ENDED Giveaway #11: Gemstones and Pearls

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED. A WINNER WILL BE CONTACTED AND ANNOUNCED SOON.

Do you remember going to the Natural History Museum as a child and getting to pick a tiny bag of gemstones? Now imagine you get a much bigger bag. Imagine a bag filled with gemstone beads, briolettes, cabochons, and pearls. How about a bag made up of all types of stones like amethyst, turquoise, jade, and quartz.  This giveaway has them all. Giveaway #11 contains some special treats for our lucky winner. Among all the beautiful gemstones and pearls are a few pieces directly from Sarah's private collection. She has very generously donated them to make this one of the most unique giveaways.

Estimated prize retail value: over $200

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post. But be sure to do it soon, because this giveaway ends on Monday Dec. 23th at 7PM ET (4PM PT). Winner will be chosen at random.

BONUS FLASH SALE: Thursday, December 19th only! Take $5 off $20 or more in Gemstones and Pearls with code JINGLE at checkout.

Remember, only comment once per giveaway and do not comment anonymously. Also, please do not use your Facebook, Twitter account, or Google Plus account when commenting. You can comment to enter as many of the giveaways as you like, but you can only win 1 Beadaholique giveaway every 12 months. Visit Beadaholique's official The 12 Giveaways of Christmas page for even more details. For a complete list of terms and conditions, please click here.

Spotlight Saturday: Gemstone Chain

Isn't it nice of them to take care of all the hard work of making all those simple wire loops for us?  The Gemstone Chain is so quick and easy to use but also carries a great elegance that can really add something special to your designs. 

Featured Video: How to Properly Cut Gemstone Chain

This video will show you how to properly cut your gemstone chain so that you can get the most from this beautiful product.

Featured Project:  Stranded Bracelet

Our designer Megan has combined a beautiful color palette of Steel Blue and Amethyst in this elegant bracelet.  By using a strand reducer you can really have the freedom to add all different kinds of metals, colors, and gemstone chain.

Featured Product:  Green Onyx Gemstone Gold Vermeil Wire Wrapped Chain 4mm Rondelles

There is just something so regal about the way the green pops with the gold chain.  The variants of the natural gemstone chain add a straight from the earth feel.  The wire wrapping gives it that extra touch of elegance that I just love.

All About Color: Holidays & Trends

The world of color ties in to trends and holidays in many interesting ways. The four seasons dictate our use of color in fashion, décor and everyday design. Here at Beadaholique, we believe in the importance of color and the role it plays in iconic holidays and changing trends. Both should be considered when it comes to jewelry making and designing.

Let's explore color a bit by talking about a popular trend going on right now—neon! Super bright, fluorescent colors like acid green, neon pink and electric blue seem to be popping up everywhere. They highlight your personality (pun intended!) and just look fun. Neon has made its inevitable comeback from the 1980s and we currently see this trend everywhere from clothing to jewelry to nail polish. "Highlighter" colors are all the rage and designers are integrating these colors into jewelry, especially with baubles and beads, to create stand-out pieces that add mega flair to any basic outfit. Pairing a super bright neon pink necklace or earring with a soft white or black minimal outfit makes for great contrast. Whether neon is one of your favorite color schemes or you are just testing out the trend, it's a fun way to add some brightness to your summer wardrobe.

Another pretty color trend happening right now is rose gold. This copper-gold tone is both unexpected and familiar; it somehow manages to look new and old at the same time. Pairing darker metallics with blush tones is a color combo that manages to feel feminine and soft in a vintage-inspired way. My personal favorite is pairing rose gold with black; it gives it a great romantic yet edgy look.

With fall 2013 rapidly approaching, we can start thinking about which color trends will be making appearances in fashion magazines and runways across the world. And with that said, Pantone's Fall 2013 color selections are here! This seasons colors include: Emerald, Linden Green, Mykonos Blue, Acai, Samba, Koi, Deep Lichen Green, Vivacious, Turbulence and Carafe. Pantone's color of the year is the rich, lush Emerald. Incorporating emerald as an accent color in jewelry or even as the main staple is a very glamorous, eye-catching option. It's both timeless and fresh and looks beautiful on everyone.

As we quickly move towards the holiday season, what better way to commemorate the festivities than with new and unexpected color twists?

As we all know, most holidays have universally recognizable color schemes. Christmas has red and green, Halloween has orange and black, Valentine's Day has pink, and so on. We have a fairly good idea of which holidays are associated with which color schemes, but did you know that by altering certain hues and shades, we can end up with color pairings that add a bit more glamor and intrigue?

Since it's Fourth of July, why not commemorate the red, white and blue by creating a cool new look? A wonderful example of this can be seen in our "July on the Yacht" necklace project. This piece incorporates lovely sea glass in red. Also, by adding silvers, golds or a palette of earth-toned neutrals such as charcoal gray, cream, pearl or slate, we can add variety and modernize the look of our jewelry while still maintaining its classic charm!

When it comes to Christmas, our minds automatically think red and green. However, when making Christmas jewelry, we don't always have to stick to these traditional colors. A lovely way to embrace this holiday season is to add colors that are reminiscent of the holiday without being too predictable. Instead of using that basic green, try a more brilliant aqua, mint or emerald (Hello, Pantone's color of the year!) instead. And maybe instead of that middle-of-the-road red, you can try a cool maroon, a dark burgundy or a rich purple. As complementary colors, red and green are visually pleasing together to begin with, so different hues and shades will just naturally look great together! You will end up with a look that is warm and festive.

Another look to play with involves frosty blues in contrasting shades that mimic winter's cool, crisp snow. Pairing unexpected chains and findings in rose gold with hints of dark pewter also create an interesting fall/winter look. Metallics like gold and silver always have a way of looking magical during the season. By incorporating touches of gray and black to all the colors above, you can end up with a chic, wintry palette.

If bright and bold is what you seek, then how about trying something new with your jewelry? By adding brilliant gemstones, crystals and beads in pear, orange, magenta, lime, purple and turquoise, you can completely redefine your holiday look. These lively colors will make any brooch or cocktail ring truly stand out, amidst the usual red and green. Why not pair a lovely bright magenta or royal purple with a warm gold? The possibilities are endless.



Playing around with color is a fun, whimsical way of getting into the holiday spirit! By adding simple yet unique variations into the mix, we can make beautiful new color stories that can be worn throughout the year.

-Karlin

Giveaway #8: ENDED! Gorgeous Gemstones

If you love working with the richness and depth gemstones provide, you are going to be thrilled with this giveaway. We have amassed a grand assortment of gemstones ranging from amethyst and serpentine, to peridot and pyrite, to carnelian and pearls for your creative enjoyment. There are also gemstone briolettes and pendants to use as focal points. Some of these stones are from the collection of our founder, Sarah.

All the gemstones (and the stick pearls too) featured above are included in this giveaway.  Tree display is not included.


Estimated retail prize value: over $150.00

To enter, post a comment to this blog post NOW! Giveaway ends on Thursday Dec. 15th at 4pm PDT. Winner will be chosen at random. 

Remember, only one comment per person per giveaway and pleasedo not comment anonymously if you want to win. You can comment on as many giveaways as you like, but can only win 1 Beadaholique giveaway every 2 months. Visit Beadaholique's official 12 Giveaways of Christmas page for even more details. For a complete list of terms and conditions, please click here. 

Gemstones USA

One of the most common questions we receive at Beadaholique is, "Where the does this stone come from?"   We would love to imagine that they're all pulled from the Earth in some far-flung, exotic paradise straight out of a Rudyard Kipling story (and most are), but we were surprised to learn that there's a vibrant gemstone mining industry right here in the US of A.
Gemstones have been used by humans in what is now the United States for thousands of years. Native Americans produced turquoise, flint, amber, shells, obsidian for use in jewelry, beads, carvings, and tools.  In the Southwest they mined turquoise and used it to make earrings and pendants. There were even some gem-happy dentists back in the day who did pretty amazing chomper customizing.  Take that Lil Wayne!  Along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts shells were used as gemstones and ornaments.
Today, gemstones including beryl, coral, garnet, feldspar, opal, quartz, sapphire, ruby, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise, shell and pearls, are mined or harvested from coast to coast.  Arizona is responsible for some of the best peridot and turquoise. Most turquoise is a by-product of copper extraction, produced as it is uncovered during the mining cycle, but some is produced as a continuous mining effort, though this type of production is labor intensive because careful hand extraction is required. Oregon has prime feldspar, and produces a small amount of sunstone; California lays claim to the tourmaline crown; Nevada boasts opals; and Idaho supplies small amounts of just about everything, but mostly agates and jaspers.
If you would like to cut out the middle-man and pick your own fresh gems, pack your shovels and load up the kids for the most back-breaking vacation of all-time, because your destination is Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park. Visitors are welcome to scour the 37-acre park for anything from amethyst to quartz, but the real draw is diamonds. The park has a policy of "finders keepers", so one might be inclined to think the place is tapped out, but in late 2006 a Texas couple unearthed a 6.35-carat giant.
Have we missed any U.S. gems?  If you know of stones produced in your backyard, we'd love to hear about them!

Hard Facts about Gemstones

In the game of rock, paper, scissors you almost always know where you stand. Paper always smothers rock, scissors always slice paper, and rock always crushes the shears, but what happens when rock meets rock? Well, that depends on the type of mineral your hand represents!
While settling playground disputes was probably not his inspiration, German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs created a scale to gauge the hardness of minerals. The process is simple-- if one mineral can scratch another, it is harder. Although the Mohs scale is very useful, it is not linear. The minerals chosen were only selected because of their popularity at the time. For example, number ten on the scale, diamond,  is 140 times harder than number nine, corundum, whereas number four, fluorite, is only 1.11 times harder than number three, calcite. A proportional measurement, called absolute hardness, was more recently devised, but is only used by scientists who need extremely accurate results. The Mohs scale satisfies the needs of almost all mineral enthusiasts.
Since most of us don't carry samples of each mineral on the scale, there is a simple test you can perform in your workspace, or deep within your backyard gypsum quarry if you don't have a material. It involves these convenient standards of hardness: soft (can be scratched with a fingernail), medium (can be scratched with a knife or glass but not by a fingernail) or hard (cannot be scratched by a knife).
Sure, you might have to wrestle your best friend if they don't accept that your hand is made of diamond and theirs is talc in a game of rock, paper, scissors, but you'll never have to grapple with worries that a gemstone in your collection is anything but the genuine article.
Here is a reference for the Mohs Hardness Scale:
↓ Mohs hardness               Absolute Hardness  ↓
1         Talc                             1
2         Gypsum                       3
3         Calcite                         9
4         Fluorite                        21
5         Apatite                        48
6         Feldspar                      72
7         Quartz                        100
8         Topaz                         200
9         Corundum                  400
10       Diamond                    1600
by Zachary Frazee