Teardrop & Briolette Beads + Moonstone, May's Gemstone
Teardrop & Briolette Beads + Moonstone, May's Gemstone
This month is teardrop & briolette beads and May's birthstone moonstone. Scroll down, or click one of the links below on the html version to go to a section. UK customers can see us at our British bead fairs during May, starting 1st May at Beads Up North, at Haydock Race Course, WA12 0HQ - for details click here.
For the HTML version with color pictures click http://www.mrbead.com/april11.htm
To go to the MrBead store click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
Teardrop & Briolette Beads
Magical Moonstone
Opalite Moonstone
US$10 or £6.50 Off
How to Make a Killing Selling Bead Jewelry!
Versatile
Teardrop and briolette beads are among the most interesting shapes to make jewelry from. The rounded outline is pleasing to the eye, giving a classical and natural harmony to the design - and almost all types of gemstones are available in these shapes.
Meaning
Briolette comes from the Italian word "brio", meaning lively energy, and the dictionary definition of the word is "a gem cut in the shape of a teardrop or oval". However, briolette beads come in many different forms. Like elongated and skinny, short and fat, and flat and round - as well as smooth and faceted with many faces cut from the stone.
History
Briolette jewelry arrived in Europe from India in the early 17-century, but went out of fashion after a hundred-years, until its popularity revived during the Victorian period. Since then, this elegant cut has always been associated with quality and luxury. Briolette diamonds and gems dazzle in the crown jewels of the Austrian, Russia, British and France royal families, showing off their facets from all angles.
Types of jewelry to make
The drop of a briolette is ideal to dangle as a pendant on a necklace. Not only does this make it easy to make jewelry, but because they can be mounted several ways, designs can be more varied. Try using the same briolette gemstones to make earrings to match a necklace. Not only does this look good to wear, but increases your profit by selling matching sets.
Style
However you use this pleasing shape, it will have wide-appeal and create dressy jewelry that always sells well. Furthermore, the shape never really goes out of fashion and the interesting curves teardrop or a briolette makes are always appealing to the eye. Plus, many of these beads are cut multi-faceted, creating sparkles that catch the eye in bright light - similar to the crystals hanging on a chandelier.
Economical shape
Briolette shaped beads go a long way because you only need to use a few to make a necklace or bracelet. Adding too many makes the design look cheap and dilutes the magical effect of these beads. Add little round beads and silver spacers either side of your teardrops for extra effect.
Types of gemstone available in this shape
If you buy your jewelry-making supplies online, many stores allow you to choose by shape, making finding briolette beads fast and easy. Some of the most-popular briolette beads readily available are cut from:
Agate
Amber
Aventurine
Bronzite
Carnelian
Citrine
Crystal & Glass
Gaspeite
Jade
Lave
Millefori
Moonstone
Pearl
Peridot
Quartz & Chalcedony
Turquoise
To see our many teardrop and briolette beads click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
Many pearls are teardrop shape - see our pearls at MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
Colors
Moonstone comes in colorless, white, grey, and subtle yellow, but always has a blue or white sheen. Rainbow moonstone is colorless with a blue sheen and a rainbow-like array of colors.
Moonstone folklore
Much mystery surrounds this stone. In India it’s considered sacred to lovers, and is also known as a “dream stone” bringing beautiful dreams. In Arab countries women often were moonstone sewn into their garment as a symbol of fertility. It was also believed to be especially protective to seafarers, who have been using it since ancient times. During full-moon, moonstone is very powerful for reconciling love - and as the moon decreases, is said to allow one to foretell the future.
A feminine stone for female issues and the inner-child, but also used by men who want to reach their feminine side. Moonstone brings confidence, calms the emotions, and aids spirituality, intuition, and clairvoyance. Also thought to protect against fever, fluid-retention and urinary problems. Its soft shine supports the emotional and dreamy side of a person. Wearing moonstone will also increase your sensitivity for others.
Natural moonstone
Classical moonstone from Sri Lanka shimmers pale blue and is expensive. Moonstone from India has a cloud-like plays of light on beige, brown, green, or orange backgrounds – and some have a cat’s eye or a multi-rayed star.
Uncut moonstone is dull and lacks the play of light. This is brought out by the cutter’s skills, who must locate the stone’s axis. Classical moonstones are always cut as cabochons.
Value
The more intense the color, the larger and more transparent the stone, the more valuable is the gem. Really top quality fine blue moonstone shows an incredible “three-dimensional” depth of color, which you will see clearly only when tilting. Such specimens are rare and expensive. Brighter colored Indian moonstones are usually less expensive, so are opalite moonstone.
Opalite moonstone
Opalite moonstone is most common today.
This is a synthetic stone looking similar to genuine moonstone, that's only been around recently.
Against a light background, it appears milky white, shimmering golden faint lilac-blue and other colors.
Against a darker background, it changes to a bright icy blue with the highlights altering to intense oranges and reds.
The stone practically glows on its own, and demands attention by outshining all around.
Opalite moonstone adds a romantic feminine allure to your jewelry, always looking refreshingly cool - ideal for summer. Its pastel glow is soft and captivating, complimenting other light-colored stones like lilac amethyst, blue chalcedony, and rose quartz. It also loves to compete with wild bright colors like reds and turquoise. This flamboyance makes opalite ideal to wear during a night out on the town.
Looking after moonstone
All moonstone is fragile and should be handled carefully. However, a jeweler can polish a dulled moonstone back to its original glory.
To see all our Moonstone click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
Sunday 1st May 2011 - Beads up North!
Haydock Race Course, Newton-le-Willows WA12 0HQ
Sunday 8th May 2011 - Edinburgh Bead Fair - Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, EH14 1RJ
Sunday 15th May 2011 - Cheshire Bead Fair - Nantwich Civic Hall, CW5 5DG
Sunday 29th May 2011 - Lakeland Bead Fair - Rheged Discovery Centre, Penrith, CA11 0DQ
For details of all our 2011 bead fairs click here.
Offer valid until Tuesday 26th April only - so act now! Only for use in our stores below at the checkout and not valid with any other offers or eBay.
To go to the store click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk
At the present time, everyone is looking for extra income. If you would like to sell more of your hand-crafted jewelry, or perhaps you haven't taken the plunge selling yet, this book is for you. Choose from British English version or US version.
MrBead newsletter readers can purchase our new just-published book at a 33% discount. NOTE: ignore the price on the sales page - click the Buy Now button and you will see your 33% discount at the Paypal checkout ($19.99 or £12.99). Paypal only for this offer. On Paypal's confirmation of payment page, click "IMPORTANT: click here to download your product". You will also be e-mailed your download URL.
This e-book is sold to you with 100% satisfaction - otherwise you get a full refund within 60 days! To order or for more details click US Version or UK Version.
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