Metals

World Glass

Sterling Silver:  Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper.  The copper is necessary for durability and strength since 100% pure silver is too soft to hold up on it's own.  Silver is a wonderful neutral color trend these days, and guess what else?!  Yes, you can mix it with your gold jewelry too!

Bali Beads:  True Bali Beads are hand-crafted in Bali, Indonesia. Each bead is made one by one, they are not cast. They are 92.5% sterling silver or better, and since each bead is hand-crafted weight may vary slightly.  "Bali style" beads may be sterling silver but are not handmade. 

Thai Hill Tribe Silver:  Hill Tribe Silver is almost pure silver, which is handcrafted by the northern mountain tribe artisans of Thailand, such as the Karen tribe.  The Hill Tribe artisans work with the silver by hand and with the use of stamps and tools to create their unique pieces, and we in turn get to use these pieces in our own jewelry creations.  One example is the Tribal necklace I made.  I've also obtained several other Hill Tribe silver florals, including roses, as well as dragonflies,  large butterflies (some 3 inches wide and tall!) and beads.  They are fantastic!  So if you ever see any jewelry made with these, know they are one of a kind handcrafted pieces!  Also, you should know that the higher the silver purity of any piece, the less tarnish there will be...it's those old base metals that are mixed in, for the strength they offer, that causes the tarnishing, not the actual silver.  So, the more pure the silver is, the less tarnishing.  The more base metals, the more tarnishing.  BUT, keep reading below about silver plate.  You may find it's a nice alternative to sterling for certain situations!

Tibetan and Nepal Silver:  There are in more than 70 ethnic groups among 22millions Nepalese. Mainly Silver craftsmen are from Newari (Kathmandu) and Sunuwar (Mountains). They are in more than 90% of total silver craftsmen in Nepal who have been passed down the silver craftsmanship from generation to generation.  Combined with amber, capal, bone and ancient metals, pieces are made into pendants, beads and charms.  Pieces have been gifted with varieties of stones. The usage of these kinds of stones normally confined to religious, spiritual or soothsaying purpose.                              

African Brass and Cooper:   We are using a selection of Antique and Ancient brass and cooper from the Tuareg, Fulani, Lobi and other tribes in the Upper Volta area, and the Deserts of Niger, Mali Mauritania and Morocco.  They are molded into interesting shapes and forms and offer a tribal type of style that can be worn under any fashion event.

Silver Plate (this is not used in designing Glamour Beadz at this time):  This means a silver coating on a base metal, usually electroplated or dipped.  It's a cheaper alternative to sterling silver, however, since it has a thin coating, it can be scratched off easily or dulled if not cared for properly.  This is what the cheap fashion jewelry and kid jewelry in large stores is usually made off.  You know the kind...bright and shiny silver for a few weeks or months, if you're lucky, and then a dull, matte grayish metal color.  The exception to this, from what I've seen, is when the pieces are not in direct contact with skin or clothing.  For example, small silver plated beads spread out among larger non-silver beads...the larger beads lift the small plated ones away from skin contact and fabric, thereby leaving the plating mostly untouched, unscratched and still shiny.  Another thing, silver plated beads should not tarnish like sterling, or at least not as quickly, so if you are in a crunch financially but still want your silver, you can substitute silver plate beads for the sterling and they will do a good job as long as you are considerate of what you are doing with them and how they are used in the jewelry piece.

Gold-Fill (we are not designing with gold or gold-filled):  Also known as rolled gold, gold-fill products are made by bonding gold with a core of brass.  Gold is essentially rolled around the brass core, which explains the term "rolled gold".  In the U.S., gold filled items must contain 20% gold by weight.  This product has 100 times more gold than a gold plated product, and will last a lifetime if cared for properly.  *See care tips below.  This is a cheaper but nice alternative to regular gold, such as 12k or 14k. Contact us if you are interested in gold jewelry designs 

Vermeil (we are not designing with gold at this time):  Vermeil is a gold-plating process which was developed in France in the mid-1700s. In the 19th century, France banned production of vermeil because the process involved the use of mercury. Present-day vermeil refers to an overplating of gold onto silver using a safe electrolytic process.  The result is a bright and shiny gold surface. Contact us if you are interested in gold jewelry designs.

Venetian Italian Beads:  Our unique Italian Venetian Murano Gold Beads are handmade of the finest Moretti's Venetian glass and 24k yellow and white gold foil. 

Moretti’s Lampwork artists have crafted their trademark glass over 24K gold foil. Months in the making – always worth the wait. Murano is a small group of islands lying in the lagoon of Venice.

Venice has been the undisputed capital of the glassmaking industry for over 1000 years. After seeing our new Venetian lampwork beads, you'll know why! Only centuries of practice and the skills of a master artist could produce beads with so many beautiful layers, colors and shapes. The result is spectacular-- a vibrant and unique piece of artwork to add to your jewelry designs

Lampwork Beads:  True Lampwork glass and beads are handcrafted one by one by a very patient and industrious glass artisan, melting glass rods in front of a flaming torch onto a coated steel mandrel.  As they handle the molten glass, they carefully turn and form it into the shape, size and color(s) they desire on the mandrel.  Once they've finished the piece, it's placed in a kiln and it's temperature is slowly cooled (kiln-annealed) so that it doesn't shatter!  Each piece is a work of art in itself!  Think of marbles, glass paper weights, etc.  I love using lampwork beads in my creations but it's often hard to let them go.  I often catch myself just staring closely at them following all the swirls, curls and shades of color within!  As of May 1, 2005, I can say I've finally tried my hand at lampworking and love it.  I knew I would have an even greater  appreciation for those who regularly create beads, but now I'm certain of that appreciation!  The whole fire and flame part is a little bit intimidating for me (I'm such a scaredy cat!) but the process of the melting, mixing, joining and just plain patience and creation is simply awesome to me!  Kudos to lampworkers!

Pressed Glass:  Century-old method of pressing glass into steel molds, resulting in uniform bead shapes.

Dichroic Glass:  Vaporized metallic salts are shot through an electronic beam gun onto special glass.  It is then heated in a vacuum chamber creating glass with a mystical glowing radiance.  It has an oily, rainbow colored appearance and is a bit like abalone shell in how the colors change with the light angles.

Aurora Borealis Finish Also known as "AB finish".  It's a rainbow finish added to the outside of glass beads after polishing.  It's long lasting and doesn't fade or chip with normal wear.

Resin Stones,

Carved  Bone and Horn

Semi-Precious Stones and Crystals

Stabilized Turquoise:  "Stabilized" turquoise has had a clear resin added that improves its color and hardness and protects it against fading (color changing) from mild chemicals.  This is genuine turquoise but with a little help to keep it durable.

Note: The "Sleeping Beauty" turquoise is the most highly prized turquoise in the world, found in the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Arizona.  This turquoise, often referred to as "Persian color" is bright, vivid blue and most pieces are perfectly clear of any inclusions (dark markings, matrix or veins).  Depending on which part of the country or world the turquoise was mined, you'll find it in various shades of blue and green, as well as with differing amounts of matrix.

Amber: Formed from the fossilized resin of trees that lived millions of years ago, amber has been used for jewelry and religious objects since prehistoric times. Most commercial Amber comes from the Baltic coasts of Poland, and tends to be found in soft sediments, or in the sea.

Cat's Eye Fireball Beads (Our Glamour Beadz with rhinestones):  Top "A" grade fiber optic glass beads should be expertly shaped with a well-defined "eye" line and uniform "eye" within the bead strand.  This bead is surrounded by 9 rhinestones (in the 14mm bead).   This kind of bead has graduated colors in it starting with a lighter colored "eye" centered around the middle of the bead, much like the Tiger Eye stone.  We use 4 sizes; 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm. 

Cat's Eye Beads (Our Glamour Beadz with no rhinestones):  Top "A" grade fiber optic glass beads should be expertly shaped with a well-defined "eye" line and uniform "eye" within the bead strand.  This bead is surrounded by 9 rhinestones (in the 14mm bead).   This kind of bead has graduated colors in it starting with a lighter colored "eye" centered around the middle of the bead, much like the Tiger Eye stone.  We use 4 sizes; 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm

African Bone,  Horn & Coconut Shells::   African ancient brass and copper, bone and horns, and coconut shells and seeds and wooden beads are also used to add to an exotic style of individualism

African ancient brass and copper, bone and horns, and coconut shells and seeds and wooden beads are also used to add to an exotic style of individualism

African Bone, Brass, Horn and Cooper:   African ancient brass and copper, bone and horns, and coconut shells and seeds and wooden beads are also used to add to an exotic style of individualism

Horn: Horn has been used for centuries in beaded designs. Naturally blackish in color,  it is often bleached, and then dyed in warm, mellow hues. Many horn beads derive from cattle in the Philippines

Fossil Beads:  Our semi precious fossil stones are cut from ancient rock 45-150 million years old. The unique matrix was created when naturally occurring fossilized remains of plants and animals reacted with ice crystals. No two beads are the same.  We offer them in 4 sizes 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm and  you can choose if you wish rhinestones or no rhinestones. 

Howlite Beads:  Is a naturally opaque white semi-precious stone with a dark, spiderweb matrix appearance, similar to that of turquoise. We offer them in 4 sizes 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm and  you can choose if you wish rhinestones or no rhinestones

Black Onyx:  When mined, black onyx is actually a deep gray colored chalcedony (a type of quartz). The stone is then heat treated to achieve the desired jet color. Long ago, onyx was used as a worry stone because it was believed that the stone absorbed negative energy. We offer them in 4 sizes 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm and  you can choose if you wish rhinestones or no rhinestones.

Swarovski (Austrian) Crystals:  Made in Austria, Swarovski products are considered to be one of the finest products of their kind in the world.  Unlike Czech glass, these are machine polished and are higher in cost than Czech Glass.

Swarovski Crystal Pearls:  These are perfectly round pearls that have been formed around a piece of Swarovski crystal.  They aren't freshwater pearls or cultured pearls, but they come pretty darn close in my book!

Czech Fire-Polished Glass Beads:  Imported from the Czech Republic, these beads are machine faceted, then polished by glazing inside a red-hot oven.  This gives them beautiful, glistening colors with a "softer" look and a smoother feel than the more expensive Swarovski crystals.  A cheaper but nice alternative to Swarovski.