Beads City: 2008

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A small hiccup

A small hiccup occured the past week when we hadn't realised that a few of your mails had gotten into our spam inbox.

We've since rectified this problem and we sincerely apologize to everyone who did not get a timely response from us. We strive to provide the best service to you and we really thank everyone for their kind understanding:)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Make and design your own accessories(earrings, bracelets & necklaces)

What do you need?

1. Flat Pliers
2. Nose Pliers
3. Lovely beads
4. Some findings(ear-hooks, jump-rings, head-pins, eye-pins etc)
5. A dash of patience to perfect your skills

Pictures coming up!!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Give us your feedback:)

We have set up a survey at the sidebar. ---->

Help us know what are the kind of beads you are looking for so that we can keep a lookout for quality beads for your need:)

Rated!!!

WHOOPI!!!!!

We are rated 4 stars at Slops!! We'll be featured as the Slop of the Day too on our date of listing.....I'm waiting for 1st July to come:)

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Using swarovski crystals to represent your birthstone and you

A birthstone is defined as the gemstone that is associated with the month of our birthday. Many people like to think that wearing our birthstone would bring good luck or health to us. Such birthstones are normally semi-precious gems so prices can be high for the average person. Therefore, swaroski crystals are also used to represent your birthstone because of it's high clarity and sparkling look. Read on to find out the meaning of your birthstone and its corresponding colour in swarovki crystals!

JANUARY

Birthstone: Garnet
Colour: Deep Red
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Siam

Garnet is the modern-day birthstone for January babies. Most people assume that all garnets are red but it actually exist in yellow and green too. Red is of course, the most common color of this gemstone. Garnets symbolize a happiness and lasting love and friendship. Therefore, presenting a gift of garnet in turn symbolizes a gift of love and the desire for a loved one's safe homecoming.

January babies are ambitious, serious, loyal, hardworking, knows how to make others happy, quiet unless excited or tensed, has deep thoughts, smart, neat and organized.

FEBRUARY
Birthstone: Amethyst
Colour: Purple
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Amethyst

The amethyst is a lovely purple-colored gem. The tone of its colour ranges from lilac to a deep, rich purple. The royalties have always held the rich, deep purples as their favourites, donning them in ceremonial occasions. Amethyst is also symbolises spirituality and filal piety, so giving this gemstone strengthens the bond any relationship. It is an ideal anniversary or engagement present and it will certainly make the wearer feel like royalty.

February babies are normally daring, honest, stubborn, determined to reach goals, intelligent, loves aggressiveness, loves entertainment, humble, rebellious when restricted, temperamental and sensitive.

MARCH
Birthstone: Aquamarine
Colour: Pale Blue
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Aquamarine

Aquamarine is a blue-green member of the beryl family.  Its colour tone ranges from a pale blue to a deep-blue ocean color. "Aqua" means water. Therfore, in the ancient times, it is believed that this gemstone would keep people at sea, safe during their journeys. Therefore, it has become a symbol of both safety and security.

March babies are normally affectionate, attractive, loves serenity, loves travelling, honest, generous, sympathetic, secured and trustworthy.

APRIL
Birthstone: Diamond
Color: Clear
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Clear

The diamond is the strongest and most durable substance on Earth. It is made up of carbon and able to reflect the light with clarity. The quality of a diamonds is judged based on the four C's - color, cut, clarity, and carat. The higher the carat, the more expensive it is.

Diamond is the symbol of true love because of its everlasting quality. It is often chosen as the marriage anniversary gem for the 10th and 60th years.  Of course, many newly weds have also chosen it to be the jewel for their engagement and wedding rings.

April babies are normally adventurous, active, brave, decisive, diplomatic, gets jealous easily, emotional, friendly, caring, motivated and has a strong mentality.

MAY
Birthstone: Emerald
Color: Green
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Emerald

The emerald comes from the beryl family, producing a beautiful and radiant green due to its high chromium content. During excavations of tombs in Egypt, jewelleries of this gem had been known to be found buried with the mummies. It was widely believed that emeralds had a healing effect, thus they were used to promote a sense of well-being.

May babies are normally beautiful physically and mentally, out-going, imaginative, hardworking, restless, strong-willed, highly motivated, stubborn, systematic and understanding.

JUNE
Birthstone: Pearl
Colour: White
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Light Amethyst/Swarovski pearl

Pearls are created inside oysters and clams. There are two kinds of pearls, natural and cultured. A natural pearl forms when a small irritant, such as a piece of sand or fish, gets trapped inside the oyster. This causes it to secret a substance known as"nacre" through many layers on the intruder to produce a smooth, hardened pearl over the years. This is what we know as the a substance known as "mother of pearl". Pearls can also be cultured and a majority of them are used in the making of jewelry now. They are made by introducing an irritant to the clams and oysters deliberately to facilitate pearl productions.

Pearls are always in fashion regardless of any fashion trends of any period. People believe in the goodness of natural pearls and have even grind them for use in cosmetics and as a form of medicine.

June babies are normally brand conscious, choosy, daydreamer, easily hurt, friendly, humorous, polite, sensitive yet stubborn and thinks far with vision.

JULY
Birthstone: Ruby
Color: Red
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Ruby red

Ruby's rich colorreminds one of love and passion. Its name is derived from the Latin, "ruber", meaning red. The ruby's red glow, symbolises an internal and eternal flame in your heart. This makes the ruby a wonderful present for your loved ones to show your durable, romantic and passionate love that cannot be extinguished. Rumours have it that if rubies worn are on the left hand, it would bring the wearer good luck.

July babies are normally caring and loving, sensitive, difficult to fathom, practical, easily hurt but takes long to recover, friendly, hardworking, loves to be alone, homely, secretive, tactful
and unpredictable.

AUGUST
Birthstone: Peridot
Colour: Yellow Green
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Limegreen

The peridot has a unique colour of lime green. It was once thought to bring power and influence to its owner.  It also symbolises vitality and new growth in any relationships.

August babies are normally workoholics, brave, cautious, independent, dreamers, romantic, prideful, thirsty for praises and generous.

SEPTEMBER
Birthstone: Sapphire
Colour: Deep Blue
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Sapphire Blue

Sapphires are similar in structure to the ruby, which is the birthstone for the month of July. Blue sapphires range from very light to very dark greenish or violetish blue, as well as various shades of pure blue. According to folk-tales, sapphires will protect your loved ones from envy and harm as people believed that the gem attracted heavenly blessings.  Now, a gift of Sapphire represents sincerity and faithfulness.

September babies are normally calm, careful, organized, knowledgeable, detailed, kind, sympathetic, sporty, trustworthy, loyal and understanding.

OCTOBER
Birthstone: Opal
Colour: Multi-colored
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Tourmaline / Rose

The opal, which has its root in the Latin word "opalus", meaning precious jewel, refracts and reflects specific wavelengths of light. They are generally white or colorless and are very delicate. Therefore, extreme care must be taken when cutting the gems to lower the risks of cracks. Opals are beautiful and powerful They radiate an extraordinary and positive energy, giving confidence to the wearer.

October babies are fiery-tempered, daydreamer,easily hurt but recovers easily, emotional, caring, easily influenced, touchy and treats friends well.

NOVEMBER
Birthstone: Topaz / Citrine
Colour: Yellow Gold
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Topaz

The topaz comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "fire". It is a relatively hard gem and is rare and often very expensive. An alternative Novemeber Birthstone can also be the citrine, existing in a range of yellow to orange tones, which is affordable for the average man on the streets. This gem is believed to keep away evil forces and enemies and also supposed to maintain harmony in the home. A gift of topaz or citrine gives the wearer hope and strength in life with its natural brightness.

November babies are normally thinkers, generous, dynamic, ,strong, amiable, stubborn, trustworthy, unique and unpredictable.

DECEMBER
Birthstone: Turquoise
Colour: Blue
Swarovki Crystal Colour: Zircon

The turquoise is a non-transparent gem. It is available in many shades of blue and green.
It is mined in Iran and the southwestern United States, often dyed and treated with resins
to make the stone harder. Turquoise is considered to be a sacred stone, protective against
all manners of evil and ill health. A gift of turquoise represents friendship and luck.

December babies are normally active ambitious, fun to be with, logical, sociable, loyal, fast-tempered and takes high pride in oneself.

Read about other gemstones here.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Types of gemstones

There are so many types of gemstones out there. They are mainly divided into 2 categories of semi-precious and precious gemstones. Here, we share with you some of the common gemstones that we often see from both categories. We hope this helps you in your selection of beads.

Diamond
Diamonds are really in a class of its own.  It is the hardest naturally occurring substance ever known and they are crystals that were fused under extremes of pressure and heat. Its size is categorized by "carat" and large diamonds of high quality are extremely rare.

Quartz
Quartz is one of the most common types of mineral around and it comes in a wide selection of colors. An example of a common quartz is rose quartz, which is of a cloudy translucent pink or slightly peach color.  Smoky quartz on the other hand. tends to be in dark colour, close to black.

Ruby
Ruby is the queen of gems with deep red ruby being the rarest and most valuable.

Turquoise
This stone ranges in color from blue to green to yellow.  It is normally filled with intricate patterns of brown and black matrix which are mainly copper deposits.

Jade
There are many types of jades around. While most people identify it by its green shades, there's also white jade. Jade may be either nephrite or jadeite, with most jadeite coming from Burma.  There's also the "new jade" serpentine beads.

Amethyst
This stone is usually found in a variety of shades from lavender to a deep purple. It is usually associated with royalty and goes well with black or pink beads.

Amber
Amber is usually a transparent yellow to a maple-syrup color, but can also appear red.

Citrine
Its name is derived from the word citrus because of its pale yellow color. Natural citrine is rare.

Garnet
A rich, deep red gemstone.

Types of beads

Bali Beads
Bali beads are usually made out of silver or sterling silver. They are often used as spacers when making jewelry.

Faux natural beads
These are often imitations designed to look like a more expensive original material, especially pearls and gemstones. Precious metals and ivory can also be imitated.

Fire-polished beads
Many of such fire-polished beads are glass beads made in the Czech Republic, hence the term "Czech beads". They are faceted by machines and have a shiny look after the beads are cooled from its molten form in the oven. Such method of "polishing"results in a reasonably attractive bead.

Lampwork beads
Lampwork beads are handmade by using a torch to heat a rod of glass and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod covered in bead release. The hot glass is carefully wrapped around a coated wire, which, when removed, forms the hole of the bead. Once the base bead is formed, other colors and layers of glass can be added to its surface to create additional designs.

Lead crystal beads
Lead crystal beads are machine-cut crystal beads with hi-tech precision. Outstanding geometry and excellent optical parameters can be achieved with this method of cutting. Many lead crystal beads are also enhanced with surface coatings. An example is Aurora Borealis, or AB, which diffuses light into a rainbow. Swarovski crystals are also highly regarded due to their clarity and sparkle.

Cat's Eye Glass reflects light in a way reminiscent of a cats eye.

Cloisonné Enamel
This type of beads has surface decorations set in hollows formed by strips of wire welded to a metal plate.

Rhinestone
They are generally colorless potash-and-lead glass that contains quartz in the form of melted lead crystal and is cut like a diamond. Also known as diamante and are available in different colours.

Semiprecious Stones
They are natural stones that generally have a lower value than precious stones. Some examples of such stones are amethyst, garnet, opal, rose quartz.

Pearls
Pearls can be saltwater or freshwater cultured pearls which are made into beads. Natural pearls are usually pink peach or mauve in colour whilst white pearls are usually an off white or creamy colour. There are also faux pearls which are actually glass beads with a pearl-like coating. These glass pearls are also available in many colours.

Click here to view our beads.

Caring for your handmade jewellery and accessories

How to care for your accessories? Here are 3 basic rules:)

Rule #1
- Always wear your accessories last after your make-up and perfume.
- This is to protect them from contact with the chemicals and prolong their shine.

Rule #2
- Handle them with TLC(tender loving care)

Rule #3
- Always keep them in jewellery boxes or ziplocks when not in use. Leaving them out in the air quickens any oxidation process that might take place.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

BC0019 - Assorted colours glass pearls

Dimensions: 8mm

16 inch strand at $2.50
Available - 0(Coming back soon)

BC0018 - Medium dark grey pearl drop

Dimensions: 17mm by 8mm

Per pack of 12 pieces at $2.50
Available - 3 packs left

BC0017 - Medium pink glass pearl drop

Dimensions: 17mm by 8mm

Per pack of 12 pieces at $2.50
Available - 3 packs left

BC0016 - Turquoise-blue glass pearls

Dimensions: 8mm

16 inch strand at $2.50
Available - 0(Coming back soon!)

BC0015 - Round matt-pink beads

Dimensions: 8mm

Per pack of 10 at $1.50
Per pack of 50 at $6.50

Available - 3 packs left

B0014 - Multi-coloured faceted ovals

Dimensions: 11mm by 8mm

Per pack of 1 pair at $0.90
Per pack of any 4 pairs at $3.00

Available - 2 pairs per colour left

BC0013 - Light-rose faceted Czech beads(6mm)

Dimensions: 6mm

Per pack of 10 at $1.00

Available - 3 packs left

BC0012 - Round pink glass bead

Dimensions: 12mm

Per pack of 5 at $3.50
Per pack of 10 at $6

Available - 1 pack of 10 left

BC0011 - 2-toned(purplish-red and blue) faceted Czech beads

Dimensions: 8mm

Per pack of 10 at $1.50

Available - 5 packs left

Order and Payment Information

1. All prices are in nett unless otherwise stated.

2. To order, kindly email us at beadscity@gmail.com the following:
-Your name;
-Contact number;
-Item code; and
-Address(for postage).

3. Buyers will receive a confirmation email in return from us and should proceed to make payment.

Orders will be considered cancelled if buyers do not reply/make transfer 3 days after the confirmation email is sent.

4. Payments are to be made thru POSB bank transfer.

5. Beads will be sent out the next working day after we have received the payment.

6. Postage is free for 2 items and above except for heavy packages, depending on the type of beads ordered. Buyers will be advised of this in the confirmation email.

Click here to select the beads you want now!!