December Beading & Turquoise Beads
26th November 2022
Now’s the time to finish making jewellery for Christmas. Next show: Harrogate Gem n Bead Fair, 18th-19th Feb 2023. Next year’s list coming soon.
MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com
Content:
December Beading
Bead Fair Reports
Turquoise Beads
Beads Up North 2023
Join Newsletter
We’re getting popular on Instagram! Tweet a link to all your followers – just click here. Join our 15,000 fans and follow us on Twitter at MrBead@UKMrBead and Nigel at Nigel@NigelMckay
20% Off ORDERS OVER £50
Enjoy 20% off anything from MrBead on all orders over £50. Also, free shipping in the UK.
Can only be used at the new shop & not with any other coupon.
To get the discount Key BLACK at checkout now, as offer ends Tuesday 29th November 2022. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.
December Beading
Early December is a busy time for beading. Out selling at Christmas markets and making designs for presents.
Beaded jewellery makes great gifts. Small and light, and easily mailed or tucked in a stocking. It’s also personal and easy to remember who the gift came from. You can even hang jewellery on the Christmas tree.
Boxed necklaces with matching earring sets make great presents and easy to wrap. Offer your customers free gift wrapping and mailing. For personal gifts buy ready-made jewellery online, requesting your supplier to mail direct with no invoice and a happy Christmas note.
December is the peak retail season, when many stores take one-third of their entire year’s sales. So ensure you make lots of quality necklaces and bracelets well in advance. You can always give away as presents if they don’t all sell.
Turquoise and Blue Topaz is the birthstone for December. December colours symbolize happiness, prosperity, and success. Pearls also make ideal Christmas presents – try combining the two or mixing pearls with silver to create an air of sophisticated quality.
Click For Our Ready-Made Jewellery
Click For Our Blue Turquoise
Bead Fair Reports
Kempton Park Gem n Bead Fair
Kempton is a big hall with over 50 exhibitors. Good attendance, but down on last year. Sunday morning was especially quiet. We’ll be back at Kempton early March. Picture is Keith who used to run Gem n Bead, Andrew from Monty’s & Simon from Totally Bead (left to right).
See the show on video:
Kempton Park Video 1
Kempton Park Video 2
Brighton Gem n Bead Fair
It’s fun going to Brighton. Very quiet on the Sunday, but overall average attendance. One customer made the show for us, but we may not return in the spring, as a bit quiet then.
See the video click Brighton Gem n Bead Fair
TURQUOISE – DECEMBER’S GEMSTONE
Turquoise: Colour of Summer In the Gem For December
For selling, turquoise is similar to jade and pearl for the same reasons. Everyone appreciates it, and the gem always looks good however its used. Turquoise is the birthstone for December.
What is turquoise?
Turquoise is a soft, opaque gemstone, formed by volcanic rock reacting to copper deposits brought by water. Colour ranges from blue-green, to yellow-green with grey, black or brown veining.
Reconstituted Turquoise
Most non-green turquoise these days is dyed. Don’t believe otherwise! It’s easy to tell if turquoise is 100% natural: it will cost well over £30 a string.
Therefore, unless you sell your jewellery upmarket, you’ll be using reconstituted turquoise. This is usual, crafted from real turquoise chips fused with other stones to make affordable. Another cost-cutter is to use howlite.
Howlite Beads
Howlite, named after the Nova Scotia geologist, Henry How, is formed in nodules with veins of black web-like streaks. It’s always white or grey, but commonly dyed blue.
Howlite’s main fame is to imitate turquoise. This is nothing wrong, because it makes an affordable substitute. It accepts a nice polish with attractive lustre, and has similar benefits to turquoise. A simple and gentle stone that aids sleep.
History
Turquoise has been found in 5,000-year-old Egyptian tombs and the Tibetans used to use it as currency. Most turquoise today originates from Burma and is carved in China. Turquoise didn’t reach Europe until the crusades when the name originated, meaning “Turkish stone”.
Benefits
Ancient doctors thought turquoise prevented injury and ground it into a powder to cure stomach disorders and internal bleeding!
Turquoise has always been used to protect the wearer from danger, attract wealth, and warn as a talisman or good luck charm.
Some believe it will fade when danger or illness is near, or a lover is unfaithful. It’s also said to protect against pollution and strengthen the body.
Looking after
Turquoise is porous, so protect from liquids, oils, and perspiration. This is why it’s often impregnated with plastic, colourless oil or wax, to improve colour and durability. Take turquoise jewellery off before washing. Untreated turquoise will eventually turn green.
See what can be done with howlite starfish beads, by one of our creative customers’.
MrBead has a lot of turquoise, see at Turquoise Beads
Beads Up North 2023
We’ve booked both dates for Haydock next year, so get in ya diaries! Beads Up North website may still be down – but will be fixed soon. Any enquires from visitors or to exhibit, please sent to nigel@beadsupnorth.co.uk.
20% Off ORDERS OVER £50
Enjoy 20% off anything from MrBead on all orders over £50. Also, free shipping in the UK.
Can only be used at the new shop & not with any other coupon.
To get the discount Key BLACK at checkout now, as offer ends Tuesday 29th November 2022. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.