Barbara Case - Making Jewelry with Gemstone Beads

Making

Jewelry

with

Gemstone

Beads

Barbara Case

M aking beaded jewellery with the wonderful range of natural stone that our world has to offer takes us back to basics, because in the early days of our history naturally occurring beads such as shells or stones formed with holes were all we had to create with.

Today sophisticated tools and modern mining methods have brought the minerals and crystals found beneath our feet within our grasp, to give us a truly fabulous choice of natural stone beads in an array of colours that vie with those produced by skilled glass bead makers. The raw material for these beads was formed millennia ago in deep underground areas, where the Earth's evolution turned them into something special the wonderful coloured stones that attract us so much now. Over vast periods of time, the Earth's constant yet slow movement and the action of water have, in some instances, brought these substances to the surface; hence the occasional, but incredibly fortunate, find of precious stones such as sapphires or diamonds in river beds. However, for most of us, beads made from these rare treasure troves are an infrequent sight, although we do have a huge and, it seems, ever-increasing variety of natural stone beads from which to choose.

Most people refer to diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds as precious stones, while amethyst, citrine, aquamarine, topaz and the like are known as semi-precious stones. Then there are the so-called ornamental stones, such as jasper, obsidian, agate and aventurine. But they are all natural stones, so when I use the term natural stones or stones, please don't confuse these with the comparatively uninteresting-looking everyday stone or pebble found in soil or on sandy shores, and bear in mind that the most exotic item of all, the diamond, is also frequently referred to simply as a stone.

So, natural stones can be found in almost any imaginable colour, and some are opaque, some transparent and others crystal clear. Some appear in bands of contrasting colour, while others have mottled or flecked colours. Yet more change colour in certain lights and several stones appear in such a variety of colours that the inexperienced could easily believe each colour to be an entirely different stone.

To me, the joy of working with natural stone beads is their variety and their sense of age. Consider, as you hold them in your hand and observe their beauty, that their actual substance was provided by the ground beneath you in a process that began millions of years before man was in his infancy.

Almost all corners of the world offer some type of ornamental stone, with a few places being world famous for particular stones, such as Sri Lanka for its sapphires, Africa for its diamonds and Afghanistan for its lapis lazuli. In the UK, the Scottish mountains yield up a few rare Cairngorms, while Derbyshire is known for its blue John (a variety of fluorite) and Whitby for its jet. Today, as I write, the newspapers hold reports of an African find of the largest diamond ever, about two-thirds the size of a cricket ball!

Long before modern-day beading, people had a fascination with beautiful artefacts, and chance finds of coloured stones stirred their imagination so that they kept these items about them and, where possible, fashioned them into adornments. Thus we have had such a long association with many of these stones that they have become entwined in folklore and legend, handed down from generation to generation. It also seems that for as long as we have prized these treasures for their beauty, we have also held a belief in their powers for example, no witch doctor of repute would have been considered worth his salt if his kit hadn't contained the right stones!

Within these pages I bring you a wide variety of stone types, tell some of their lore, legend and history, present some gorgeous photographs and offer as wide a range of jewellery projects as my imagination will allow. Many projects combine other types of bead, such as glass and metal, with the natural stones, and sometimes I mix stone types together. However, there are no rules, and if you wish you can make up the designs in any beads of your choice.

Last of all, don't make the mistake of believing that beads made from natural materials are for the wealthy only, as many projects within the book are less expensive than if they had been made with purely man-made beads such as glass or metal!

I n general, the materials needed for making jewellery with gemstone beads are no different from those required for any other type of bead. However, when using expensive beads of any kind, I believe that it is best to use other components to match, so most projects in the book include metal beads and findings that are made from sterling silver, goldfill, high-quality silver or gold plate, or anodized niobium.

Safety Note

Beads are relatively small items and should therefore be kept out of the reach of very young children. It is also advisable to supervise older children when jewellery making until they become competent at handling the tools and sharp materials, such as wire.

Beads

As you know, this book focuses on beads made from natural stone, but remember that this encompasses all types of natural stone, including precious, semi-precious and ornamental. Other beads have also been used in the projects in conjunction with these natural stone beads in order to enhance them, add variety, match colours and reduce cost. For the most part, these additional items are metal, but I have also used glass beads, usually rocailles, but a few coloured glass crystal beads have found their way into some projects.