Spring Beads, Diamond & Quartz For April

To see the web version of this newsletter with photos click https://www.beadnewsletter.co.uk/april-2026

See us this Sunday at the Norwich Bead Fair, George Hotel, Arlington Lane, Norwich NR2 2DA – 11am to 4pm Free Entry & Refreshments!
MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com. For 2026 bead fairs, click Bead Fairs 2026.

Content
Clocks Change
Upcoming Bead Fairs
Beads Up North
Beauty Of April With Beaded Jewellery
Spring-Inspired Beading Ideas
Diamond – April’s Stone
Cubic Ziconia
Quartz Crystal – Alternate for April
East Sussex Bead Fair Report
2026 Bead Fairs

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15% Off All From MrBead

Enjoy 15% off anything with no minimum order. Shipping is free too on UK orders over £45. International shipping from US$12.50.

Can only be used at the NEW shop & not with any other coupon. To get the discount Key NORWICH at checkout now, as offer ends Sunday 29th March 2026. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.

Online Orders Delayed

Online orders over Easter will be delayed 31st March to 7th April. So please order early! The good news is there will be no shipping increase, despite Royal Mail increasing prices.

Clocks Change

Don’t forget to change your clocks for 2am this Sunday!

Upcoming Bead Fairs

This Sunday we’re back in Norwich. Make a weekend of it, and stay in the fine City of Norwich with it’s castle, two-cathedrals, river, old shops & the Norfolk Broads. The latest semi precious beads by MrBead, and ready-made jewellery designed by The Bead Queen. Then Sun 12th April at Cambridge Bead Fair, and Sun 19th April Beads Up North, Haydock Racecourse.

Cambridge Bead Fair - Sun 12th April
A very-busy show with easy free parking in the village of Harston, just outside Cambridge, and M11 J11. The latest semi precious beads from MrBead, seed beads and findings by Southampton Bead Shop & other exhibitors.

Beads Up North - Sun 19th April
The largest gathering of beaders in the UK, with jewellery-making workshops and full refreshments. This time the beading workshop is to make a beautiful embroidered brooch or pendant. The first workshop at 11am is only available to those who book first on the day – just £5.00 towards the materials. One & half hours of beading fun!Order discounted tickets online now at: Beads Up North Tickets. Many exhibitors trading beads, jewellery & other crafts – in two halls, along with beading jewellery-making workshops & refreshments. A bumper show, not to be missed! For Full Details Click: BeadsUpNorth.co.uk.

Windsor Bead Fair - Sun 26th April
Many new semi precious beads just imported into the UK by MrBead - with dramatic crystals & rocks by Avida Brazil Gemstones, seed beads, crystal & findings by Southampton Bead Shop, and other traders. Close to M25 Exit 13 (follow signs to A30 to Egham) & M4 Exit 6 (towards Windsor). Free parking. Visit us, then combine with a day out around Windsor, the Castle & an early-evening meal there. Free admission and free refreshments! Loads of free parking.

The Beauty of April with Beaded Jewellery

April is a time of renewal, creativity, and fresh beginnings. As nature awakens with blooming flowers and the promise of warmer days, it’s the perfect season for jewellery makers.

Whether you design delicate earrings, statement necklaces, or whimsical bracelets, each piece tells a story of renewal and beauty. Use crystal or glass beads that mimic the sparkle of diamonds, the birthstone of April.

Spring-Inspired Beading Ideas

Floral Motifs – Capture the essence of blooming flowers with beaded designs inspired by daisies, tulips, and cherry blossoms.
Pastel Palettes – Use soft hues like lavender, mint green, and baby pink to reflect the gentle, fresh tones of spring.
Nature-Inspired Themes – Incorporate earthy elements such as wooden beads, seed beads, or gemstone beads that represent the beauty of nature.
Layered Bracelets – Mix and match different bead textures and colours to create stackable bracelets perfect for springtime outfits.
Crystal Accents – Use faceted beads that catch the light beautifully, mimicking the brilliance of April’s birthstone.

Tips for Making Stunning Beaded Jewellery

Experiment with Materials: Combine glass, wooden, seed, and metal beads for contrasts.
Play with Patterns: Try different beading techniques such as peyote stitch, wire wrapping, or stringing for added dimension.
Personalize Your Pieces: Add charms, initials, or birthstone-coloured beads to create meaningful jewellery.
Quality Matters: Use high-quality beads and durable stringing materials to ensure longevity.

Click For Our Crystal Beads
Click For Our Flower Beads
Click For All Our Beads

DIAMOND APRIL’S GEMSTONE

April’s birthstone is diamond. With myths of romance, power, greed, and magic. Diamond is a symbol of love and the hardest naturally-occurring substance. Diamonds are similar to graphite, both crystalline forms of carbon. The difference is their carbon atoms. Graphite atoms are in sheets that easily slide past each other. Diamond crystals, are a tight-fisted network of atoms securely held in four directions.

Diamonds were formed over 3-billion years ago inside the Earth’s crust. The majority are extracted in Africa by miners paid a dollar a day. DiamondsThe second-largest miner of diamonds is Russia – so economic sanctions will hike prices. However, the world’s largest jeweller, Pandora, switched from natural to lab-grown diamonds.

More Ethnical Diamonds
At one time De Beers controlled all the world’s diamonds. By stockpiling, they increased the value of a relatively-common rock. However, artificially grow diamonds are possible – using high pressure and temperature in ‘growth chambers’, the size of a washing machine. Chemically they’re identical to mined diamonds – but have different growth patterns and a lack of inclusions that would draw suspicions to a jeweller.

CUBIC ZICONIA

Cubic Zirconia is a cheap way of making a stone look like diamond. Formed at high-temperature and crystallizes into chunks similar to rough diamonds. By looking, even a trained jeweller can’t detect the difference between good cubic zirconia or diamonds.

Click for our cubic zirconia rings.

QUARTZ CRYSTAL – APRIL’S ALTERNATE STONE

Diamonds are too expensive for most jewellery, but a gemstone with similar characteristics for April is quartz crystal. The Mayans, Druid priests, and Tibetan monks knew the spiritual power of crystal. They used it to strengthen the sun’s rays to bring heat – and the Chinese science of feng-shui teaches that arranging crystals around the home retains positive energy.

Crystals were important to these people because of the belief in their capacity to store and amplify any power source fed into them – physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Today’s crystal therapists say that the stones’ ability to work as a conductor allows energy to be focused via a person’s thoughts to stimulate healing.Many people use crystal to focus attention on what they want. With a little imagination, you too can use crystal’s energy to access a higher level of consciousness and turn a desire into reality.

All types of crystal have this magical power, but individual colour crystal is believed to have other uses too.Rose quartz, the stone of unconditional love, is for emotional healing. Red, yellow, and orange stones are said to produce energy; clear and aquamarine stones are healers; and lavender and blue-violet are calming.Pure rock crystal is clear, but usually quart comes in a variety of opacity. Rutilated quartz has tiny inclusions inside the rock. Milky quartz is cloudy because of fluid embodied in the crystal – creating an attractive effect of a crystal within a crystal, giving the interior a ghostly appearance. Smoky Quartz is caused by natural radiation from nearby granite rocks.

Click for our Crystal Beads
Our Quartz Beads

East Sussex Bead Fair Report

This has always been a busy show, and last Sunday was no disappointment. Lots of people love vising the village of Alfriston. Not just for our show: they walk along the river and dine in the restaurants and old pubs. MiMi and I visited the NT Bodiam Castle before the show – and after, seafood in Brighton and Leanadslee Lake & Gardens. Go to the online newsletter to see photos.

Enjoy a Bead Fair Soon

Bead shows are great fun. You’ll love them! Bring a trolley, as beads get heavy. Take some cash, as a few venues have a weak signal for card payments. Talk to the vendors and other visitors to inspire new design ideas. Make a note of what you paid for beads, and keep exhibitors’ business cards and leaflets.

2026 Bead Fairs

We have booked 30 shows so far for 2026. These are the first few:

Sun 29th March: Norwich Bead Fair, George Hotel
Sun 12th April: Cambridge Bead Fair, Harston Village Hall
Sun 19th April: Beads Up North, Haydock Racecourse
Sun 26th April: Windsor Bead Fair, Old Windsor Memorial Hall
Sun 10th May: Essex Bead Fair, Great Bromley Village Hall
Sat 16th May: New Forest Bead Fair, Brockenhurst Village Hall
Sun 17th May: Devon Bead Fair, Stockland Village Hall EX14 9EF
Sat 23rd May: Cornish Bead Fair, Probus Village Hall
Sat 6th June: London Kent Bead Fair, Farningham Village Hall
Sat 13th June: Lincoln Bead Fair, North Kyme Village Hall

Click For Bookings So Far: 2026 Bead Fairs

15% Off All From MrBead

Enjoy 15% off anything with no minimum order. Shipping is free too on UK orders over £45. International shipping from US$12.50.
Can only be used at the NEW shop & not with any other coupon. To get the discount Key NORWICH at checkout now, as offer ends Sunday 19th March 2026. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.
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