisan jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry and fine jewelry  frequently uses lobster claw clasps to fasten jewelry and to enhance jewelry  appearance.

What is a lobster claw clasp?

“Lobster claw” is a term often used generically for a family of clasps having  triggers that open and close.  Lobster claw clasps primarily hold two ends  of a jewelry piece together by locking the clasp trigger around a jump ring or  through a link of chain on the opposite end of a necklace, bracelet or  anklet.  Some jewelry makers will use lobster claw clasps to attach charms  or, if the lobster claw has a fancier design, to act as a visual centerpiece in  the front of a necklace.

Jewelry purists will tell you that lobster claw clasps have long, straight  oval shapes.  Pelican clasps, specialty trigger clasps,  are curved  specialty trigger clasps with the trigger on the outer convex surface.   More symmetrical teardrop shapes describe oval trigger or rounded trigger  clasps.  Balloon clasps, with a longer oval shape and thinner construction,  often require less metal than a traditional oval trigger clasp; therefore,  balloon clasps will weigh less than a similarly sized lobster claw or trigger  clasp.  Other specialty clasp shapes include heart trigger clasps, elephant  trigger clasps and cat trigger clasps. lobster claw finding

Swivel clasps, a style of oval trigger clasp where the base rotates  separately from the rest of the claw, may offer the wearer more comfort by  giving another “degree of freedom” to the bracelet, necklace or anklet.

Precious metal jewelry clasps in the United States must carry quality stamps  to indicate their precious metal content per Federal Trade Commission  guidelines.  Lobster claw metal type will generally match a dominant metal  in the jewelry piece.  Lobster claw materials in the United States will  most often fall into the following categories:

• Platinum
• Palladium
• Gold: 18 karat, 14 karat, 12 karat in yellow gold, white gold, green gold,  rose gold
• Gold-Filled: base metal with karat gold mechanically and thermally bonded to  visible and wear surfaces
• Silver: sterling silver (.925 silver) including argentium silver and  blackened silver
• Titanium
• Surgical Steel
• Lead-free Brass, usually plated with gold, silver, copper, imitation  rhodium, gunmetal, and optionally antiqued or oxidized

Some designers and consumers consider lobster claws as less stylish than  toggles.  However, lobster claw clasps usually offer more secure fastening  than do toggles because toggle bars may slip out of their loops, even if the  pieces are appropriately sized to the wearers. The most common flaws of lobster  claws, more common with inexpensive costume jewelry clasps, are:

• A lobster claw trigger that sticks
• A trigger with a spring that “pops”
• A lobster claw base with little strength which fatigues and breaks with  ungentle wire wrapping or wearing

Jewelry makers learn the merits of each type of lobster claw by experience –  judging the size, weight, cost, appearance and ease-of-use with respect to their  vision for different jewelry pieces.  There is no one perfect lobster claw  design for all jewelry applications.  Fortunately, there are many different  designs of lobster claws to accommodate the needs and budgets of amateur and  expert jewellery makers.