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Stringing Beads for Jewelry Making

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

A bead is any sort of object that can be strung; it can decorate or adorn a person, place or thing. Early civilizations used beads for jewelry making to proclaim their identity, status and kinship. They would try and outdo each other in their style of beads and their beadwork. Through the years, beads have been used to count property, pay for goods and record special events. Beads could give protection and good health and they could declare power and wealth.

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Today beads are used more specifically for artistic purposes. Whether it is clothing, sculptures, artwork or beads for jewelry making, the history of earth’s people can be reflected in beads. They also continue to be a part of our lives today.

The stringing of beads is probably one of the most beautiful ways to make jewelry. Stringing beads for jewelry making is an art within itself. Not only is it still done with hemp, as it was centuries ago, but the beads for jewelry making can be strung with wire, chain or any other craft string or thread. The art lies in the beauty of the beads that are being strung. There is such a spectrum of shapes, colors and mediums in beads for jewelry making today that the possibilities are endless.

Selecting the right Beads

The earliest beads for jewelry making were made mainly out of seeds, nuts, shells, bones and rocks with natural holes. These were all natural materials found in the environment. As time moved forward, civilization developed more sophisticated tools and the art of stone carving, rolling and sculpting clay and melting glass were all mediums for making beads. Because of the vast array of choices, selecting the perfect set of beads for jewelry making today is truly an artist’s delight.

Some of the most popular beads for jewelry making today, are the Czechoslovakian, Swarovski crystal beads, as well as, designer art glass beads from the USA, and furnace glass beads from China. All three of these designs are absolutely stunning. There are also beads from India with different textures, glass seed beads from Japan and the Bali-style beads from Bali. Silver and gemstone beads come from all around the world and freshwater pearl beads from China and Japan.

There are alphabet beads, sterling silver, pewter and gold charm beads. Some of the most beautiful beads of today are the glass lampwork beads. These beads are made by melting sheets of glass in a large flame to create objects that transmit light and color in truly remarkable and magical ways. A beaded necklace made from lampwork beads is pure art. So, how do you select the perfect beads for jewelry making? With this kind of selection, there cannot be a wrong answer as beauty is in the art of the beholder.

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