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Garnet - January's Gemstone
History of Lampwork Beading
Properties of Gemstones
History of Lampwork Beading
Choosing Lampwork Beads
How are Lampwork Beads actually Make?
21 Months of MrBead Newsletters
Fun Bead Crossword Puzzle
2007 Calendars
Special 15% 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 so 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.
Lampwork
History of Lampwork Beading
The "lamp" in lampwork came from the oil lamps and blowpipes used in seventeenth century France and Italy. Blowing by mouth or bellows into an oil lamp flame with a small pipe makes just enough heat to soften and form this type of glass. It's amazing the great work the early lampworkers were able to do with so little equipment. Hot glassworking skills originated from the Syrians around 1700 BC, the Egyptians 1450 BC, the Chinese around 550 BC, the Romans at the turn of the first millennium. Today lampworkers usually use an oxygen torch, but the technique to form and decorate the glass hasn't changed much for thousands of years.
Choosing Lampwork Beads
As usual with handcrafted items, the quality is equal to the expertise of its maker. Choose beaded jewelry in a style you like, but remember that style isn't the only thing you must consider when buying handcrafted glass beads. Air bubbles should not normally be visible in the bead & although some beadmakers use these as design elements, but they are normally round or positioned in specific areas. The bead hole should be free of nicks or burrs. Jagged edges around the hole produce a wobbly bead that can eventually cut through beading wire. Check that the shapes of beads. They're handcrafted, so expect some variations, that's part of their charm, but the overall look should be attractive.
How are Lampwork Beads actually Make?
Lampworkers use a torch to melt the tips of glass rods, and then wind the molten glass around a mandrel, a narrow stainless steel rod. Later, when the bead is removed, the space occupied by the mandrel becomes the hole used to string the bead. Glass cools from the outside in and the outer layers shrink as they cool. Bringing a bead out of the flame and leaving it in the open air allows the outside of the bead to cool rapidly around its molten interior. However, a stress point develops between the cool shrinking glass and the hot center, which can cause a bead to crack immediately or at a later time. To prevent cracks, the beads are soaked in a kiln to make sure that all glass within them is the same temperature. After soaking the artist reduces the kiln's heat over several hours to bring the beads to room temperature.
21 months of MrBead Newsletters
Everything About Pearls - from MrBead..... Mailed: Apr 24 2005
Jade Jewelry & How to Make it ...... Mailed: May 22 2005
All about Turquoise - from MrBead ...... Mailed: Jun 26 2005
Summer Beads - Carnelian & Peridot ...... Mailed: Jul 24 2005
Buying Beads ...... Mailed: Aug 28 2005
Opal, Tourmaline, & Chip Beads ...... Mailed: Sep 25 2005
How to Sell Beads Online, Citrine, Yellow Topaz, & Lampwork ...... Mailed: Oct 23 2005
Happy Christmas from MrBead! ...... Mailed: Nov 27 2005
Happy 2006! ...... Mailed: Jan 1 2006
Amethyst - February's Stone + Much More! ...... Mailed: Jan 29 2006
Aquamarine & How to Make $1,000s Selling Beads! ...... Mailed: Feb 26 2006
Diamonds, E-Jewelry Parties & Mother's Day ...... Mailed: Mar 26 2006
Emerald, Bead Shapes & Jade ...... Mailed: April 30 2006
Pearls, Moonstone & Wedding Beads! ...... Mailed: May 28 2006
Ruby, Carnelian, Findings, & Chips ...... Mailed: June 25 2006
Summer Peridot, Onyx, Flaked Stone, Donut Beads & More! ...... Mailed: July 30 2006
Sapphire, Quartz, Coral, & Measuring Beads ...... Mailed: August 27 2006
Opal and How to Buy Beads Retail, Wholesale & Online ...... Mailed: September 24 2006
A Spooky Halloween with Orange and Black Beads! ...... Mailed: October 15 2006
Cheeky Chips, Presentation, Citrine & Yellow Topaz ...... Mailed: October 29 2006
Christmas Beads & Great Present Ideas ...... Mailed: November 12 2006
Merry Christmas, Turquoise Beads, Selling Online, & Gem Properties ...... Mailed: November 26th 2006
Bead Crossword Puzzle
Readers are welcome to print this puzzle and its solution.
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 and its solution go to the the HTML version here
2007 Calenders
Free US printable 2007 Calendar here
Free Google UK Online 2007 Calendar here
Free Microsoft 2007 full customizable printable Calendar here
15% Offer!
To get 15% off (before shipping) on anything in our MrBead bead store, just key in "2007" (without the commas) at the checkout and click "Redeem Coupon". Cannot be used with any other coupon.
Offer valid until 12th January 2007 only - so act now. The more you order, the more you save! Only for use in our store at the checkout and not valid with any other offers.
To see all our garnet beads click here
To go to our MrBead store click http://www.mrbead.com
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