New This Week!

The Girl with the Coral | Jade | Lapis Pearl

No longer is a pearl just a pearl. Because now, a pearl can be a gemstone pearl! Confused yet? ;-)

The concept. A new look in Swarovski pearls. Pearls that aren't designed to look like pearls! The classic line of Swarovski pearls are artfully crafted to represent the best of the best in oyster creations - but this new line of "Gemcolour Pearls" is designed to emulate high-quality, natural, opaque gemstones such as Lapis, Jade, Coral, Ivory and Onyx. 

The coral comes in three shades: red, pink, and coral. Actually - the Red Coral, and the Mystic Black (pure black, like Onyx) - are existing Swarovski colours - and so these Gemcolours are an extension of those, building into a range of colours. 

The Lapis also comes in two shades, Lapis and Dark Lapis.

And we have Jade, and Ivory.

The quality of these is really quite lovely - they are hefty, and have a nice solid feel to them. Like the pearl-pearls - they are built on a solid, round crystal base, and the layers of the coatings are built up to make a rich, shiny, round bead. What stops this from being "just a solid-coloured, round bead?" Well - it's hard to articulate how, exactly - but they really do have a certain je ne sais quoi that makes them seems extra special. So, Gemcolour Pearls - check 'em out.

New month - new stone of the month!

This month - it is Moss Agate! Moss Agate is a chalcedony (pronounced kal-SED-oh-nee) with inclusions of minerals that look green, and feather out into inclusions that look like moss trapped in marshmallow. No actual moss was harmed in the making of these stones. Besides, millions-of-years-old moss would actually look pretty nasty - all brown and icky.

New for your library

New whack of books - for a wide range of tastes.

For the obsessive-compulsive seedbeader with tastes running to the elegant and refined - we have Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue. The dazzling jewelry with the sophisticated touch makes me long to have the patience and concentration to be able to make these!

For those with an absolute terror of fire and learning to solder - Metal Style - by Karen Dougherty - on the art of cold connections. Rivet, screw, file, saw - all without the need to break out a torch.

For the pyromaniacs - those who are constantly in danger of setting fire to everything - there is Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry - by Barbara Lewis. Learn to enamel - without a kiln - by handfiring your enamels. Add colour and class with powdered glass.

For the "I'm so p'd off that the jeweller told me it wasn't worth fixing my favourite earrings" - you can learn to do it yourself. Jewelry Fix-ups - by David McLoughlin A treasure trove of history, terms, techniques for repairing costume, art and fashion jewelry - this will have you replacing stones, repairing clasps and converting earrings in no time. No jewelry collector should be without this one.

For the soppy romantic that sees the world through pink-coloured fuzzy glasses with little hearts all over them - Tales of Adornment - by Kristen Robinson. Tell your tales of eternal love and undying devotion with your jewelry - making your own components with resin. Floating words - encapsulated mementos - combined into story driven jewelry that will curl up on the couch with you for a good cry.

For the angsty Goth who is wearing black until something darker comes along - Gothic Jewelry - by Harriet Smith. Barbed wire bracelets, dripping blood brooches, bats and spiders, oh my. No sparkly vampires allowed.

For those who got their knot-tying badge in Girl Scouts, and have now made it their life's work to find and tie every knot ever made - I say - leave my garden hose alone! Instead - you can explore this collection of 75 Chinese, Celtic and Ornamental Knots - by Laura Williams and Elise Mann. You too can claim it's "Knot my problem."

As usual - lots of other new items to choose from around the site, so go ahead, click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you are feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out the categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Lampworking Studio is Now Open - Please call ahead to check availability and reserve a spot.

WE MOVED!

Don't forget - we are at our new location - so don't automatically drive to the old place by mistake - details on our About Us page.