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).

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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 

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.

Antique amber overload!

Is there really such a thing as "overload" when it comes to the antique amber (or any bead for that matter)? We don't think so, and that's a good thing because we just got a huge assortment of these precious, hard to find antique beads. The color range is fantastic . . . from buttery yellow, to golden, to caramel. There's even a few opaque, dark reddish-brown beads floating around. We have beads that are sold individually ($9.50 per gram) and a few strands (price varies).

Not familiar with the antique amber? These beads were made mostly during the mid 19th century into the early 20th century (although some maybe much older). Though they were shaped in Africa, the rough was most likely Baltic in origin.

Carnelian Buddhas

Check out these Buddhas! Each pendant is hand carved from carnelian, a natural reddish/orange agate. The patterns on these are just so fun, each one dramatically different from the last. Each pendant is $6.20, come by and find the piece that speaks to you!

New Chains

Some fantastic new chain just arrived . . .

These styles are all new sterling silver additions to our extensive chain collection. We are so excited to have these!

Tiny Gemstone Beads

Teeny tiny gemstone beads are back! These 2mm beads make great spacers, delicate looking multi-strands, or pair with a small pendant for a subtle necklace. There are a lot of different gemstones to choose from . . . but, if you can't decide we've got mixed strands to give you an array of color choices! All strands are $5 each, except for the Rose Quartz which is $6 each.

A Multitasking Gold Chain

You may be asking yourself, what is a "multitasking chain"? It's this:

This brand new large link goldfilled chain gives you so many options. It's large enough to be a statement piece all by itself, you can space it with gemstones or glass, or you can do this . . .

Simply cut the tiny link between each large link and you've got some great frames to use for whatever you'd like! We've made an earring to show just one thing you can do with these versatile links. The best part is that because they're connected with a tiny link you'll never have to waste a large link when cutting . . .  and that saves A LOT of money!

Silver and Gold . . .

A box came in this week full of silver and gold . . . freshwater pearls! Silver colored pearls are a great addition to almost any project. The smaller pieces compliment almost any color which makes them great spacers. The larger ones can also be paired with just about anything. I personally like mixing them with iolite and labradorite to enhance the silvery sheen . . . but if you're feeling adventurous with color green and purple look beautiful too!

These remind me of tiny, glittery river stones. Can you imagine finding these scattered along a river bed? I can (it's one of my 'happy places').

$11 per strand

The quality on these drop shapes is amazing! Almost perfectly smooth with a glowing luster. Great for earrings.
$17 per strand

These irregular shapes are always fun to work with and give a nice organic look without skimping on the overall quality of your pieces. I really like the texture on some of these, it seems to amplify the sheen and give your pieces extra glitter.

Starting from the top . . .

Small nuggets are $4 per strand (think of the inexpensive multi-strands projects that could be done!)

Coin shaped are $14-$34 per strand

The big nuggets are only $18 per strand

Round shaped are $14 per strand

The potato shaped are a steal at $6 per strand

Golden toned pearls in a variety of rounds. Beautiful luster!

$23-$27 per strand

Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone! Remember that even though you may have the long weekend off, we don't (how else would you get your bead fix?). We'll be open normal hours for all your beading needs. Come by and say hi!

Goldfilled and Sterling Chain

Who doesn't like receiving a box of chain in the mail?

Some of these are new, and some are refills. All are fun to work with! The sterling silver chain on the very top (slightly hammered oval) is one of my very personal favorites. Come in and check them out before they're gone!

New Large Hole Copper Alloy Beads

Look what came in over this weekend . . . more hard to find large hole beads!

These beads are shown strung on our 3mm braided leather.

These are made of a copper/zinc alloy, meaning you won't have to worry about the color chipping, flaking or wearing off. They've been antiqued and buffed to bring out the details in the designs. The holes on these beads are large enough to comfortably slide onto thick leather, satin or chain. They would look great stacked on chain or used as decorative spacers in between large gemstone beads. We currently have 23 styles to choose from ranging in price from $0.45-$1.10 each.

American Turquoise Pendants

These pendants are not for the faint of heart. These are for the adventurous, the bold and the unafraid. But all joking aside, how great are these?! Hand carved from solid American turquoise and accented with antique "white heart" glass beads, these pendants demand attention. Like many of our unique pieces, this is a very limited item and what you see in the picture below is all we have.

Don't fear their size. With turquoise of this quality, bigger is always better.

Gemstone Chips

Some new gemstone chips in this weekend! Chips are generally so affordable that even a beader on a budget can make multistrand necklaces and bracelets without breaking the bank. With each strand measuring about 36 inches that's more than enough for a great project!

Hematite (shiny black)- $7

Labradorite (Grey with flashes of color)- $6

Apaitite (blue/green)- $12

Dyed Quartz (bright blue)- $5

Blue Lace Agate (light blue)- $8