#Faceted Stone Beads

[thegemjournal]

TOP 5 TRUSTED SOURCES FOR FACETED GEMSTONE BEADS

​Are you a jewelry maker looking for high-quality faceted gemstone beads to incorporate into your designs? Look no further! We have compiled a list of the top 5 trusted sources for faceted gemstone beads. From online retailers to local gemstone suppliers, these sources are known for their wide selection, excellent customer service, and exceptional quality of faceted gemstone beads. So whether you're creating a dazzling necklace or a stunning pair of earrings, these trusted sources will provide you with the perfect faceted gemstone beads for your next project.

[jaipurbeadsseo]

Micro Faceted Beads - Micro Faceted Gemstone Beads for Sale

Buy micro-faceted gemstone beads for sale. Explore our collection of natural micro-faceted beads in a variety of shapes sizes, & colors at the best price.

[uniquejewel]

White Rainbow Moonstone Beads | Moonstone Faceted Fancy Leaf Beads for Making Jewelry

Unique Jewellers Jaipur is a dedicated online wholesaler and manufacturer of diamond, precious & semi precious gemstone beads in India. Our aim to provide our customers a most fashionable, unique and high quality gemstone beads at very reasonable cost.

[mavenn23]

Peridot is a stunning gemstone that is well-known for its vibrant green hue. The nature of a Peridot not entirely settled by a few variables, including variety, clearness, cut, and carat weight. Here are a few attributes to consider while searching for a great Peridot gemstone:

Color: Peridot is normally a clear green gemstone, going from a yellowish-green to a profound olive green. Peridots are prized for their pure green color and lack of brownish or yellowish undertones.

Clarity: Natural inclusions, also known as "lily pads" or "garden" inclusions, are common features of peridot gemstones. However, high-quality Peridots are transparent with few visible inclusions, making it simple for light to pass through them.

Cut: A very much cut Peridot gemstone boosts its splendor and upgrades its tone. The aspects ought to be even, and the diamond ought to have brilliant extents to guarantee ideal light reflection.

Carat Weight: Peridot comes in a variety of sizes, but larger stones are more rare and valuable. However, when determining the gem's overall value, the carat weight should be taken into account alongside the other quality aspects.

While buying a great Peridot gemstone, it is prescribed to purchase from trustworthy sources, like respectable gemstone sellers or confirmed diamond setters. They are able to provide details about the gemstone's origin, quality, and any certifications or grading reports that it might have.

To accurately assess the gemstone's quality, remember to examine it in person or request detailed photographs. This will assist with guaranteeing that you're getting a delightful, great Peridot gemstone that lives up to your assumptions.

[uniqueopal]

[uniquelaborite]

[olaqueenbeeofastrology]

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[bookshelf-in-progress]

A Song of Starlight: A Starfall Story

For the 2023 Inklings Christmas Challenge at @inklings-challenge, he's a story set and posted on December 28th--the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

A Song of Starlight

Johannes had once considered Oskar Abel a friend. The bright young manager who ran the theater, concert hall, and opera house funded by the Diriks starfall had secured Johannes the audition with the symphony orchestra, where he'd risen to first chair and featured violinist in this Christmas season's concerts. Now, as the slim, balding young man sat stiff and stone-faced behind the paper-strewn desk in his wood-paneled office, he looked like nothing but a toadying, soulless businessman.

Through the cracked-open window, Johannes could hear the daily rumble of the city street--the rattle of carriages, the distant chime of church bells, the shouts of girls selling stardust and boys selling newspapers. An entire world unaware that this supposed friend had just sent Johannes' world crashing down.

In a low voice, Johannes asked, "What do you mean, dismissed?"

Abel straightened a stack of papers against the top of his desk. "Lady Diriks has ordered that your employment with the Diriks Symphony Orchestra come to an end."

"Now? Three days after Christmas? In the middle of concert season?"

"Our patroness saw no other alternative." Abel pushed up his wire-rimmed spectacles. "I'm certain you're aware of the theft of one of the stars from the chandelier."

"Aware? The entire orchestra's been talking about nothing else since Christmas Eve!"

"I'm afraid suspicion has fallen on you."

Johannes' blood ran cold.

The star chandelier had been planned as the crowning glory of the Diriks family's new concert hall. Their mountain starfall was the prime landing place for solara stars--the largest and brightest stars that gave off the purest white light--and the intricate silver chandelier would hold a thousand of them. Lady Diriks' own son had supervised the construction, cutting every facet of every star himself. The day before its grand unveiling, one whole star had gone missing. Lady Diriks was out for blood.

Johannes had never dreamed it would be his blood.

After the shock passed, Johannes' temper rose. "What does that have to do with me? I've never seen the star! I barely walk past the workroom!"

The manager polished his glasses. "I'm afraid the circumstantial evidence against you is strong."

"What circumstantial evidence?"

"Several witnesses maintain that you were the last one in the building before the star was stolen."

"I stay late every night. I'm the featured violinist! This could make my career! I can't practice at home when I've got two sleeping daughters."

"You have recently purchased notably more expensive clothing."

"One suit! That I've been saving up for since July! I can't play for an audience of starfall elites in my old Sunday clothes."

"Stardust has been found in your dressing room."

"Cufflinks!" As the manager's face twisted in confusion, Johannes explained, "I can't afford real star fragments. I bought glass beads filled with stardust. They look almost like the real thing, but they shattered the first time I fastened them."

None of his explanations had any effect on the manager's placid face. "Nevertheless," Abel said, putting his glasses back on his face, "until a more thorough investigation can determine the star's whereabouts, Lady Diriks has deemed it best that you not be allowed on the premises."

"And how do they plan to give the Christmas concerts? Who else is supposed to play my solos?"

"Lars Henning is quite familiar with the music."

"Henning!" Johannes spat. "He's the one who accused me, isn't he?"

The manager blinked and did not speak.

The delay, the hesitation--he might as well have said it aloud.

Henning had hated Johannes since the day he had been given first chair. Johannes had seen the contempt and envy in his eyes every moment of every day. Henning couldn't accept that a starcatcher's son could rise above a scion of one of the city's wealthiest houses.

Johannes snarled, "And he's believed because his father owns a starfall while mine only gathered the stars that fell on it!"

Abel straightened his spectacles. "I assure you that no individual witness had any effect on our patroness' decision."

It would have made all the difference in the world. Starfall stock held fast to their own.

Johannes felt like the floor was falling out from under him. His anger turned into desperation. He leaned over the desk looked into the manager's eyes. "Oskar," he said, man to man, friend to friend, "you have to help me. I've worked for years to get here. I have a wife at home. Children. They need me to bring in--"

The manager's face softened. "A man of your talent will find employment in another company."

Johannes barked a humorless laugh. "A suspected star thief? Accused by Lady Diriks herself? They won't let me near the footlights!"

The manager sighed, and for a moment, he looked almost human. "I'm very sorry, Vinter, but the decision is out of my hands."

If he were sorry, he would have done something. Instead he'd caved to their patroness' demands without question. The odious, spineless, toadying pencil-pusher. A man of business in a house of art. If Johannes shook him, his brains would probably clink like coins.

Johannes picked up his violin and stormed toward the office door. "That'll be a comfort to me when my children are in the poorhouse, I'm sure."

#

Johannes refused to slink out of the theater like a disgraced criminal, so he put on his hat, overcoat, scarf, and gloves with professional precision, took up his violin case, and strode through the main lobby of the Diriks Concert Hall. The silver chandelier sprawled overhead, its million arms curling like ocean waves. In the light of day, its thousand stars were shuttered in closed lanterns that could be opened with the turning of a single lever. The masterpiece of Lord Bastiaan Diriks himself. Johannes hoped he'd go blind from it.

A single star missing out of a thousand, and Johannes' life was destroyed--his dreams, his hopes, an entire lifetime of work. Johannes' father had nurtured his talent for music, working double shifts to pay for his music lessons and later, to cover the costs that came even to students who went to the music schools on a full scholarship.

You're made for more than the starfields, his father had said. Find a job where they don't search your pockets for stars at sunrise like you're a common thief.

Now here Johannes was, a rising violinist in a prestigious symphony orchestra, cast out for the theft of a star. He could have laughed at the irony if he'd had any heart for it.

Outside, the sky was bright but overcast, sending down a light shower of snowflakes. Carriages rattled past, horses' hooves clattering on the cobblestones. The sidewalks were crowded with the skirts of window-shopping ladies, their children gazing in awe upon the the beautiful theaters. Johannes had hoped to bring his children here someday to see him play. Clara was almost old enough to come. She and Dorit would stay home this year, but his wife Agathe had tickets for the front row on New Year's Eve.

He couldn't face them yet. Couldn't come home in the afternoon when they wouldn't expect him until after midnight. He couldn't go into a tavern or cafe. He didn't dare to waste money on dining or drinking, and had no wish for company who'd know his face and want his story.

So he walked. Up and down the streets of the cruel stone city that had once been the fulfillment of all his hopes. Past markets filled with the luxuries he'd never be able to buy his children. Past houses owned by people who didn't know what it was to struggle and scrimp and have all your dreams destroyed. Past towering churches that seemed to laugh at all his prayers.

Night came early this time of year, and soon the city was darkening to match his mood. The lampkeepers emerged to uncover the streetlamps and unveil the common yellow star fragments within. High above in the clear, cold sky, a million stars, white and distant, seemed to mock him. Johannes knew the old tales of stars falling down to make the fortune of the penniless, virtuous hero who stumbled upon the treasure. If those stories had ever had any truth to them, they were only fantasy now. Should the largest, brightest star in all the heavens fall at his feet, Lady Diriks and her like would see him thrown in prison for touching it.

Ragged urchins came out of the shadows to gather stardust that had fallen from the lamps, or to offer it as heat or light to passersby. Johannes took a pinch of warming dust offered by a dirty-faced girl, placed it in his gloves, and immediately regretted the eighth-krenin he tossed her. He was like her now--always had been, he supposed--living off whatever scraps the rich saw fit to spare him, and he could spare few coins now.

Children shouted as a carriage sped through the streets--large and glossy, with gilded scrollwork and four of its very own star lamps. Through an open curtain, Johannes glimpsed a woman in a red silk gown who wore a dozen colored star fragments as jewels in her hair. Late to the theater, no doubt.

Were Johannes still with the orchestra, he'd be tuning up now. About to play one of the finest symphonies ever written for a crowd of the city's elite--people who'd paid hundreds of krenins to hear him play.

Johannes' temper rose. Lady Diriks had money enough to keep the world's finest musicians as trained pets, and keep the music they played as a luxury for the rich. All these people in the streets around him--good-hearted housewives, grocers, seamstresses, lampkeepers, even dustgirls--could not dream of such wonders.

Johannes could give them the symphony--his part of it, at least. His violin was tuned, his fingers were trained. He could give these people music that the wealthy of the city spent hundreds to hear. If Lady Diriks didn't want him, he would give her music away.

Johannes strode into the pool of yellow light cast by the nearest star lamp. With brisk motions, he set down his case, removed his gloves, picked up his violin, and began to play.

#

Birgit rushed toward the shining pile of stardust near the lamp post. She knelt on the frozen walkway and tried to gather the glowing treasure into Mama's little clay jar. Mama said falling stardust was the cleanest--Birgit should have been here when the lampkeeper uncovered and cleaned the lamp--but maybe Birgit could wash it in the fountain near the church. She'd watched Mama do it a hundred times. Stardust floated, and she could skim it up with her cloak. Then she could take it to the glassmaker on 42nd Street. He was kindest and gave the most coins.

Birgit had to sell all the stardust she could. Stardust meant coins, which meant clothes and bread and maybe a bed. There was no Mama to get these things. Mama was cold and white and stiff, and Birgit was too afraid to go in the room with those open, frozen eyes.

The memory of this morning put tears in Birgit's eyes. She wasn't crying. She was too big to cry--nearly six years old. But with no Mama--there was no Mama--Birgit felt very small, and the world felt very big and dark and cold. The icy wind sent cold knives through Birgit's threadbare cloak. She huddled against the lamp post and felt too sad and afraid to move.

In the light of the next lamp, a man stopped. He wore a thick brown coat and had shiny black boots. The lamplight made him glow, like the angels holding stars in the big church. Birgit sat up and watched.

The man set a case on the ground and pulled out a fiddle. Then he began to play.

Birgit had heard fiddles before, in taverns and on street corners, but this fiddle sang as those fiddles never had. Its voice was sweet and soft, rich and pure, like angels or lullabies. It sang to the stars, its voice reaching, stretching, quavering, making Birgit think of being warm in Mama's arms.

The song became louder, faster, richer, warmer. It made Birgit think of dancing, of candles, of the big church on Copper Hill. The cold, dark world fell away. Birgit forgot who and where she was. She knew only the music, beautiful and bright, so real that everything else seemed like shadows. Her spirit swam, soared, and danced, following the song high and low, happy and sad, joy and sorrow and so many feelings that Birgit thought she might burst. Stars surrounded her, all sizes and colors, coming down from heaven to hear the music with her.

After eternity had come and gone, the song slowed and faded away, and Birgit was herself again--cold and alone, but no longer afraid.

The music was a warm and glowing treasure in her heart, a bright, beautiful secret that no one could take away from her. And on the ground, in the lamplight, was money. Big silver coins and little copper ones, sitting in and around the man's black case. The stars had brought it, Birgit knew. She knew the stories, had seen it herself. They had come to the call of the music and turned into money. Money that meant clothes and fire and bread for sad and lonely girls.

Birgit forgot to be tired and rushed toward the money. It had fallen from heaven, so it was free to take, just like stardust. She gathered handfuls of coins, holding them close against her dress.

And then a shadow blocked the starlamp, and Birgit remembered to be afraid again.

#

Johannes saw the stars surround him as he played. At Christmastime, everyone who owned anything with the faintest claim toward being a piece of star jewelry--whether it was a fragment in a necklace, a shard in a ring, or even just some stardust on a hair comb--would wear it on the street. The people that surrounded him wore stars in all colors and sizes, but he could barely do more than glance at them, because the music had him in its thrall.

When Johannes emerged from the song, he was surprised to see the coins at his feet. At first, he was ashamed--he, classically trained, being thrown coins like a common beggar. But that was what he was now, or would be. Once the story spread, respectable people might refuse to give him even coins.

A small, ragged form darted out of the shadows started swiping coins from his case. Johannes' blood rose. The dirty little urchin! Were the creatures everywhere? A plague, an infestation on this city, stealing food from his children's mouths.

Johannes lunged for the coins, prepared to fight off the thief.

The thief looked up, and they met, face-to-face. She was young. A child. As young as his little Clara--no, younger. With sunken cheeks, unbrushed brown hair, bony hands, fingers and nails blue from the cold. Her little gray cloak was thinner than his shirt. Her shoes, scuffed and tattered, barely fit on her feet.

She had nothing, this tiny girl, fighting for her life in the cold, hard city. And he, with a thick overcoat, new shoes, a warm house, and a violin worth a small fortune, had been prepared to fight her for a handful of krenin. Johannes was ashamed of himself.

As the child stared at him, frozen with terror, Johannes gathered a handful of coins and dumped them into the girl's lap. He placed a fatherly hand on her shoulder.

"Little girl," he asked. "Do you have somewhere to get out of the cold?"

#

Agathe, bless her, understood everything. She gave the child--Birgit--a warm bath and a clean set of clothes--Clara's smallest were still too large on her--while Johannes told her what he had gathered of the girl's history. Her mother dead just this morning--frozen to death, by the sound of it. She had no lice, thank goodness, nor signs of any catching disease, so they gave her a cot near the kitchen stove, after feeding her what they thought she could safely stomach of thin porridge and plain bread.

As Birgit curled up beneath a pink-and-white patchwork quilt, she looked something like a kitten snuggling before a fire, not so different from Clara at that age. She clutched the cloth bag full of coins--she insisted on calling it "star money"--to her chest like a rag doll

"We could take her to the sisters in the morning," Agathe said. "They'll know what to do with her."

"She may have family still living. I could make inquiries."

He'd have time to, now that he was not needed at the concert hall.

"I should have been playing onstage just then," Johannes said. "If I hadn't been there, what would have become of her?" He had a sudden vision of that little face, white and frozen in an alleyway, unseen by dozens of comfortably prosperous people passing by.

Agathe took his hand. "You had far more important places to play tonight."

Johannes looked down upon his wife, the lamplight giving her brown hair an angelic glow. He'd been so concerned for himself--his loss of status, the death of dreams--and so afraid of disappointing his wife and children. Yet his saintly little wife saw only the good this disaster had brought.

"What about tomorrow?" Johannes asked softly. "And all the days after? The story will spread. I may not get work with another orchestra."

"People know you," Agathe said firmly. "They ought to know that the man who'd take in a starving child would never steal a star. If they don't know it, you don't want to play for them."

"Who else can I play for?" Johannes asked. "We can't raise two girls off of coins from the street. I have no other trade."

"Talent like yours will find release. On another city's stage. As a teacher. Even if you only play at home, it will do some good in the world. Whatever happens, God will provide." She squeezed his hand. "It is nice to have you home at Christmastime for a change."

In the distance, church bells chimed the hour. Snowflakes fell softly outside the window. The white walls of the kitchen were bright and clean, the room warm and cozy. This was more pleasant than a practice room.

Boards creaked heavily in the hall, and two small, bleary-eyed girls in white nightdresses peered into the kitchen.

"Girls," Agathe cried, moving toward them. "What are you doing up?"

Clara and Dorit raced past her, their faces alight with joy. "Papa!" Clara shrieked, throwing her arms around his waist. Dorit pressed her face against his legs. Johannes crouched to gather them in his arms.

"You're home early!" Clara said as Johannes pressed a kiss into her hair.

"I couldn't spend another night away from my girls," Johannes said.

Birgit started awake, sitting upright and wide-eyed as she goggled at the riotous little intruders.

Dorit tugged at Johannes' sleeve. "Who's that?"

How to explain a dustgirl--unimaginable poverty and desperation--to such innocents? "She's a little friend who needed a place to sleep. I met her when I was playing my violin on the street."

Clara seized one of her Johannes' wrists and tried to drag him toward where his violin case sat on the kitchen table. "Can you play for us, Papa? We haven't had any Christmas music yet! You give it all to everyone else."

Johannes was startled. When was the last time he'd played for the girls? He'd spent so much time practicing at the concert hall lately, living deep within the symphony, that he hadn't considered how little music they had in their lives.

On the cot, little Birgit sat with tangled hair and dark circles under her eyes. Johannes told his daughters, "Maybe tomorrow. Our guest needs to sleep."

The girls broke into an outcry of, "No!" and "Please, Papa!"

To his surprise, one of the voices was a small, raspy one from the cot.

Johannes crouched beside the little dustgirl. "Would you like to hear some music?"

The little girl's eyes glowed with wonder, as if he'd just offered to do magic. "Please," she whispered.

Johannes clapped his hands against his knees. "Very well." He sprang to his feet and removed his violin from its case with a flourish. It glowed golden-brown in the lamplight, and seemed to be quivering--almost alive--beneath his fingers. He placed the rest between his chin and held the bow over the strings.

He basked in the glow of in his warm little kitchen, with snowflakes falling outside, surrounded by the shining eyes of his wife and daughters and one adoring little dustgirl. He was home with his family instead of hidden away in a practice room. A child who might not have survived the night was now warm and safe. What were concerts, accusations, and even Lars Henning's jealousy, compared to that? All troubles could wait until morning. For now, Johannes would be grateful.

With a smile, Johannes touched his bow to the strings and played a song about a Christmas star.

[thegemjournal]

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING FACETED GEMSTONE BEADS IN JEWELRY MAKING?

Faceted gemstone beads are a popular choice among jewelry makers for their unique and eye-catching appearance. These beads are cut and polished in a way that creates multiple flat surfaces, also known as facets, that reflect and refract light, giving the gemstones a dazzling sparkle. This makes them an excellent choice for adding a touch of elegance and glamour to any piece of jewelry. But the benefits of using faceted gemstone beads go beyond just their aesthetic appeal. In this blog post, we will explore the various advantages of incorporating these beautiful beads into your jewelry making projects. From their durability to their versatility, there are many reasons why faceted gemstone beads have become a staple in the world of jewelry making. So let's dive in and discover what makes these beads so special and why you should consider using them in your next jewelry creation.

ELEVATING AESTHETIC APPEAL WITH EVERY FACET

One of the most immediate benefits of incorporating faceted gemstone beads into your jewelry creations is the remarkable elevation in aesthetic appeal they provide. The intricate cutting and polishing process these beads undergo result in numerous flat surfaces that catch and play with light in mesmerizing ways. For instance, faceted ruby beads can imbue a piece with a deep, radiant glow, turning a simple bracelet into a statement piece. Similarly, faceted emerald beads can add a touch of lush, vibrant green, offering a luxurious and fresh look. The angular precision of faceting not only enhances the inherent beauty of the gemstones but also adds a dimensional depth that flat or smooth round beads simply cannot achieve. You can check here the difference between faceted beads and smooth beads for better understanding.

This unique characteristic of faceted gemstone beads ensures that even the simplest jewelry designs stand out, catching the eye and captivating the imagination with every turn. The ability to transform light into a spectrum of color and brilliance makes faceted gemstone beads an invaluable asset for anyone looking to elevate the aesthetic appeal of their jewelry creations.

VERSATILITY IN DESIGN POSSIBILITIES

Faceted gemstone beads bring an unparalleled versatility to jewelry design, allowing creators to explore a myriad of styles, from the classic elegance of traditional pieces to the boldness of modern aesthetics. The variety of cuts, including micro faceted beads, introduces a level of precision and detail that can cater to intricate designs demanding subtlety and finesse. The faceted rondelle shape beads, in particular, offer a sleek and sophisticated option, ideal for creating layered beads necklace or charm bracelets that require beads of uniform shape but varied color. This versatility extends to the use of these wholesale gemstone beads across different types of jewelry, such as gemstone earrings, gemstone rings, necklaces, and bracelets, enabling designers to mix and match for cohesive collections or standout pieces.

The adaptability of faceted gemstone beads ensures that they can be seamlessly incorporated into both high-end, luxurious creations and more casual, everyday wear items. This broadens the creative horizon, encouraging designers to experiment with combinations of texture, color, and form. Ultimately, the versatility of faceted gemstone beads opens up a world of design possibilities, inviting jewelry makers to push the boundaries of their creativity.

THE ALLURE OF UNIQUENESS AND EXCLUSIVITY

In the world of jewelry, the quest for pieces that reflect a sense of individuality and uniqueness is unending. Faceted gemstone beads cater to this desire, offering an exclusivity that mass-produced jewelry simply cannot match. Each bead, with its distinct cut and inherent characteristics, brings a unique story to the table. This is particularly evident in handcrafted jewelry, where the natural variations in color, size, and shape of faceted gemstone beads mean that no two pieces are exactly alike. For collectors and fashion enthusiasts alike, this adds an irresistible allure to jewelry pieces, making them not just accessories but personal statements. The meticulous process of faceting also ensures that each bead maximizes the gemstone's natural beauty, making every piece feel bespoke and luxurious. This exclusivity is especially appealing to those who prize individual expression in their style, making faceted gemstone bead jewelry a sought-after addition to any collection. In essence, the uniqueness and exclusivity offered by these stone beads transform simple jewelry pieces into treasured keepsakes that reflect the wearer's personal taste and style.

ENHANCING DURABILITY THROUGH CRAFTSMANSHIP

The process of creating faceted gemstone beads is not just an art; it's a meticulous craft that significantly contributes to the durability of jewelry pieces. The faceting process involves precise cutting and polishing, which not only reveals the beauty of the gemstone but also enhances its structural integrity. Gemstones are naturally hard materials, but when they are expertly faceted, they are shaped in a way that reduces the likelihood of chipping and breakage. This means that jewelry made with faceted gemstone beads can withstand the wear and tear of daily use better than those with untreated stones.

Additionally, the facets themselves are designed in a manner that distributes stress across the bead's surface, making them less prone to cracking. The careful selection of high-quality loose gemstones and the expertise of skilled artisans in faceting contribute to creating beads that offer both aesthetic appeal and long-lasting durability. Jewelry makers who choose faceted gemstone beads are thus investing in the longevity of their creations, ensuring that their beauty endures as much as their structural soundness.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF WEARING FACETED GEMSTONES

Beyond their undeniable beauty and versatility, faceted gemstone beads carry profound psychological effects for those who wear them. The meticulous craftsmanship and radiant glow of these faceted gemstones can significantly influence emotions and mindset. Many people believe in the healing properties of these natural gemstones, attributing to them the power to affect mood, energy levels, and overall well-being.

For instance, the vibrant sparkle of faceted amethyst beads may instill a sense of calm and clarity, aiding in stress relief and promoting mental balance. Similarly, beautifully faceted citrine beads, gleaming with the sun's warmth, are often associated with joy, encouraging a more optimistic outlook on life. Wearing jewelry adorned with these carefully crafted gems can serve as a personal talisman, offering not just a visual delight but also a psychological boost. The act of choosing a piece featuring a specific gemstone for its perceived benefits underscores the intimate connection between the wearer and their jewelry, making the experience uniquely personal and profoundly impactful. This deep emotional engagement adds another layer of value to faceted gemstone beads, making them not just a choice for adornment but also a means for emotional and psychological enrichment.

FACETED GEMSTONE BEADS AS A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE

Choosing faceted gemstone beads for jewelry making not only elevates the aesthetic and emotional value of a piece but also aligns with a growing commitment to sustainability. The process of sourcing gemstone beads often adheres to ethical mining practices, ensuring minimal environmental impact and fair labor conditions. Additionally, the durability of faceted gemstones promotes longevity in jewelry pieces, reducing the need for frequent replacements and, consequently, diminishing waste. Many gemstone beads are obtained from small-scale mining operations that prioritize the preservation of local ecosystems and communities.

This sustainable approach extends to the artisans who meticulously cut and polish each bead, often using traditional techniques passed down through generations, thus supporting cultural heritage and reducing the carbon footprint associated with mass production. By choosing faceted gemstone beads, designers and consumers participate in a cycle of responsible consumption and production, contributing to a more sustainable future in the fashion and jewelry industry. This choice reflects a conscious decision to embrace beauty and craftsmanship without compromising the well-being of our planet.

CONCLUSION: THE TIMELESS CHARM OF FACETED GEMSTONE BEADS

In wrapping up our exploration of faceted gemstone beads, it's clear that their appeal goes far beyond mere aesthetics. These gems offer a unique combination of beauty, versatility, and durability that is unmatched in the jewelry-making world.

The journey through the multifaceted benefits of these beads hopefully inspires you to embrace their potential in your next jewelry project, elevating your work to new heights of elegance and expression.

[wjbs-bonkle-au]

Random Human-AU character-design notes, some of which probably won't make sense to anyone else since I haven't actually properly designed them yet.

Whenua is bald, even before becoming a Turaga.

Vezon looks basically the same as Vezok but thinner and younger. The Ignika is fused to his mechanical skeleton (since the MU inhabitants are actually extremely humanlike robots).

Masks are replaced with geometric, "artificial"-looking face markings that roughly resemble the canon mask designs, sometimes supplemented with other things (e.g Onua has a series of horizontal lines on his cheeks, along with two beads threaded into his beard that match up with the small circular holes on the Pakari's chin); the markings glow when the characters use their mask powers. The Inika's are smoother and more natural-looking.

Nidhiki, the Hordika, the Rahaga, the Barraki and the Mistika Makuta are all animal-human hybrids with varying degrees of (semi-technological) body-horror. Pre-mutation they just look like the rest of the MU's highly-humanlike beings. The eel-mode Piraka also look more fishlike rather than just being disembodied heads and spines. Since the Magnans are actual humans, the Vorox and Zesk are fully organic and have some actual body-horror going on, with insectoid mandibles made of bone, arm-like tails, and extra eyes with uneven sockets and distorted pupils.

Spinax looks like a wolf made out of crustacean parts.

The VNRT have stitched together, decayed "skin" that leaves their endoskeletons partially exposed, with outsized limb-sockets visibly attached with crude weld-trails and irregularly-placed rivets. Their weapons are attached to their wrist-sockets. Also their eyes are pitch-black, as a reference to their set-forms' lack of eyestalks and also partially due to author-appeal.

The Inika have glowing lines extending back from their fingertips, all the way up to their wrists; the lines' shapes match with their respective elements (Jaller's are curved like flames; Hahli's flow like waves, with bubble-like circles mixed in; Nuparu's resemble crystalline facets; Kongu's look like stylised clouds, with lots of swirls and spirals; Hewkii's resemble cracked stone; Matoro's are long and jagged, with small points that branch off). Upon becoming the Mahri, the lines stop glowing, becoming markings that are slightly lighter than their regular skin tone.

While wearing the Adaptive Armour, the Toa Nuva look like more solid versions of their 2008 set forms, with different proportions.

The Vahki look like their LOMN designs; the Maxilos robots look like their set-forms, but slightly more "filled in" and with extra details like a glowing mouth-grille in their "mouth", and bioluminescent barnacles growing on parts of them.

Roodaka wears the Makuta-stone fragment as a necklace.

Tuyet's hair is based on Galva's original Mask of Intangibility design. Her Toa Empire counterpart has it tied back.

Av-Matoran (and, by extension, Shadow Matoran) have exotic hair-colours, as opposed to everyone else whose hair is more realistically-coloured (with a few exceptions who explicitly have dyed hair, e.g Dalu). Shadow Matoran have darker hair that fades to dark-grey towards the tips. Takua's hair changes from teal to literally-golden when he becomes Takanuva.

Toa Tools that "replace" the arm/hand of a character (e.g Hewkii's Cordak Blaster, Pohatu's propeller things) are either just handheld or take the form of gauntlets (in terms of the examples, the former is handheld and the latter become gauntlets).

Toa Ignika looks a lot more artificial than everyone else, with a wood-like texture on his body and frame, visible joints on his hands and limbs, and no face underneath his mask.

Mata Nui's form while on Spherus Magna looks like an animate sandstone statue with faded paint.

Shapeshifted Makuta retain some element of their main form (e.g Antroz's vehicle-piloting form (which, in this AU, is his default form) looks like his main '08 form but smaller and without the additional vampire-y bits; Miserix has feathers resembling his main form's hair).

Hydraxon's helmet covers his entire head and face, and has opaque lenses. Dekar!Hydraxon looks exactly the same underneath the helmet, but without a beard and with red eyes instead of green.

After being possessed by a Krana, Lewa has a marking on his face where it was; this vanishes when he becomes a Toa Nuva.

Annona is still a horrifying eldritch monstrosity.

Marendar looks like a heavily mutated human with mechanical parts sticking out of its body.

Prior to going to Karzahni, Velika's Matoran form looked almost exactly like he did as a Great Being, but shorter.

Helryx's "skin" has mostly disintegrated, with her face and some of her torso being the most intact parts; her upper arms and thighs have their exposed endoskeletons wrapped in cloth and leather, and strange hoses connect from her abdomen into her face. Her hair is mostly missing.

Pohatu's sideburns turn into a full beard when he becomes a Toa Nuva.

While Onua is technically one of the tallest Toa Nuva, he's hunched over so he looks a lot shorter.

Scopes are attached like eyepatches; when Nuju becomes a Hordika, his scope fuses into his head. Instead of losing the scope when he becomes a Turaga, he accidentally drops it in the ocean while taking the Matoran Spheres to Mata Nui and doesn't notice until he gets there.

Sidorak is balding and has a large beard.

Keetongu is a big bug.

Krakua is old.

This isn't a design note, but love is canon and Axonn X Brutaka not only happened, but they're also canonically divorced.

[iguessimakejewelrynow]

Gold plated collier made with a real pink rose bud dried and preserved in resin, genuine gold plated alloy chains, 18k gold plated bail, eye pins, and ball pins, natural faceted rose quartz beads, pink tourmaline beads, + 2 pink fresh water pearl beads.

This piece has such a soft and loving energy around it💓

Pink roses are a symbol of love✨️

Rose quartz is a stone of universal love that's connected to the heart chakra.

Pink tourmaline is a stone of unconditional love, that promotes sympathy and understanding in the wearer✨️

[heilith]

Coral and Crystal

My second piece for Scribbles and Drabbles 2023. For the first time in the history of this blog, Maglor, for your entertainment.

The lovely necklace by lferion as a prompt. Hope you have fun.

Tw: blood, possibly depression. But it's gonna be fine. :)

@fall-for-tolkien

Coral and Crystal

His songs followed his grief on the final road to oblivion. It was now impossible to remember the day when the last drop of regret had trickled out of him, leaving his mind and soul empty like a cracked vial. He welcomed that loss with relief. He was still foolish enough to believe he had nothing else to be robbed of.

And then all those melodies, and laments, everything to the simplest lonely notes fell silent, too, with the silence only the dead had mastered to such a degree of perfection. 

His hands were weak and pale now, with neither a sword nor a harp to give them work. 

Maglor pushed himself up from the damp rock with difficulty. Crystals of salt sank their teeth into his palm at the effort, drawing a fair amount of his blood as a payment for hospitality. 

The merfolk, who up to the moment were cluttering around him like a king’s court, galumphed from their spots as they would always do whenever he chose to move on. Their beautiful mouths were folding into grimaces of annoyance and letting out low animalistic growls. 

He’d stopped resenting their presence long ago, eerie as they were with their half-human appearance and disturbingly inhuman ways. He would have, had their sentience lived up to the jealousy they were putting into adorning and grooming themselves. Yet under the disguise of the crimson coral beads, hugging their necks in numerous layers, and the hair combs of polished bone, which never seemed to be out of their restless hands, they remained nothing but beasts, and the most indifferent and dangerous kind of them.

And then again…Indifference was a blessing to him. 

And his fears died before his grief had. 

But they were restless today…

The youngest of the creatures jerked up his head, his nostrils widening. In one awkward motion it propped itself up and shuffled towards the seat their Elven companion had stood up from moments ago. The sudden splash of interest appeared contagious - the herd was drawing closer to the rock, their grunts became aggressive.

The youngster snarled with triumph, reaching out for the traces of blood, red against the gray of the stone.

The air between his clutching fingers thickened. 

The stains lost their liquid gloss and shrank to odd bead-like shapes. It didn’t take Maglor long to realize that was what they’d become – a scattering of crimson coral beads. The trophies soon to join the countless rows of their kind over someone’s slimy neck.

That was the destiny he had reduced himself to. 

Anger woke him up. He shuddered in revulsion, for once not focused on himself.  

Slowly he closed his fist to make sure there was enough of his blood on the pebbles under his feet to afford him a slow escape.   For the first time in thousands of days he’d walked the shores of Arda the waves were roaring behind him.

“Do you like it?” 

“Yes,” he said earnestly, yet again scolding himself for his helplessness at the sight of your smile. Words were fleeing him when he needed them the most. 

“You’re not looking.” 

“I am.” 

He was looking. At the way your hair was falling over your eyes again and again, no matter how many times you removed it. At the way sun dapples were dancing on your cheek, when you tilted your head, as if your inner light was breaking through your hroa wilfully, hungry for freedom. At the tiny twist your lips would always make, when his name was ready to slip off them. He delighted in the sound of it echoing through him before any sound was born at all.  

“Maglor…”

He forced himself to lend an eye to the item that have captured your attention in this weird tiny shop.

“Coral,” the statement came out crispier than he had hoped he could manage it.  

“And crystals,” you stroked the facets of the yellowish bead between two solid drops of blood, “Like sundrops, aren’t they? Screaming “summer, here I come”.”

He couldn’t bear to disappoint you. 

…The day was unbearably golden. The soft light of early June, about as tender as the touch of your hand, was seeping in through his skin unbidden. The benches at the beach could easily accommodate a bigger company than the two of you, but you still chose to curl up under the drape of his arm, the warmth of your body a welcome protection against the chilly breeze from the sea.  

It felt almost wrong to be blessed like this. 

All he needed was not to remember about the string of haunting memories, resting where your collarbones met. 

“They say you never really know the history behind old things,” you spoke suddenly, “They say they can bring you bad luck.” 

The needle of regret moved just a little bit deeper into his heart. He should have known better than to think it had rusted for good. 

“Perhaps, you’d better part with them before they do.” 

You laughed and nuzzled into his chest, so that your voice was muffled when you teased him gently:

“Don’t you trust me to handle a little family curse?” 

You did wear the necklace well. It looked at home on you, the anger of raw blood tamed by the careless sunlight. 

You made it easy to let it all go. 

“I do,” lied he quietly. 

But I’ll follow my brothers before I make you. 

[garnetrena]

Realm of the Elderlings Ask Meme Thing

I was tagged by @tragediegh , thanks!! 💙💙💙

Favorite Rote Book: Assassin's Quest and Fool's Errand

Why: I love Assassin's Quest because there's a lot of my favorite parts in the whole saga in it: Fitz and the Fool in Jhaampe, Kettle (who's a character that I love a lot), the stone dragons... It's very epic and I love it.

On the contrary, I love how Fool's Errand is mundane and domestic, especially in the beginning. Once again, Fitz and the Fool in the cabin is one of my favorite moments in the whole series. I also love the persona of Lord Golden.

Top Three Favorite Characters: The Fool, of course (I speak so much of him that pretty much all my friends know him, even if they've never read the books!). Kettricken is another character that I love a lot. And Umbre, even if he's morally grey, but that's why I like him! I also love Nighteyes and Lady Patience a lot, but we're supposed to only say three characters.

Top Three Least Favorite Characters: Galen, Hest and Dwalia

Favorite Ship (of the floating kind): Paragon. I love his character development and his relationshp with Amber is beautiful.

Top Three Favorite Ships (of the people kind): Fitz/the Fool (Fitzloved), Lacey/Patience and Burrich/Chivalry.

Would you rather be Witted or Skilled? Skilled, to understand people better and to reach out with my friends who live far away

If you were Witted, what animal would you bond with? A dog or a wolf, like Fitz

Would you rather live in the Outislands, the Mountain Kingdom, the Six Duchies, Bingtown, The Rain Wilds, Kelsingra, Jamaillia, The Pirate Isles, or the Fool's Homeland? Kelsingra or Mercenia (the Fool's Homeland)

How were you introduced to the books? When I was a scout, one of my chiefs was really into these books and she advised me to read them. I was ~15 and I didn't know it would change my life. I went to the library and borrowed them. And now, here I am!

Share a quote you love: There's so many of them!

"‘I am not the person I was born. Neither are you. I know no one who is. Truly, Fitz, all we ever know are facets of one another. Perhaps we feel as if we know one another well when we know several facets of that person. Father, son, brother, friend, lover, husband… a man can be all of those things, yet no one person knows him in all those roles." (The Fool, Fool's Fate)

"He is not my lover. He is far more than that to me, far more precious." (The Fool, Fool's Fate)

‘Why can’t people love one another and still remain free?’ (...)

‘One can love that way,’ she conceded regretfully. ‘But the price on that kind of love may be the highest of all.’ She strung her words together as carefully as she strung her beads. ‘To love another person like that, you have to admit that his life is as important as yours. Harder still, you have to admit to yourself that perhaps he has needs you cannot fill, and that you have tasks that will take you far away from him. It costs loneliness and longing and doubt and –’

‘Why must love cost anything? Why does need have to be mixed up with love? Why can’t people be like butterflies, coming together in bright sunshine and parting while the day is still bright?’

‘Because they are people, not butterflies.’

(Althea and Amber, Mad Ship)

It was the old naming magic : if I know how you are truly named, I have power over you. If I tell you my name, I grant you that power. (Fool’s Errand)

And the iconic:

Wolves have no kings. (Assassin's Quest)

And I'm tagging: @chonaku-things , @blackandwhitemotley , @elderling-magic , @electropeach , @madou-dilou , @whatevsbla and whoever loves Robin Hobb and feels like doing this ask meme! And no pressure if you don't want to do it, consider it's just me saying hello ✨

[uniqueopal]

[melit0n]

I saw your tag about where do I get my beads! The answer is: it depends on what grade of stone you want and how much you're willing to pay, lol. I was shopping around for a while, but i think I have had the best luck with Tejas Beads. Everything you could ask for with stone choice, coloring, grade, cut, finish, hole diameter, faceted, etc., I mean like, I just received tiger's eye (and a secret bead) and the tiger's eye is scrumptious. I paid less than $5 on it.

(Bad picture because my tremor was acting up. They have a higher clarity than that)

Thank you so much!! I always struggle with finding somewhat-good (and affordable) beads. I only really use them for personal bracelet making, so I don't really pay much attention to the specifics (grade, finish etc.).

Either way, this is super helpful! And full agree, that tiger's eye does look scrumptious.

[distilled-prose]

6/14/24 LinkedIn - from Rui Galopim de Carvalho

Gem quality emeralds are known to typically display internal characteristics, such as those known in gemmology as fluid inclusions and fissures, sometimes in such a quantity that it may compromise the stone's "crystalline" transparency, making polishing as bead, as cabochon or carving as an adequate options in fashioning. Colombian emeralds, such as those produced in the 16th and 17th century, were often carved with artistic or devotional motifs, in both low and high clarity rough material. This ca. 1635 green box (4 x 5 cm) made in Mughal India using gold sheet, set with faceted diamond in gold kundan, with an enamelled base, is set with 103 matched Colombian emeralds carved in shallow relief to depict cypress trees within borders of repeated stylized leaves, is a fine example of this fashioning solution. At the highest levels of the Mughal courts, a considerable number of carved emeralds were commissioned and this is believed to be one of those cases. Photos © Khalili Collections

can you believe it!? fantastic!!!