Genuine Gemstones for Your Jewelry Projects - Part 2

More and more people are discovering the creative satisfaction and rewards of making their own unique jewelry. Once beading captures your imagination, it's hard to stop looking for new, exciting material to fabricate your hand made distinctive treasures. For some, jewelry making has evolved into a profitable endeavor as a home based business.

In Part 1 of this article we discussed the eternal allure of real gemstones beads and looked at how they can be highly affordable and practical to use if we keep in mind some simple buying guidelines. Be aware of what to expect when ordering online, know common sizing and grading practices and be knowledgeable about gems that have been enhanced or altered from their natural state.

Certain gemstones stand out as exceptional values in today's market because they offer beautiful colors, patterns or markings. Some have been treasured for millenniums and have endured as special possessions, yet each of us humble crafters can make these gemstones part of our own palette of tools when we create. Let's consider a few examples:

Aventurine - This is a translucent quartz stone with inclusions of other material that give it a bit of shine and sparkle. It comes in a range of light and dark green shades, as well as peach and an orangey-red tone. Usually mined in Brazil, India or Russia. Only buy the natural stone, as there is no need to treat or dye aventurine. Experiment with different green tones in your jewelry designs. Expect to find 6 mm round bead strands for about $5 from online dealers.

Sodalite - This beautiful navy blue stone with white streaks could almost pass for Lapis, but costs much less. Lapis typically has golden flecks caused by pyrite inclusions, which are absent in sodalite. Looks great with sterling silver or pearls. A 6mm round bead strand 16" long can cost around $8.

Rhodonite - A lovely rosy-pink color with areas of gray, black or white. This stone can have off-color variations which are a little hard to match with other colors when making jewelry, so it pays to stick with grade "A". Looks good with pearls, silver and black beads. Rhodonite is frequently carved into animal and flower shapes for use as pendants. A 16" strand of 6mm round beads may run about $9.

Serpentine - Today serpentine is usually sold under the label "new jade", but is not real jade. This stone is available in several distinct shades of green, and while each works best within a certain group of other colors, the sea green serpentine really stands out for versatility. Imagine a pale, quiet tone, lighter than celery or sage green, which works with just about every other color bead in your collection. This tone is so muted, yet universally appealing that it I try to get sea green serpentine beads in many different shapes and sizes; I end up using them in just about everything! New jade also comes in an olive green shade (think avocado, doesn't work with everything) and a bright, snappy, almost lemony citrus. Fortunately, the sea green type is a little cheaper than the others; expect to pay about $6 for a string of 6mm round beads online.

Jasper - You'll think drama when you see jasper. Bands, stripes, spots, concentric circles, endless patterns and colors are seen in the many, many types of jasper. During the eons when it was forming, volcanic ash or other minerals may have become imbedded in the stone, or sometimes geologic stress or heat affected the formation. Any or all of these factors can produce the huge variety of colors and patterns seen in jasper. Some popular types come from very limited geographic areas where just the right recipe of factors produced particularly attractive deposits, such as the red and cream patterns found in Owyhee County, Idaho, or the light pink type called moukaite, found in parts of Australia. Maricopa County, Arizona, is famous for bright red jasper. My favorite, which seemingly covers every color and pattern imaginable, is ocean jasper from Madagascar. If you want to make jewelry with a southwest flavor, try picture jasper. The dark brown lines on a cream or tan background closely resemble a line drawing of a desert landscape with mountains.

These stones represent just a small sample of the varieties of gemstones available for jewelry makers. Get some, experiment, and you'll become a fanatic!