Julia’s Rhythm Beads, Pony & Opal Beads
18th September 2021
See us this weekend, 18th-19th Sept, at Brighton Gem n Bead Fair – at Luton and Cambridge 25th-26th September.
Then Beads Up North on Sun 3rd October at Haydock Racecourse.
See All Shows at Bead Fairs 2021 & Our New MrBead Shop: https://mrbeadshop.com
Content:
Luton & Cambridge Bead Fairs
Julia Bradbury Jewellery
Beads For Horses
Pony Beads
Opal For October
Confirmed On Join Newsletter
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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 PONY at checkout now, as offer ends Friday 24th September 2021. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.
Luton & Cambridge Bead Fairs
Two great free bead fairs next weekend – easily reached close to North London and Cambridge. Click the links below for details.
Luton Bead Fair: Saturday 25th Sept at Stockwood Hotel – just 5-mins drive from M1 J10, only 1/2-hour from London.
Cambridge Bead Fair: Sunday 26th Sept at Harston Village Hall – just 15-mins from Cambridge or M11 J11.
Both Free Entry & Free Refreshments! 11am to 4pm each day. Many semi precious beads & pearls for making great jewellery. See our beads ‘in the flesh’ – still lots of new stock imported last year.
Nip in for a chat and a cup of tea and combine with a day out in the local attractions.
JULIA BRADBURY JEWELLERY
Beads For Horses – Rhytham Beads
Julia Bradbury designs excellent and unusual beaded jewellery. Apart form the necklaces above, she makes ‘Rhythm Beads’ for her horses.
These are a natural way to help nervous horses and their riders, that’s been used for thousands of years. Also known as Pony or Horse Beads. The gentle jingle of bells make the horse and rider feel secure, blocking out distracting noise – so focusing on their job in hand and improving performance.
In ancient times Rhythm Beads decorated horses for good luck. Besides frightening off smaller wildlife before the horse passes.
Bells have always been used to warn of a passing horse. From crowded Victorian streets to American Indians, who tied up their horse’s tail and mane to prevent the enemy grabbing hold.
Other Uses For Pony Beads
Not everyone has a horse. So inexpensive Pony beads have developed into other uses.
Children love the plastic or glass beads because they are easy for jewellery, hair fashions, and other crafts. Having large holes and available in a huge range of colour and shape. Fun for children who find them easy to thread into simple jewellery.
Adults also love pony beads for their inexpensive variety and versatility. Like many shades of the same colour making sophisticated design. They also come opaque, transparent; or glittering metallic neon gold, silver or copper, to add bling to your jewellery.
Types of Pony Beads
The most popular type of pony bead is the original round barrels, like a fat tire. However, theme shapes are catching up. Star beads, heart, flower, butterfly, animal shapes – and Christmas pony beads in red and green like Santa, snowmen and trees. All with large holes so they can be strung on more materials.
Acrylic alphabet beads are trendy. Beaders use letters and colour to personalize custom jewellery. Number beads can be used to spell out the year, special dates, fund raising, or to make nursery bracelets. Teachers find pony beads fun to educate kids of all ages, and schools use them for events or to represent a form, team, or a mascot.
Other Uses
Pony beads are used on hair too – bright colours at the ends of tiny braids for fun, or many shades of the same tint for a cooler look.
Other uses are on key chains, book marks, bead banners, scrunchies to hold hair, and transparent pony beads make excellent sun catchers. Needle crafters sew them onto bags and purses, and some crochet or knit them onto choker necklaces and clothing.
Click For Our Pony Beads
Opal For October
What Is Opal?
All of natures fury can be seen in fine opal. Like a Rembrandt: fire, lightning, all the colours of the rainbow and the shine of far seas.
Australia supplies about 95% of the worlds opal from the outback. Aborigines believe their creator came down to Earth on a rainbow to bring the message of peace – at the spot where his foot touched the ground, opal was born!
The name Opal came from many places. In Greek Opallios translates as colour change, and to the ancient Romans Opalus was a stone from several elements. Pliny, a Roman author, wrote opal combines the sparkle of Almandine, the shining purple of Amethyst, the golden yellow of Topaz, and the deep blue of Sapphire.
Types of Opal
Fine opals shine and sparkle in a continually changing play of colours called Opalising. Depending on the location they have names like Harlequin, Peacock, and Fire Opal. Most opal has this play of colours except Common Opal, a name give to all others, like Pink Opal.
As demand outstrips supply, fine opalizing opal is very expensive – sometimes costing hundreds of pounds each bead. Therefore, the most popular for jewellery is non-opalizing opal – usually pink opal from Peru.
Opals play of colour is caused by small spheres of silica creating interference and refraction. The spheres, which are arranged in compact structures, dissect light through the gemstone, turning it into the rainbow effect, always new and different.
Peruvian Opal
Peruvian Opal comes in faint pink, light blue and light mint-green tones. From the Andes Mountains near San Patricio, Peru.
Although native South Americans have been using the stone for thousands of years, it only became widely available recently. It’s usually translucent to opaque with no play of colour and often has lots of black and tan dendrites.
Most Peruvian Opal beads are semi-opaque to opaque. Peruvian opals metaphysical properties are similar to other opals. Helping to intensify your traits and characteristics. Peruvian Opal can activate the heart charka and assist during spiritual journeys.
How to Value Opal 
Price of fine opal depends on its play of colour, the colours, their pattern and location. If red appears when looking through the stone, so will all the other colours.
Black Opal or a dark grey has the most play of colour. Especially from Lightning Ridge or Mexican Fire Opal. Crystal opal is the next best, being more transparent with a deep play of colour. White or milky opals with diffuse colour and are the cheapest.
To bring out the play of colour in a fine opal, the stones are cut and polished to round or oval cabochons. Only the best qualities of Fire Opal is faceted.
How does Opal Effect You? 
Opal is thought to remove depression and to help find true love. Opals are thought to enhance the positive characteristics for those born under the sign of Cancer. With Black Opal recommended to Scorpios and Boulder Opal for Aries.
Looking after Opal
Due to around 5% water, opals easily become brittle. If stored too dry or exposed to heat, the play of colour will fade. Therefore, Opal jewellery should be worn as often as possible, giving gemstone the humidity from the air and skin of its wearer.
See our Peruvian Opal Nugget Beads: Opal Beads
Bead Fairs Confirmed On
Please come to visit us and see our beads ‘in the flesh’! Fairs are now allowed , but will be socially distanced with windows open for your safety.
Weekend 18th-19th September: Brighton Gem n Bead Fair, Freshfield Road, Brighton BN2 9XZ
Saturday 25th September: Luton Bead Fair, Castle Street, Luton LU1 3SS – Just 5-mins from M1 J11 & 1/2-hour from North London.
Sunday 26th September: Cambridge Bead Fair, 20 High Street, Harston CB22 7PX – Just 15-mins from J11 M11 or Cambridge.
Sunday 3rd October: Beads Up North, Haydock Racecourse, Newton-le-Willows WA12 0HQ. There’s still some space available to exhibit – if you would like to join, email Nigel or click the link on the show’s website for details.
Sunday 10th October: Norwich Bead Fair, Best Western George Hotel, Arlington Lane, Newmarket Rd, Norwich, NR2 2DA
Full List of All 22 Bead Fairs Booked So Fair at: Bead Beads 2021
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 PONY at checkout now, as offer ends Friday 24th September 2021. Use at https://mrbeadshop.com.