Lost Cities Beads- A Place For the Unique

Sunday, March 28, 2010

It's a geode bonanza!

If you like a more "organic" look to your jewelry, you'll love these geodes! The base metal bezels are very minimal and only cover the edges of the geode leaving the front and back exposed. That's a good thing too, because the some of the backs are just as pretty as the fronts! Each piece is unique in color and shape . . . there's bound to be something for everyone.

These are the perfect size for pendants! String on chain for a simple look, on long braided fiber for a casual summer look or on a string of beads to add a splash of color. These geodes are $9.30 each.

For those of us who want a bolder look for our jewelry pieces, these thick slices of geodes are amazing. Or, if you're like some of us here, you can hang them in your windows at home while you wait for the perfect jewelry idea for your geode slice. These are $19 each.

Remember, we also still have some geode beads in strands and singles (shown here strung on orange string). Whole strands are $31, and the singles run around $5 each.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Red bronze leather ends, Buddhas and a brass hook!

Those that know us know how particular we are when it comes to the quality of our products. We tend to prefer sterling silver or gold vermeil instead of base metals (non precious metals like copper, brass, aluminum etc) with the belief that if you're going to invest time into a piece, give it the quality it deserves. However, with the ever rising prices of gold and silver, the quality of some base metal products seem to be going up as well. While we'll never have a huge selection of base metal (there's just not enough room in the store for everything, even though we try) we are starting to carry some of these neat, nice quality base metal findings.

This is pretty exciting for us. We have a nice selection of copper beads, clasps, wire and chain, but there's never been a nice looking leather end to complete leather jewelry. Well, these aren't copper, but they sure look like it! Made of "red bronze" these ends have a slightly antiqued look and match our copper clasps almost perfectly. At only $ .70 each we just had to have them!

We just couldn't pass up these wonderfully petite (only a 1/2 inch tall) Buddha heads. The have a large enough hole to easily fit onto leather or thick gauge wire and the detailing is fabulous! Made of goldtone and silvertone base metal and red bronze they're only $1.95 each. 

Sometimes the simplest clasp is the most desirable. This hardy brass hook and eye clasp has been slightly hammered with dimples to give a little extra shimmer. This is the newest edition to our growing collection of brass beads and findings and only costs $1.80 each.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

New gold vermeil order in!

A new gold vermeil order just came in packed with all sorts of fun stuff! Gold vermeil refers to sterling silver that has been heavily plated in gold. We actually collect our own silver pieces and send them to a gold plating company along with our specifications. By sending them out ourselves we can control the quality and keep our prices reasonable. Below are some pictures of our favorites of the shipment . . .

Gold vermeil Thai charms. The round charm on the right is actually a bell! The lotus, peace sign and bell are brand new to us.

More gold vermeil charms including (from left to right) Isis, a hedgehog ( he's got such a sweet face . . . that we can't see on the scan), a heart, a lion, and two styles of Buddhas.

These string-able gold vermeil bails make any special bead really stand out as a beautiful pendant. Simply wire wrap your bead to the loop, string the bail on your choice of cord or thin snake chain and you're ready to go!

Nothing quite compares to the quality of these Turkish made chandeliers. The scroll work is amazing, all you need is a couple of sparkling beads and you have instant eye catching earrings.

This is just a small collection of what was included in the shipment, so be sure to stop by to check it all out!

Friday, March 5, 2010

New this week . . .

     Some new gold-filled chain to share with you! Hammered flat for extra strength and glitter, this petite chain can be used for a variety of projects. The links are large enough to make easy cluster earrings, but small enough to string a single charm or feature a special bead on a headpin. The picture shown (left) is a quick and simple project idea with our new chain and a collection of nuggety aquamarines (which happens to be March's birthstone). For a closer look, please click on the picture below.

     Also in this week . . . .

     Czech glass refills, Lindstrom professional jewelry pliers, and fabulous books!