Beading with stones Yeah or Neah

[Rockoteer]

Is it possible to do bead work with stones?  How hard is it to drill the little tiny holes?  Should I be quiet and delete this post?

Rockoteer

[Taogem]

Shhhh.....

You bet.. It is done all the time. Although I just have crap luck with drilling even through a 5mm stone !

I know people are drilling lengthwise for beads. I just can't imagine how long each must take without a special drilling unit.

There are companies like Fire Mountain Gems that put em out by the hundreds.. I can only imagine they are utilizing cheap labor costs via Inia, China and others.

[ScarlettoSara]

I have always wanted to make beads too TOG. But it costs even more money. LOL
Why does everything that is really fun or good cost money?
Here is a tutorial I found from Daniel Lopacki about bead making:)

http://www.lopacki.com/howto/

[tgood1969]

Sara, you beat me to the punch!  I just finished reading the same article and was about to post a link.  Very informative site.

[Taogem]

I have always wanted to make beads too TOG. But it costs even more money. LOL
Why does everything that is really fun or good cost money?
Here is a tutorial I found from Daniel Lopacki about bead making:)

http://www.lopacki.com/howto/

That is a cool link. Especially like the homemade preformer.

Can you imagine though.. How long it would take to do 100 or 200 that it takes to do some of the necklace examples on that site ? 

Forever !! 

[Enchantra]

There are companies like Fire Mountain Gems that put em out by the hundreds.. I can only imagine they are utilizing cheap labor costs via Inia, China and others.

They have huge cutting houses that do it all by machine for the beads.  Sure some are cut by hand in third world countries but....

What I like about FireMountain is they will not do business with any company that employs children, and the contracts they sign with suppliers state that the people must be paid a fair wage - in some cases two-three times the minimum wage.  When they went in and were looking for a source of Rathasjani silver, they put in the contracts that the workers would get paid a certain amount, that the children had to go to school, and that excess profits would go into supporting the small enclave to build better homes etc.  Essentially they transformed the lives of some poor silver workers into something a lot more stable and ensured their children had a brighter future.  That is why I do a huge amount of my business in beads with FireMountain.  In buying from them I know I am making a difference in the lives of some family in another country that doesn't have all the benefits we have living here in the USA.  To that end at least once a Year I lay in a huge order of beads and drop a few Franklins not only to support my beading hobby, but knowing I'm helping to do some good in the world.  The company's motto is "Making a difference, one bead at a time."

[Rockoteer]

Thanks alot people.  [signing of his computer and goes looking for his wife]  ...  Hey Honey, remember when you asked me if they did beading with stones or was it all plastic and I said Oh its all plastic cause it is way to hard to drill holes in stone.  Well your not going to believe this ......

T O G

[Taogem]

Good stuff Amanda.. Thanks for sharing that...  Sure makes a person think twice and do a little research on how some of these companies make sure employees like that are taken care of..

It would be interesting to know which of the major suppliers like Fire Mountain do the same, and which ones don't..

   Too funny there TOG

[Enchantra]

Good stuff Amanda.. Thanks for sharing that...  Sure makes a person think twice and do a little research on how some of these companies make sure employees like that are taken care of..

It would be interesting to know which of the major suppliers like Fire Mountain do the same, and which ones don't..

Every year they also auction off either handmade beads by various artisans or other merchandise to benefit breast cancer research.  A few years ago they lost a long-time employee to her battle with Breast Cancer so to honor her memory they raise funds every year for breast cancer research.

A lot of these stories about the things they have done are printed in their HUGE paper catalog.  As you flip through the pages drooling, you then find yourself reading these little stories with the pictures attached, plus the supplemental catalogs often have stories in them too of the owner's travels to third world countries in search of various materials and the people they encounter and the lives they change. 

I'm not sure if they still do it but one of their past programs was they donated boxes of beads regularly to some local children's hospitals for the kids to learn to bead as therapy.

They currently sell mainly beads and related materials, but they have been expanding.  Recently they added a whole metalsmithing product line along with art clay silver and gold.  I told them in an email all they needed to do now was start selling lapidary supplies and I would be set!   

[Steve]

Beading is how I got my start in jewelry making.  I mentored under an artisan that was doing hand rolled gem quality rondell beads for local jewelery artists (mostly American Indian).  What we used to drill the bead blanks was an ultrasonic drill, similar to the one in this attachment: 

http://cesdiamondtools.com/ultrasonicdrills.html

These are magnificent when is comes to drilling stones and they work so much quicker than diamond drill bits.  However they are somewhat pricey, but well worth it if one does a lot of bead working.

Additionally, jewelry supply stores have a vast variety of beads on a string for purchase.  Since I no longer have access to the drill this is what I use.  I did, however, use a diamond drilling set-up to do a turquoise necklace a little while ago.



I don't know the mine for the turquoise.  It is Robin's egg blue with a white matrix running thru it.  The center stone is Gem Silica Chrysocolla.

[Taogem]

Love that Shadow piece ! 

[Enchantra]

Turquoise with white matrix - I'm not wholly positive but I believe that to be Kingman Turquoise or at least from the Kingman mines.

Gorgeous piece! 

[christopherl1234]

I am always impressed with your work. Thank you for sharing

[ScarlettoSara]

Dang thats a beauty:)
Enuff said:)

[mehoose]

Lovely delicate colour in the Turquoise, beautiful work Steve.