March's Birthstone: Aquamarine
Strung Out
by Julie Bean
2d ago
March's birthstone is the lovely and transcendent aquamarine. This beautiful blue hue is distinctive in its light blue vibrance, sometimes possessing a touch of green. Like many other gemstones, aquamarine is thought to have metaphysical properties. It is said to promote happiness, hope, clarity, and courage among other things. It is also said to represent the sea and the sky, and in ancient times, it was said to protect sailors at sea. For more details about the meanings and metaphysical properties of gemstones, please check out our guide to gemstone meanings. Discover other birthstone g ..read more
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10 Favorite Earring Hooks
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by Julie Bean
1w ago
We use earring hooks all the time! They are one of the main staples to jewelry making. What's nice about earring hooks, is that you have so many different choices and can really make the earring hook disappear into the design or become the focal of the design. With almost 300 in-stock earring hook styles to choose from, there is really the right hook for every project. Below are our personal 10 favorite earring hooks!  Earring Findings, Long Earring Hooks 25mm, Gold Plated Earring Findings, Ear Wire 21mm Long 20 Gauge Thick Sterling Silver Earring Posts, Stud with Ball 4mm, Gold Plate ..read more
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Creative Uses for Memory Wire
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by Julie Bean
2w ago
Memory wire is one of those jewelry making techniques that is just plain fun! You don't need to think about tension or perfect how to crimp a crimp bead. You don't need to figure out a clasp to match your design or think about sizing. With memory wire projects, the main focus is on stringing the beads onto the wire and coming up with delightful bead patterns. Even if it's a random bead pattern, it's still so much fun to see it take form. To finish your memory wire, you can just make a simple loop with round nose pliers or glue on an end cap. The focus of memory wire projects really are the bea ..read more
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5 Most Popular Videos of 2024 So Far!
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by Julie Bean
3w ago
How is it already March? I must admit that my mind somehow still thinks it's late January and there is no way it can already be March with St. Patrick's Day, spring, and Easter just around the corner! Time is definitely zooming by!  This year has been fun as I have had a beading partner in Deb Floros, and she has been designing great projects and videos for Beadaholique. Our video catalog continues to grow and it's always interesting to see which projects, techniques, and videos really resonate with our beading community.  Here are the top 5 most popular videos made in 2024 so far! T ..read more
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How to Incorporate Side-Drilled Beads into Jewelry Designs
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by Julie Bean
1M ago
Side-drilled beads are unlike "regular beads" in that their hole for stringing goes across the bead (usually the top of the bead or front to back) versus going from top to bottom. These types of beads are great for creating drops and charms. As you are shopping for them, you will also notice that sometimes they are referred to as beads and sometimes as pendants. PRESTIGE Crystal Components makes a wide variety of side-drilled pendant beads, and these add a wonderful touch of sparkle. Leaf and heart beads are other common types of side-drilled beads as are Czech glass dagger beads.&nb ..read more
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Amethyst - February's Birthstone and Color!
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by Julie Bean
1M ago
Happy birthday to all those February birthday gals and guys! I too have a February birthday and have always loved my birthstone, amethyst. Amethyst gemstones are so pretty to look at and can range from a light purple to a deep rich purple color. According to our Gemstone Meanings and Metaphysical Properties Guide, amethyst gemstone properties include calmness, clarity, peace and courage.  The amethyst color itself is such a lovely hue and pairs well with both silver and gold findings. It can be accented by greens, browns, blues, and many other colors. It's hard to go wrong ..read more
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Favorite Bead Mixes!
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by Julie Bean
2M ago
Have you ever felt like designing a new piece of jewelry but didn't know where to start? I think there are times when all of us are looking for that burst of inspiration to get our next project going. Have you ever considered looking at a bead mix and then designing around it? This is a trick that many designers do—they find the beads they want to use and then they come up with the design. Bead mixes go one step further in that they are usually curated so they all coordinate well and their colors all complement each other. This is also great for those new to beading because it takes some of th ..read more
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Designing Men's Jewelry
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by Julie Bean
2M ago
Designing traditional men's jewelry has much to do with the individual who will wear it. When you start off, think about who the recipient will be and consider what they like in terms of colors, personal style, and even their hobbies. Some men like bracelets while others prefer necklaces, some like bold colors while others like subdued, and some like statement-making designs while others prefer simple. Designing jewelry for men is a lot like designing jewelry for women in that there is a vast range of tastes and what you can do. For this guide, we will be discussing tr ..read more
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Valentine Inspiration from PRESTIGE Crystal Components
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by Julie Bean
2M ago
Love is in the air with PRESTIGE Crystal Components and all the beautiful design inspiration photos they recently shared with us. We can't get enough of these beautiful designs! They combine all the best Valentine elements—hearts, sparkle, pinks, purples, reds, and of course, lots of romance.  For all these inspiration designs, you can find many of the components in the Beadaholique catalog or use the design as a jumping off point to create your own projects. Some fun categories to look in include Vintaj filigree, Vintaj charms, TierraCast hearts, Nunn Design hearts, PRESTIGE cr ..read more
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Fall in Love with Reading Bookmarks
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by Vuthy Thorn
2M ago
Who doesn't love a good book? Especially as it is winter and a lot of places are covered in thick blankets of snow, a warm drink and a good book is the perfect recipe for a chilly evening. If you are a book lover or have a friend who is, have you considered making your own bookmarks? They are fun to make, and you can personalize them to your liking with meaningful charms and favorite colors. They also make wonderful custom gifts where you can really think about what the recipient likes and make a bookmark just for them. For this article, we are going to focus on a particular type of DIY bookma ..read more
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