Lost Cities Beads- A Place For the Unique

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Does your favorite beader have everything?

Pliers range from $51- $59 each

In any profession or hobby, a great tool can make a world of difference. Beading is no different. If you've got a beader in your life that seems to have everything, a Lindstrom tool might be the ticket to their holiday happiness. In fact, that's what I received a few years ago for Christmas and I can't begin to express how much I love, love, love them! They're unbelievably durable, precise, and feel comfortable in my hands (even after hours upon hours of use). If you had to just pick one, I highly recommend the round nose. Nothing compares to the fine tip on this plier. With this tool you can make the tiniest wire wraps without worrying about eventually warping your tool. They are pricey, but think of it this way . . . our store set, that we use all day, everyday, is over 12 years old! Truly a great gift.

Friday, November 12, 2010

New Sterling Silver Chains

     Christmas seems to be coming early here at the store! We've gotten so many fun new things over the past two weeks. The latest is this collection of decorative sterling silver chains that just came in this morning.
     My very favorite (and most of the girls here share the same opinion) is the second chain from the right . . . a fabulous "sunburst" link spaced out by a section of small round links. I would love to see this oxidised!

Prices range from $3.90-$7.75 per foot

Monday, November 8, 2010

New Gold Vermeil

This has been a very busy week for us . . . first the large Chinese crystal shipment and now our gold vermeil order has also arrived. You may have wondered from time to time, where does all of our gold come from? We send out our own collections of sterling silver findings, charms and beads to a plating company where they coat the pieces with a thick layer of 24kt yellow gold. We request a much thicker coating than is usually done, leaving us with pieces that will last much, much longer . . .

. . . cones for every multistrand need . . .

. . . clasps in a variety of styles . . .

. . . including GIANT speciality multistrand clasps . . .

. . . antique Hindu amulets that look absolutely amazing in gold . . .

. . . beads, beads and more beads . . .

. . . and of course, some fun charms and crosses.

Prices vary, come in and play!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Chinese Crystal Galore!

The wait is finally over! Our largest shipment of Chinese crystal arrived this weekend and there's so much to see. Chinese crystal is very similar to Swarovski. With a much more affordable price and the same glittery glitz you can mix and match without feeling restricted.

Let's start with my favorite, 4mm rondelles. The metallics look so sweet in this tiny shape. I instantly thought earrings!
$4.65 per strand

Some 4mm rounds, same sweet small size as the rondelles above.
$4.65 per strand

Lot's and lots of 6mm rondelles in a variety of metallics, mixes, special coatings and opaques.
$4.65 per strand

Back by popular demand, "red velvet" in 3 sizes of rondelles. This beautiful red is slightly opaque with a slight clear crystal glow on the outer edges. These have been flying out the door and we completely sold out within a week during our last shipment (beautiful color for Christmas!). If you think this is something you might be interested in I urge you to act fast.
$4.65-$6.30 per strand

This is just a small sampling of what came in . . . I didn't even cover the 8mm rondelles and rounds. We've got over ten trays full of strands for you to explore so stop by soon!

Friday, October 8, 2010

New Chain

Such delicate little chains! The very top length of chain is the only new gold-filled, the rest are sterling silver. I especially love the tiniest silver chain (right underneath the gold-filled). Perfect for a single drop or small cluster of your favorite gemstones.

Prices range from $2.30-$5.45 per foot

Friday, October 1, 2010

Antique Spindle Whorls and more . . .

New bead arrivals are always exciting, but antique beads really make us happy! You may recognize some of these, we've had them all before but we've been out of some styles for quite awhile . . .

Spindle Whorls    $4 per bead

Produced in the late 19th century in Mali by the Dogan people, each spindle whorl is decorated with beautifully unique carvings that are meant to aid in the weaving process. Traditionally, women make the spindle whorls while men do all the weaving.

Shell Buttons    $7 per piece

Produced between the 18th-19th centuries, these buttons come from Afghanistan where they were worn more as decorative brooches and less as functional buttons. These buttons were highly prized in the land locked country due to their distant ocean origins.


Old Czech Vaseline Glass    $48 per strand

These pressed glass strands were made over a 100 year period (about 1830-1930). In addition to the red, we also have green and yellow strands available (prices vary).

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Dyed Coral

Some more fun items from our new large shipment! Dyed coral is a great material if you're looking for a red color that isn't glass or expensive stone. Mix with turquoise or other stone beads for a earthy feel or simply knot for a casual layering piece.

Small faceted rounds, ideal for spacers and multi-strand projects . . .
3mm
$9 per strand
. . . slightly larger faceted rounds . . .
4mm-6mm
$11 per strand

. . . delicate branches in various hues of red . . .
approx. 6mm
$2-$4 per strand

. . . small, smooth, barrel shaped, one of my favorite . . .
6mm-8mm
$7 per strand

. . . pink coins, great for earrings and bracelets . . .
10mm
$7 per strand
. . . and last, but certainly not least, a fabulous collection of nuggets and branches! Great for statement pieces or single pendants. Those red nuggets (inner strands) would look beautiful simply knotted on waxed linen or cord.
Rounded nuggets $12 per strand
Large discs $24 per strand
Dark red "Y" branches $12 per strand

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Kyanite

Some new Kyanite beads from our recent giant shipment!

Kyanite (from the Greek word kyanos, meaning "dark blue") is a naturally occuring blue mineral that can be found all over the world including Brazil, Switzerland and North Carolina. Although it's mostly blue or grey-blue it can also occur in a vibrant green. It's prized by beaders for it's beautiful silvery sheen and deep blue color.

Beautiful diamond tile shapes . . .
14mm
$30 per strand
. . . smaller diamond shapes . . .
12mm
$26 per strand

. . . shimmering coins and ovals . . .
8mm-20mm
$12- $30 per strand

. . . bricks and squares . . .
10mm-18mm
$34- $45 per strand
. . . wonderful wheels . . .
7mm
$22 per strand

. . . and a great array of drops for pendants and earrings!
8mm-24mm
$12- $35 per strand

Monday, September 13, 2010

Turquoise

Turquoise has always been a staple for us, but with so much imitation and dyed material out there (of which we will never carry) the really nice stuff can be hard to find. This past shipment brought us a wonderful selection of turquoise beads in a variety of colors and shapes. Let's start with my favorite . . .


These are so stunning in person! They closely resemble the antique Tibetan Turquoise, but at a fraction of the price. Definitely a show stopper!
Chinese turquoise, 24mm-38mm (hole to hole)
Prices range from $171-$255 per strand


These sweet coins make great spacers and are available in both green and blue.
American turquoise, approx. 10mm
Coins priced at $25 per strand.

Rounds have been especially hard to find in the natural turquoise, so when it's available we try to get everything we can get our hands on.
Chinese turquoise, 6mm-14mm
Rounds priced from $20-$107 per strand.

These drops are large enough for a subtle pendant, but also make great earrings.
American turquoise, 14mm-24mm
Prices range from $41-$79

These always remind me of potato chips! I love the organic shapes, and the blue color is breath taking.
American turquoise, 10mm
Wavy discs priced at $93 per strand.

These disc's are perfectly graduated and exhibit a subtle sky blue color.
American turquoise, 3mm-13mm
Graduated discs priced at $69 per strand.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

New shipment!

We just got our largest shipment of the year and it's packed with so much fun stuff! I'll be posting pictures and descriptions of the new items all throughout the week so be sure to check back often. Or, better yet, stop by and see for yourself! Here's your first peek . . .

Small faceted rondelles that pack a punch! From the top . . . Mystic coated Labradorite, Iolite, Iolite (small rounds!), pink Amethyst.
3mm-4mm
$31 per strand

GORGEOUS, cushion cut golden Rutilated Quartz drops. Absolutely amazing in person.
approx 10mm
$78-$88 per strand


Large link chains in a variety of textures! Pricing varies.

Frames, frames, frames! Use as earring components, links . . . anything you can imagine with! I love to have these on hand for when I'm feeling extra creative. Also available in gold plate. Pricing varies.

This is a tiny sample of what came in . . . check back to see what else is new!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Pinch bails in silver

Some fancy new "pinch" style bails . . .


These bails are made of sterling silver and can be used on pendants that have a hole drilled from front to back. Simply pinch, and wear! They look fabulous on our larimar pendants . . . like little branches of coral in a tropical sea. The larger bails are $7.50 each, and the smaller are just $2.60 each.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Hindu amulets and Coptic crosses

Ethiopian Coptic Crosses
Ethiopian Christian coverts have been wearing crosses for more than 1600 years. The designs vary widely and indicate the town or province of origin. They are either lost wax cast or cut directly from a Maria Teresa (Marie Antoinette's mother) dollar coin. This coin has a better silver content than most, and generally the older the piece, the better the quality of silver. Another indicator of age is the complexity of the design of the cross. The simpler, plainer designs are the oldest showing Greek, Latin, Egyptian and even Celtic influence. As technology improved and a more ready supply of silver became available (around the 19th century) designs became much more elaborate. These pieces shown are the newest to join our large collection, please stop by to see the whole collection!
The Coptic Crosses are priced at $49 each (chain not included).


Hindu Amulets
The majority of these pendants originate from the northwest Indian provinces of Rajasthan and Gujarat, but they are found throughout the entire subcontinent. Made of stamped coin silver these pieces feature images of Hindu deities including Shiva, Hanuman, Durga, the footsteps of Vishnu and a few other surprises. These pieces were made from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, making the newest pieces about 75 years old. The pieces shown above are just a few the exceptional pieces from this new shipment. A huge favorite among the employees!
Based on weight, these pendants range from $8-$10 each



I included this picture to give you a realistic idea of the amount of Hindu amulets that arrived in this shipment. You can really get a good idea of how many styles and options there are to choose from. Be warned that it's not that often that we get such a large amount of antique pieces and they tend to go fast. Be sure to stop by and pick out the ones that call to you, we'd love to help you dig through them!

Friday, August 6, 2010

New copper and silver bails

Some new decorative bails to enhance your pendants . . .

Copper donut bails! Newly available in copper, these bails are used exclusively with stone or glass donuts. More to come!
Small flower bud (left): $1.50 each
Large leaf (right): $3.10 each

Check out this cute little pinch bail! The picture is enlarged to show detail, the bail is actually just under half an inch in length. Made of sterling silver, this hardy little bail will hold onto your pendants that have a front to back hole. They are a perfect match with our exclusive line of cubic zirconia drops!
$1.65 each 

Friday, July 23, 2010

Gemstone Nuggets

Quite a large shipment of stone beads came in today . . . we're just swimming in strands! These nuggets came in 3 different sizes and in just about every color you can think of. All natural stone of course (except a couple of Goldstone strands that snuck in). So, check 'em out . . .

Tiny nuggets . . .
(All tiny strands $4 each)

Medium nuggets . . .
(All medium strands $5 each)

Large nuggets in greens . . .
(All large nugget strands $7 each)
Starting from the top . . . Serpentine, Olive Jade, Aventurine, Unakite


. . . sunset tones . . .
Starting from the top . . .  Matte Red Jasper, Peach Aventurine, Red Jasper, Poppy Jasper, Honey Jade

. . . pinks and purples . . .
Starting from the top . . .  Amethyst, pink Calcite, Rose Quartz, Rhodonite

. . . and speckled!
Starting from the top . . . Dalmation Jasper, Snowflake Obsidian, Sodalite

Not every nugget shape got shown on here (there's just soooo many!) so be sure to stop in a take a look.