Happy 2006 from MrBead! Garnet, How to Store Beads, & a Bead Crossword

To see the full HTML color version with photos click http://www.mrbead.com/december.htm

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Garnet - January's gemstone
How to Store Beads
Old MrBead Newsletters
Bead Crossword Puzzle
Free 2006 Calendar
10% Bead Offer

Garnet - January's gemstone
Garnet is January's birthstone, a name given to over ten gemstones with similar chemical structure. Although red occurs most, there are also shades of green, pale to bright yellow and fiery orange garnet. Some rare garnets even change color from daylight to artificial light. "Garnet" derives from the Latin "granum" meaning "grain". Describing the typically rounded shape of the gemstone and also reminds of pomegranate seeds.

Garnet makes good jewelry because it is very hard and resistant to wear. Garnet has been found in jewelry from ancient Greece, Rome, and dating back to 3100 BC in Egypt. Chinese and Japanese warriors made bullets out of garnet because they believed that these would inflict more damage. Even Noah used a lantern from garnet to steer his Ark through the night. Travelers wore garnets for protection from evil, poison and wounds. People thought garnet brightened the night because of its high refraction of light. It was also believed to help depression and prevent nightmares. A red garnet in particular is said to break a fever, stop bleeding and to reduce inflammation.

Today, garnet is prized for its beauty rather than its magical powers. People like its naturalness, its brilliance, and color of a sun-drenched Indian summer. Garnet is said to symbolize happiness as well as deep and enduring love and friendships. Green garnets are the rarest and therefore highly prized. Emerald green and colorless garnet is next rarest, followed by pure red. Garnet comes today mainly from Africa, but also from India, Russia, central and south America. Skilled gem cutters all over the world shape them in classical forms and modern fancy designer's cuts.

How to Store Beads
Eventually every beader is faced with the dilemma of how to store beads. Everyone has their own way depending on quantity and availability. Some beaders use a fishing tackle box, plastic shoe boxes, wood or plastic utensil trays from Walmart & others, clear sliding drawers designed for nuts and bolts, plastic pencil cases, or plastic drawer storage bins. All these compartments are the ideal size for storing beads, findings, and tools. Sturdy and portable, they allow you see project options at a glance.

Inside these draws you need to separate different types and sizes of beads. For loose beads, tubes are good with a label or photo around. Zippy or sealable plastic bags are great for strands - plus they have the advantage of a large opening to get a scoop or counter inside to retrieve loose beads. These bags can be brought from freezer and stationary stores.

However, as your collection grows you will need a more and more containers. We use plastic draws that are stacked together and labeled with a photograph and description outside. Transparent or partly-transparent draws are good for seeing what's inside. Another way is to build narrow shelves for baby food jars. You can even screw the top of the lid to the top of the shelf so they always go back neatly. For small loose beads you can use 35mm film containers, candy tins, aspirin bottles, and paint cans for larger beads.

One beader has 8 spice racks that turn, brought at yard sales for $2 each. Plus 16 glass jars with lids for her seed beads. Each jar has several shades of the same color. She just turns the rack to find the color she's looking for and the type of bead. Another beader uses Tic Tac containers when she travels. They are small enough for all the different colors she needs and they never spill. Lastly, she stores beads in margarine containers because they are flat and she can pile them on top of one another.

Nine months of MrBead Newsletters
December is the 9th MrBead newsletter, and I thank you all for such enthusiastic comments and appreciation. Just click below to see the past newsletters:
Everything about Pearls
Jade Jewry & How to Make it
All about Turquoise
Summer Beads - Carnelian & Peridot
Buying Beads
Opal, Tourmaline, & Chip Bead
How to Sell Beads Online + Citrine, Yellow Topaz & Lampwork
Christmas Beads, Presents, and December's birthstone, Turquoise

Any suggestions for future newsletters would be appreciated, just email suggestions@mrbead.com

Bead Crossword Puzzle
Visitors are welcome to print this puzzle and its solution for fun.

ACROSS
1. Grooved rim holding a stone in its setting.
4. Product of an irritated oyster.
9. Suspended item on jewelry.
10. Purple semi-precious stone.
12. Disc shaped spacer bead.
14. Flat backed oval stone.
16. Stringing material: _____tail.
18. Dark green semi-precious stone
used in Chinese carving.
20. A series of links.
21. Sacred item worn for protection.
23. Porcupine needle.
24. Moon or soap_____.
25. _____ Lazuli.
27. Bundle of bead strands.
28. A dozen dozen.
31. Bead larger than a seed, smaller than a crow.
34. Small rounded beads used in Native American beadwork.
36. Device used to weave beads on.
37. Highly decorative bead made of wire cells and colored enamel.
41. Delicate metal openwork.
43. One length of memory wire.
44. Blue-green stone popular in the Southwest.
45. A finding made of wire with a loop at one end, used to make dangles.
46. Lampworker's substance.
47. Older than vintage.
48. Thread is needed to use one.
49. Decorative pin for a woman's garment.
50. Low luster surface.

DOWN
2. Papa, moma, or baby fetish. (two words).
3. It can be precious or base.
4. Stitch used to make amulet bags.
5. Brown and gold striped semi-precious stone.
6. Deep red semi-precious stone.
7. Earwire shaped like a vital organ.
8. Small tile shaped bead made in Japan.
11. Light passes through it.
13. Precious gem in green.
15. Faceted substance from Austria.
17. Thin, tube shaped glass bead.
19. Little metallic cup used to embellish gowns.
20. Neclace fastener.
22. Wedding band.
24. Tendon fibre used to make dreamcatchers.
26. Abalone _____.
29. Snowflake ________.
30. 92.5% Silver.
32. Bead larger than Pony.
33. Metallic lined clear bead.
35. Famous manufacturer of Austrian Crystal.
38. Can't see through it.
39. Small carved stone or shell animal figure.
40. Technique used to bond gold to base metal:_______-plating.
42. Small circlet of drilled shell.
46. Adhesive.

For the bead crossword puzzle go the the HTML version here

2006 Calendar
For your free Microsoft 2006 calendar click here
For a free Microsoft 2005-2006 school calendar clickhere

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