The Queen’s Jewellery, Jade Beads & Bead Fair Reports
17th September 2022
See us this Sunday 18th Sept, at the Cheshire Bead Fair, Nantwich Civic Hall 10:30am to 3pm.
Then the following Saturday, 24th Sept at the Cambridge Bead Fair, Harston Village Hall 11am to 4pm. See all our shows at: 2022 Bead Fairs.
MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com
Content:
Queen Elizabeth II Jewellery
Bead Fair Reports
Buying Jade For Jewellery
History Of Jade
Making a Simple Jade Necklace
History Of Jade
Types Of Jade
Quality Of Jade
Norfolk Bead Sale
Beads Up North
2022 Bead Fairs
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
Our New MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com
15% Off All From MrBead
Enjoy the new shop with 15% off anything with no minimum order. This is £15 off £100 worth of beads – the more you spend: the more you save! Only once per customer.
Shipping is free too on UK orders over £30 – under this UK P&P is just £2.50. International shipping from £5. Can only be used at the NEW shop & not with any other coupon.
To get the discount Key JADE at checkout now, as offer ends Friday 23rd September 2022. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.
May She Rest in Peace
May The Queen Rest in Peace. We have learnt so much from her.
As this Monday is a bank holiday – all late orders will be mailed 1st class Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth II Jewellery
The humble Queen is likely to be laid to rest wearing two simple pieces of jewellery. Just her Welsh-gold wedding band and a pair of pearl earrings.
For thousands of years, all Queens have worn pearls. It was unusual for Queen Elizabeth II to be seen without a string of pearls. Some single strings, others six, but three-string pearl necklaces’ were her most popular. A tradition started by Queen Victoria. Although etiquette dictates a lady to wear pearls in the daytime and diamonds in the evening.
The Queen and all royals love semi-precious stones – tourmaline, red spinel, garnet, amethyst, peridot, topaz, aquamarine and tanzanite.
The Imperial State Crown on the Queen’s coffin dazzles with about 3,000 stones – including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and five rubies. Crowns were viewed as expressions of wealth and status, signifying majesty and sovereignty.
Click To See See All Our Pearl Beads
Cambridge Bead Fair
If you’re East, don’t miss Cambridge next week. MrBead has many new semi precious beads, and Southampton Bead Shop will have a huge range of crystal and affordable glass and seed beads.
Bead Fair Reports
Cornish Bead Fair
There are never as many visitors to Wadebridge as Probus in Cornwall, but we still done well. So did Rachel with her hand-crafted lampwork beads by Puffafish. We love it in Cornwall and stayed a few days around the Lizard and Falmouth before the show.
Welsh Bead Fair
The first of our own shows in Wales, and we’ll be back next year. Dianne & Pete from Harmony who joined us selling their gem collectables.
However, only in this hall if they install wifi – as we had problems with the 3G signal. For most of the show we managed to take cards standing by a window, but midday was more of a problem. It’s a UK issue, as in the Far East phones work fine up mountains or the most out-of-the-way places! Fix 3G before 5G.
Newark Gem n Bead Fair
This may be the last time we attend Newark. The large new hall was great with a full house of 27 exhibitors, bright and airy: the problem was not many visitors. Traders couldn’t pack up fast enough when the clock reached three.
With three-days’ work, display costing over £600, insufficient room to display all we brought, two night hotels and diesel – we made less money than a single day of one of our own shows!
Shame really, as we love the social aspect. Maybe the problem was the Gem n Bead website has been down for a few weeks, or maybe because the Queen has just left us – but this fair is gradually attracting less and less.
Picture is Michael from Bead Buyer with MrBead and MiMi, enjoying a pizza after a hard day at the show.
For a short video of the show, click Neward Gem n Bead Fair.
Buying Jade for Jewellery
Jade jewellery is very popular, so you should be using lots of jade beads.
To make jewellery, jade is available in loose beads and temporarily strung into strands. Loose beads are cheaper, but beads on strands will hang better making them best for necklaces.
However, if you plan on knotting your necklace, then loose beads are fine. Usually each strand, or string measures 16-inches = 400mm. So if you are buying 6mm beads, you will get (400 divided by 6) about 66 beads to a strand – or around 50 x 8mm beads. A necklace will need at least 75 x 6mm beads, allowing it to hang 9-inchs, 18-inches in all. If you are making a bracelet, you will need about 26 x 8mm beads on average.
Most coloured jade is dyed, this is usual, and the colour doesn’t come off. So if you want continuity it is best to purchase all you need for a project in one go. Jade beads are carved into more different shapes than other stone. Like tiny, fish, bottles, rings, flowers, barrels, hearts, tubes, and many other designs to compliment a necklace or bracelet.
Make a Simple Jade Bead Bracelet
To make a bracelet using elastic only take a few minutes, and is a great way to use up leftover beads. Arrange the beads to form a 7 inch long bracelet as standard.
Then take your spool of elastic and string the beads without cutting a length of elastic. This will keep your beads in place.
To finish, a larger complementary bead for the end looks attractive. Pull both ends of the elastic through this bead, and pull both ends through a small crimp bead. Then flatten the crimp bead with pliers to secure the beads.
History of Jade
For 5,000 years Imperial China used the word “jade” as something precious – as in English we use gold.
Because the Chinese believe jade has all the attributes most valued in society. A symbol of purity and serenity, it’s delicate, but won’t break – is beautiful, but not impermanent, it can be flawed with lines, but still pleasing.
Jade is believed to radiate divine unconditional love and balance the emotions. Held in the hand it improves judgment – ancient silk traders held jade while bartering. A small piece of jade worn around the neck was said to dispel illness.
Chinese jade first arrived in the West during the sixteenth century, brought from Canton by the Portuguese. Today, most jade originates from Burma, but carved in China.
The best jade has a waxy, pearly appearance. Feeling cool and so smooth, it seems soft to the touch. Yet hard enough that pressure from a sharp knife will not leave a mark. Every jade carving has a secret meaning.
Benefits Of Jade
Jade was also thought to preserve the body after death and can be found in emperors’ tombs from thousands of years ago. One tomb contained an entire suit made out of jade, to assure the physical immortality of its owner. Jadeite is also thought to cure kidney stones and other kidney ailments.
Types of Jade
The most famous type of jade has shades of green, lavender, yellow, white and grey. These colours form over millions of years from minerals in the rock. However, its the emerald green of jadeite that’s highly sought after.
Other colours are influenced by iron (green and brown) and manganese is thought to produces violet. However today, most coloured jade is dyed.
Jade is remarkably tough, used by many early civilizations for axes, knives and weapons. Because of its smooth even texture, jade was soon carved into ornaments – and it wasn’t until 1863 that it was realized that Jade was being applied to two different minerals: jadeite and nephrite.
Jadeite is almost never found in individual crystals and is composed of microscopic interlocking crystals that produce a very tough material.
The nephrite variety is composed of fibrous crystals inter-twinned in a tough compact mass. Nephrite is more abundant than jadeite and has fewer color varieties – usually less intense dark spinach greens, white, browns, and black.
Quality of Jade
Although most jade beads these days are dyed, chunks of quality jade is usually sold by the piece rather than per carat.
Although colour is the most important value factor, attention is also paid to translucency, texture, and pattern. Certain patterns, like moss in snow, are expensive. Both jadeite and nephrite are very durable and tough, although jadeite is slightly harder than nephrite.
The top jadeite jade is usually cut into smooth dome shapes called cabochons. Jadeite bangles are also very popular in Asian countries.
To see all our Jade click: Jade Beads
Norfolk Bead Sale
Norwich Bead Group are having a bead sale in aid of Brain Tumour Research on Saturday 24th September at Easton Village Hall between 10am-1pm – address Easton NR9 5AD. There will be beads, textiles, card making and craft books for sale with light refreshments.
Free Entry & Free Parking! So if you’re in the Norfolk area, it’s worth a call!
For more details email: norwichbeadgroup1@gmail.com
Beads Up North With Craft & Lace
Not To Be Missed – Sunday 2nd October, Haydock Racecourse. Just off the M6 between Manchester & Liverpool. Open 10am to 4pm – easy free parking and refreshments in the Food Hall.
Discounted ticket are now online, along with a list of exhibitors. However, some traders only commit to the show during the last week – so there will be more to come. The show already has more bead sellers than any other bead fair this year. A huge selection of semi precious and seed beads, not to be missed! Click To Book: Tickets.
Learn how to bead at our free workshops where everyone can have a go at beading, with expert instruction. Workshops – 11am-12-noon; 12:30-1:30; and 2:00-3:00.
For Full Details Click: Beads Up North
Click For Tickets
Click For List of Exhibitors (so far)
We’ve booked 31 fairs for 2022. This year we’ll be holding more of our own shows, at new locations requested by customers. If you feel there isn’t any bead fairs near you, let me know and I’ll consider your request.
Next Bead Fairs:
Sunday 18th Sept: Cheshire Bead Fair, Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich CW5 5DG
Sunday 24th Sept: Cambridge Bead Fair, Harston Village Hall CB22 7PX
Sunday 2nd October: Beads Up North, Haydock Racecourse, Newton-Le-Willows WA12 0HQ
Saturday 15th Oct: Luton Bead Fair, Stockwood Hotel, Castle Street, Luton LU1 3SS
Sunday 16th Oct: New Forest Bead Fair, Brockenhurst Village Hall, Brockenhurst SO42 7RY
Sunday 23rd Oct: Norwich Bead Fair, Best Western George Hotel, Arlington Lane, Norwich NR2 2DA
For the full list click 2022 Bead Fairs
15% Off All From MrBead
Enjoy the new shop with 15% off anything with no minimum order. This is £15 off £100 worth of beads – the more you spend: the more you save! Only once per customer.
Shipping is free too on UK orders over £30 – under this UK P&P is just £2.50. International shipping from £5. Can only be used at the NEW shop & not with any other coupon. To get the discount Key JADE at checkout now, as offer ends Friday 23rd September 2022. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.