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.

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.

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!

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!

Buddhist Pendants

What a stroke of good luck! We received some fabulous antique style Buddhist pendants about a month ago, but they sold out quickly. Pendants like these are super hard to get a hold of, let alone replenish. This time luck was on our side! We didn't get refills on every style, but here's a sampling of what's now available . . .

A little about these pendants . . .

 These are contemporary reproductions of antique Buddhist pendants and are made out of a mix of base metals (making them surprisingly light weight). Even though they're non precious metal, the detailing is amazing. They're still only $13 each, come and get them while they're still here!

More from our huge shipment . . .

More wonderful things to share from our large shipment that came in a couple weeks ago . . .

I love Thai silver, and honestly, what's there not to love? Each pendant, bead and finding is individually handmade, meaning that every piece is wonderfully unique. They are finished with a soft polishing that gives the pieces a nice glow.

The bail is $3.40 each and the pendants run $2.50-$5.80 each. The droplet beads start at about $5 per 2 inch mini strand, but since they are priced by weight they'll vary in price.

Chalcedony and rainbow moonstone make such a pretty winter-y pairing. The color tones in chalcedony, a natural blue agate, are enhanced by the flashy iridescence of the moonstone.

The chalcedony nuggets are $25 per strand, and the drops are $26 per strand.

The moonstone strands range in price from $22-33 per strand.

More Chinese turquoise! You can feel good about using this turquoise in your designs, it's completely natural in color and composition (no chalk turquoise in this store EVER!). The smaller strands make great spacers, while the larger beads are bold enough to stand alone.

Strands run $10-$35 each.

Jaspers, Jades and More!

I've fallen a little behind on posting the items from our new huge shipment, the store has been packed from open to close during the last week. We've had lot's of locals coming by for their bead fix, but even more out of state visitors just passing through. Could our recent 80 degree weather have something to do with it . . . ? ;) 

It's not often that we get genuine jade beads let alone GIANT jade pendants! The pendants are huge, most take up the entire palm of my hand. They range in price from $13-$16 each. The little Buddha head is not jade, but looked like he belonged. He's only $3.20 each and made of serpentine which is commonly mistaken as jade.

Check out these unusual jaspers. The strands have random swirls of blue and green with a common color base of warm brown. The strands range in price from $14-$18 per strand.

The pendants are top drilled (from left to right) and vary in designs of brown, red and green. These are one of my favorite new things. They are $3.40 per piece.

We'll end this entry with some sparklies! The two top rows of beads are hands down, my very favorites of the new shipment. These spessartite garnets are covered in microfacets and give off the most spectacular glow. Strands will run you about $235, but we do sell them in singles.

The next two rows are wonderful drops of tourmaline in mysterious smokey greens, burnt oranges and unusual garnet-red tones. It's not often that you see tourmaline in this mix. Strands are around $140 each, but they are also sold in singles.

The next two rows of beads are microfaceted lemon quartz rondelles that give off a nice glow. The strands run around $124 a strand, but are also sold in singles.
The last row of beads are citrine carved into whimsical, odd shaped leaves. Each strand is $62, or $1.50-$4.00 per bead.

For those who don't get the emails . . . .

Do you get our email notifications? It's easy to sign up, just email us at lostcitiesbeads@att.net and let us know. For those of you who don't get the emails yet, here's our latest email sent out covering some of our new shipment . . .

We have just received the biggest shipment of the year and you are invited to come and play in the beads!

Big is Beautiful........

The inner circle is filled with plump buttons of bright green Turquoise. ($1. per gram)

It is surrounded with striking, crisply modern, flat bicones of Banded Agate in amazing natural patterns. ($43. per strand)

The perfect medium for wearing a 'major statement' necklace without carrying 10 pounds around your neck is the graduated pillows of Jet - dramatic and yet very lightweight. ($42 per strand)

Center one gorgeous piece of Turquoise for immediate gratification. We have a whole tray of truly beautiful green and blue turquoise in smooth, large holed (big enough for leather!) wedges to choose from. ($1 per gram)

Sparkly, delicious gems........

Start with sweet little flat berries of Ruby - very tasty, ($47. - $60.)

Tourmaline in all it's range of color - even purple and the bluey indicolite. Faceted in narrow diamonds - exceptional quality. ($186.)

Vesuvianite in a rich olive green - faceted rondelles ($62.)

More Tourmaline in little faceted dimes -very nice clarity and includes the lovely golden yellow. ($155.)

Tourmaline in the dark greens - forest and fern - beautiful little faceted ovals. ($109.)

Another scrumption green - light grassy Tsavorite in tiny 2.5mm faceted rondelles. ( $78.)

At the bottom another Tourmaline - all dark, luscious green in 3mm faceted rondelles. ($93.)

Gleaming, glowing Labradorite....

So many shapes! So many choices! And all shimmering with blue fire....Oh yummy! Start with 2 sizes of smooth pebbles for only $10 per strand.

Faceted briolettes - ( $31.)

Unusual faceted tear drops drilled top to bottom. Would be terrific as earring dangles - ( $31.)

Exquisite firey faceted marquis shapes - again, fabulous earring potential - ($81.)

Another unusual cut - little tabs (houses?) with amazing labradorescense (yes, that is a word) - ( $53.-$68.)

Lastly, spectacular '25¢ size' discs of faceted Labradorite with dazzling fire - ( $41.)

We actually have even more shapes and sizes than shown here. And the really good news?.....most shapes are available in singles!

Handmade Thai Chain........

In addition to the assortment of Thai made silver beads and spacers that we carry, we now have 5 styles of their beautiful handmade chain. They all have the substance to make a very special statement with just the simplest of pendants and they look great on a guy, too!

We welcome the return of a little spacer we haven't seen in a while - those randomly shaped, flattened droplets of silver. Used in strand or as single spacers they are terrific. ($2.63 per/gram)

The chain is typical of Thai work - silver, hand formed, hand stamped with tiny patterns and hand soldered creating an exceptionally fine yet substantial strand. Sold by the inch but prices reflect one foot lengths.

Starting with the littlest, sweet ovals 4x5mm - ($28.15)

Next size up is the 5mm rounds - ($41.70)

Ovals in 5x6mm - ($35.20)

Largest rounds are 8mm - ($62.95)

The most lush and heavy is still 8mm rounds but every other link is doubled up giving it a luxurious heft - ($119.55 )

 We never tire of the sparkly stuff........

Start with the fresh spring green of Peridot. We have several shapes and sizes both smooth and faceted. Shown are little 4mm faceted wheels - ($31.)

The prettiest Sunstone we have had in a long time - very jelly with lots and lots of sparkle. First is a thick flat 6-7mm disks - ($22.) Next are slightly smaller 5-6mm disks, only drilled top to bottom - ($22.) Last we have one faceted style in flat ovals - ( $31.)

At the bottom is a beautiful little Amethyst in a teeny 2-3mm faceted bicone. It has great cut and color - ($31.)

New Large Shipment

It's that time again! Our biggest shipment of the year has arrived and we're happily drowning in new and exciting stock. There's something for everyone in this amazing group, whether you prefer bright and gemmy, antique and weathered, petite or bold. Here are just a couple of items that were love at first sight for our employees. And, since it was so hard to narrow our choices down to a few, I'll be posting more items throughout this week so check back often!

These are my personal favorite's from the entire shipment. These are contemporary reproductions of old Buddhist style pendants. We have two sizes available, and each piece is beautifully unique. Some have the appearence of old wall carvings, some are cut and stamped from weathered metal, and some have domes of clear plastic to protect the idols. There is a very limited amount of these available, and they're already flying out the door. The small pieces (above the quarter) are $13 each, and the large pieces are $16 each.

These turquoise pendants are AMAZING. These are cut thick with a slight dome look and the holes are large enough to slide them right onto thick fiber. We've got a whole tray of different sizes, shapes (check out those skulls, what a find!) and patterns but be warned, these won't last long! Prices range from around $6 each to $50 each.

More larimar pendants! We had a small amount of these a couple years ago at killer prices, and they sold out quickly. They're back, and so is their low, low price. Sold by weight they range in price from about $14 to about $50 each.

Want a little summer break from the winter weather? This assortment of beachy beads will point you in the right direction.

Red abalone (graduated tear drops): $47 each

Aquamarine assortment (inside the abalone): $13-$20 per strand

Purple and orange Spondylus shell (far left): $10-$13 per strand

Earthy, organic, polished nuggets, just how nature intended them to be! Most strands are big and bold with an occasional medium sized strand mixed in. Beads are big enough for pendants, but look fabulous as a whole necklace. Starting from the very top . . .

Chalcedony: $25 per strand

Crystal Quartz: $30 per strand

Amethyst: $19 per strand

Chalcedony slabs: $19 per strand

Medium chalcedony slabs: $19 per strand

This is just a first in a series of posts so check back for more pretties :). If you're signed up on our email list you'll recieve an email highlighting these and other pieces we love shortly. If you don't recieve our emails, but would like to, just email us at lostcitiesbeads@att.net and let us know! Remember that we don't share your information with anyone, and the emails are only about 5-6 times a year.

New Cubic Zirconia Findings

Add some sparkle to your creations, just in time for the holiday season! These cubic

zirconia encrusted findings are perfect to accent your higher end pieces. Unfortunately,

the scanner just can't do them justice. You'll just have to stop by and check them out in

person!

These petite clasps fold over in the middle, connecting the two square pieces. Length of 3/4'', width of 1/4''. Available in sterling silver or gold vermeil.

These bails are hinged, allowing the wearer to easily remove and re-attach to the chain or beaded strand of their choice. The larger of the two is about 3/4'' from top to bottom, and the smaller is 1/4''. Each size is available in sterling silver or gold vermeil.

Majorca Style Pearls

We just replenished our selection of beautiful white Majorca style pearls in 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 16mm. These fantastic pearl substitutes are a high quality, 100% man made bead but still retain the luster and weight of a real pearl. Majorcas are traditonally made by dipping a glass beads into a specially made paste of adhesive and fish scales. Our Majorca style beads have a core of mother of pearl instead of glass. This gives the bead the weight of a real Tahitian pearl, furthering the illusion. They are beautiful for the holidays, but also have a classic enough look to be worn year round. We carry a variety of colors and sizes so be sure to stop by and check them out, they go fast!

Got Beaders Block?

     Everyone gets it from time to time, whether it's a particular strand that you're dying to transform or maybe a certain style that you're wanting to reproduce. Buying the beads can be easy, but figuring out where to go from there can be frustrating.
     We've got the cure for bead block sitting right on our book shelves. Directly below our great book selection are a collection of maroon binders that are jam packed with high
quality scans of years worth of customer and employee creations. They're loosely grouped into categories like Pearls, Wire Wrapping, Straight Stringing, Multi Strand and many
more.
     Since these are other people's pieces we aren't able to make photocopies, but we have a collection of chairs directly next to the book case where you can comfortably sit and search for the inspiration for your next great design!

A little about our ancient beads . . .

Did you know that we specialize in ancient beads? Well, take a look at our banner above the blog title, and you'll see that we're a little obsessed. For 20 years the owners traveled around the world in search of these treasures, and although there's not much more to be found we still have quite a collection of fabulous ancient pieces to share. These beads hail from every corner of the world and come in all shapes, sizes and materials. Some of our favorites are the Tibetan turquoise (like those incredible pieces in the center and bottom left), the African amber, the African amazonite and of course the coral! Please stop by and have a look, each collection has it's own rich history and we'd be more than happy to tell you all about it! Or, for just a quick history lesson go to our website and click on the bead collection of your choice.

New Gold Filled headpins

This week we received some great 24 gauge gold filled balled headpins in two different sizes (a two inch and a one and a half inch). What makes these note worthy is the larger size of the ball on the bottom and the over all great quality of the pin. It's the little things that make us happy. :)

Swarovski Crystal Price Drop

Exciting news for all you Swarovski fans! We have expanded our new low 30% discount on Swarovski Crystals to include other shapes and sizes. Any size/shape of one color purchased in a quantity of 50 will receive the discount. Crystals priced at $1 or more each only need to be purchased in a quantity of 25 to achieve that discount. Such a deal! At that price you don't have to compromise, you can have them all :).

And then there was Pearls and Pyrite....

It's been a while since the last post, so I have A LOT to share. This is a continuation of the previous post, covering beads that came in during our last extra large shipment in September. Some of you already get our emails, but for those of you who don't here is the lastest letter that Karen recently send out. If you'd like to get our emails, please email us at lostcitiesbeads@att.net and let us know, we'd be happy to add you to our list!


Hi fellow Bead-Lovers,
Last message just couldn't cover everything I wanted to tell you about! This time I'll focus on some of the Pearls, Pyrite and Labradorite. There is also some Lapiz and Serpentine (my favorite color combo - lime and cobalt!) and a few sparklies - Amethyst, Citrine and Quartz.

Luscious Pearls

All of these would look terrific worked with copper wire and findings.

Row 1 is big coppery sticks, luminous with pink, gold, and green highlights - $19 per 16" strand!

Row 2 and 4 are the same, just different sizes. Yummy chocolate milk duds with glimmers of pink, green, purple and copper - $21 per 16" strand.

Row 3 are simply shiney green peas. Nearly edible. $24 per 16" strand.

The last 2 rows are spectacular copper 'potato chip' pearls. They are a luscious shimmery copper with just a bit of gold and pink. Two sizes, the larger slightly graduated - $66 and $79.

FABULOUS COLOR COMBO - LAPIZ AND SERPENTINE

The new Lapiz is of a very bright and vibrant blue with little flashes of pyrite. Small 8mm rounds are $22 and larger 10mm are $41. Great polish and shine.The Serpentine came in 6mm rondelles and 17x12mm flat ovals. The ovals really show off the wonderful character of the stone - a mix of lime and celery greens with black and white matrix and the small rondelles are a perfect spacer. I just love that blue and green together!

LUMINOUS MAGICAL LABRADORITE

This stone seems to be everyone's favorite, probably due to the glow of changing colors from within. It is SO beautiful!Pendants came in a nice assortment of shapes, all drilled front to back, all with shimmers of blue, green, and gold. Only $5.75 each.

The smallest new strands are the 6mm flattened, faceted rounds at $22. Next is 8mm faceted rounds at $35 and 10mm rounds at $41.The large flat, faceted rounds (20mm) are softly pale - $38 and the slightly larger ovals (18mm x 24mm) are a little darker - $47. Both are just breathtaking.

RAW AND RUGGED - NATURAL PYRITE

Here's a chance to add a unique new stone to your collection - Pyrite. Also known as Fool's Gold. This is how this type comes right out of the ground. Surprising little cubes from 5mm up to about dice size.All strands only $13. We also carry a supply of Pyrite in smooth rounds, rondelles and coins.

CITRINE AND QUARTZ AND AMETHYST....OH MY!

Citrine in a wonderful new cut - kinda a brick - sorta random faceted yet smooth - we'll just call it gorgeous. In shades from pale gold clouds to rich whiskey amber. Very pretty!Sold by weight - strands from $48 to $58Quartz - a stone but utterly transparent. Rondelles gleam with tiny facets. Very sparkly!16" strands $18.Amethyst in a good rich deep purple but not so dark you can't see that royal color.12mm faceted rounds - $4410mm faceted rounds - $356mm faceted rounds - $254mm faceted rounds - $22Strands of irregular droplets, tumbled to a gleaming smoothness.16" strands - $25Also available in singles for earrings or pendants - $1.30 each

Please note that prices mentioned in Lost Cities' emails, blogs, handouts, websites, etc. are effective the date of publication. They are subject to market conditions and availability and may be modified as necessary at Lost Cities' discretion.

Bead Happy -Karen and the Team at Lost Cities

Brand New LARGE Shipment!

Our largest shipment of the year just came in and we've got a lot to share with you! It'll take several posts to share everything with you so please stay tuned for new additions!

American, Colorado and Chinese Turquoise

Beautiful large, graduated strands of turquoise in various colors. Starting from the inside strand working outward . . .

Bright blue American Turquoise- strands from $102-$160 averaging a graduated 7mm x 23mm

Green Colorado Turquoise- strands from $148-$167 averaging a graduated 8mm x 21mm

Multi-tone Chinese Turquoise- only two strands available, $87 each 12mm

Various Chinese Turquoise

More Chinese turquoise in various shapes and sizes. Starting from the top row working our way down . . .

Large, graduated rondelles averaging 7mm-12mm. Priced from $40-$58 per strand.

Flat ovals in a 7mm-9mm. Priced at $16 per strand.

Multi-tone heshi in an 8mm. Priced at $25 per strand, only 3 available!

Cylindrical greens in a 6mm x 8mm. Priced at $16 per strand.

Flat rice shaped in blues and greens in a 9mm x 5mm. Priced at $16 per strand.

Larger flat ovals in an average size of 11mm x 13mm. Priced at $14-$18 per strand.

Natural Purple Spondylus Shell (aka Spiny Oyster)

This is really a treat, purple Spondylus shell! Also known as Spiny Oyster, this is a natural, un-dyed shell that adds an organic flare to any design. Spiny Oyster is often paired with turquoise, carnelian and gaspeite for a stunning Southwest look. See descriptions and prices below.

Large heshi shape in a 10mm. Priced at $38 per strand.

Medium sized rondelles in an 8mm. Priced at $38 per strand.

Medium sized heshi shape in a 6mm. Priced at $31 per strand.

Small rondelles in a 4mm (great spacers!). Priced at $25 per strand.

Small tubular shaped, multi-tones in a 4mm x 4mm. Priced at $19 per strand.

Natural Orange Spondylus Shell (aka Spiny Oyster)

In addition to the purple, we received a selection of orange Spiny Oyster (also natural color). They all measure at 6mm and come in a variety of oranges and an occasional reddish tone. These are all priced at $31 per strand.

Assorted Geodes

These geodes are amazing! Each piece is unique in size, color and pattern and has clusters of sparkly crystals inside. They are shown in strands, but we also offer them in singles. The scan simply does not do these justice! They are sold at $31 per strand or $5.25 per piece.

Large Agate Slices

Check out these neat slices of agate! Some are huge (for that fabulously earthy "statement necklace" you've always wanted) and some are a little bit more sized for an everyday wear. These are priced at $31 a strand, and $4.25 each.

New Gold Vermeil

We just received our gold plating order back and I have great new 24kt gold vermeil pieces to share with you! Vermeil (pronounced ver-may), is different from other gold plates because to qualify as true vermeil it must have a base of sterling silver underneath (no base metals, no mystery metals). The plating must also be no less than 10kt and have a substantial thickness. This is not to be confused with gold filled (a thin layer of 14kt gold bonded to a brass core). By sending out our own silver pieces to be plated, we can easily control the quality and prices of our gold.

Charms! This is just a very small sample of what came back, I just love that little pine cone and the rooster!

A varitey of gold vermeil bails . . . something for every occasion!

We sent a handful of our personal line of Euro style beads and they came back great! The gold really brings out the details in the beads.

These are by far the most exciting items to come back from our gold order. These are our antique Hindu amulets and they just looking fabulous in gold! We only had about a dozen plated this time, so if you want one immediately act fast!