Blog for Beaders

We are proud to introduce over 100 new styles of Swarovski Spring 2010/2011 Innovations! We have two new crystal colors – fern green and Provence lavender – along with the new crystal lavender pearl color, the reintroduction of the white opal color, the ceramics fusion crystals and several new styles. Keep checking back as we will be adding dozens of additional styles that are sure to make your designs sparkle!

For a reference to all of the new styles, please see our previous blog post.

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The CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements Spring 2011 Innovations are coming soon! Take a look at the fascinating beauty of these gorgeous crystals and get them here first! The latest editions of Innovations sparkle with optimism and offer a palette from which to create designs filled with brilliant beauty. From the rich majesty of the new Fern Green color to the modern versatility of the Artemis Bead, these new products are some of the most fascinating creations we’ve seen in recent years! Check our New Swarovski Additions page frequently, and be the first to shop them as soon as they arrive!

NEW PRODUCTS & COLORS:

FUSION CONCEPTS
Ceramics

Following last season’s Crystal Mosaics come “Ceramics”, a unique selection of loose ceramics as flat backs, sew-on stones, fancy stones, beads and pendants that draw on the natural beauty of fired earth. Available in colors including marbled black, marbled blue, marbled ivory and marbled yellow, these latest innovations are the first to offer fully cut ceramics as a creative material. Completely opaque, their highly polished finish produces subtle reflections, while the textural crackle effect creates individual, discreetly elegant pieces. Tough and scratch-resistant, they open up new functional design possibilities, such as key-ring accessories and extra-narrow bead fixings.

FERN GREEN
New Color: 291

In line with the desire to lead a more organic way of life, Fern Green reflects nature’s soothing embrace. A forest floor of soft ferns, a meadow shimmering in morning dew – this new shade of green embodies luscious tranquility in a variety of cuts, shapes and sizes.

PROVENCE LAVENDER
New Color: 284

Redolent of sunny, fragrant hillsides in Southern France, Provence Lavender hints at the unconventional and extraordinary. This pale violet hue with a touch of blue, perfectly complements other CRYSTALLIZED™ lilac colors.

WHITE OPAL
Extension on big sizes (234)

Underlining the trend for pale shades and opal colors, CRYSTALLIZED™
– Swarovski Elements has extended its range of existing White Opal Crystal Stones to include large sizes in fancy stones, beads and pendants.

CRYSTAL LAVENDER PEARL
New article: 001 524

The ultimate in luxury, Crystal Lavender Pearl combines glamorous refinement with elegant understatement. Its smooth, shimmering tone offers a look that is both timeless and contemporary.

CHESSBOARD CIRCLE FLAT BACK NO HOTFIX & HOTFIX
Size extension: 2035

The Chessboard Circle Flat Back is characterized by its highly brilliant cut and sophisticated look. It features size extensions of the existing Chessboard Circle Flat Back assortment with three smaller sizes and adds the crystal red magma effect.

WING FLAT BACK NO HOTFIX AND HOTFIX
New article: 2770

The Wing Flat Back is part of a product-spanning theme, featuring CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements distinct design language and represented in Fancy Stones, Beads and Pendants. It enlarges the No Hotfix assortment with a trapezium shape. The Wing Flat Back is characterized by its geometric form and features a highly brilliant cut that draws inspiration from a wing.

COSMIC SQUARE RING
New article: 4437

The Cosmic Square Ring is a new member of the successful Cosmic Ring family. It offers an equal effect and size assortment as per other Cosmic Rings, allowing for the perfect combination. A definite all-rounder, it is a must-have for versatile application. A playful organic shape with irregular cuts, it adds brilliance and sparkling accents to contemporary designs. The artistic, abstract design makes it perfect for contemporary creations.

CALYPSO FANCY STONE
New article: 4760

New design direction: organic shapes inspired by nature. Reminiscent of a mysterious insect carapace with a sculptural and very tactile body and shape, it is created for progressive and futuristic designs.

WING FANCY STONE
New Article: 4790

The Wing Fancy Stone belongs to the Wing family (flat back, bead and pendant). With its asymmetrical shape, refined faceting and a romantic, fairy-like appearance it perfectly represents the Modern Art Nouveau look.

SQUARE BEAD DOUBLE HOLE
New article: 5180

The innovative Square Bead Double Hole belongs to the “modular shapes” family. Featuring two parallel holes and an outer shape which invites innovative designs, it offers a vast array of combination possibilities.

ARTEMIS BEAD
New article: 5540

The Artemis Bead is a modern interpretation of a spacer bead. Its conical shape with a beveled hole makes it ideal for combination with round elements.

WING BEAD
New article: 5590

The Wing Bead belongs to the Wing family (flat back, fancy stone and pendant). With its romantic, organic shape and refined faceting it fits perfectly into themModern art nouveau look.

CUBIST BEAD
Line extension: 5650

This is the large-size line extension of one of our best selling beads, emulating an ice sculpture in crystal. The extraordinary large-sized geometric shape with strong lines and straight facets reflects the cubism period.

CRYSTAL BAROQUE PEARL
New article: 5840

A unique asymmetrical shape that perfectly complements the trend towards organic shapes, the Crystal Baroque Pearl showcases wonderful effects and smooth light reflections. A new shape that implies a strong and futuristic mood.

XILION HEART PENDANT
XILION upgrade: 6228

The sophisticated XILION cut results in unrivaled brilliance. Complex faceting imitates the look and luminosity of a multi-layered cut, which clearly differentiates the XILION cut from all competitor products on the market. The XILION cut by Swarovski is patent-protected.

WING PENDANT
New article: 6690

The Wing Pendant belongs to the Wing family (fancy stone, bead and flat back). With its romantic, organic shape and refined faceting, it fits perfectly into the modern art nouveau look.

CRYSTAL ROCKS
New article: 72 000 – 72 010

Crystal Rocks is an eye-catching, luxurious and innovative new design element and stands for an entirely new and modern look that is fortified by the use of double-pointed Chatons. This brand new product is offered with a special motif service. Available in various colors and effects.

CRYSTALTEX CHATON BANDINGS
New article: 62 030

Small XILION Chatons transform this new product into an exciting, luxurious and unique fashion statement. XILION Chatons offer the highest brilliance and are a copyright-protected cut.

FILIGREE
New article: 62026

The antique-inspired look allows a traditional product to appear in an entirely new fashion whilst combining perfectly with other beads, crystal pearls, pendants, cupchains & findings.

FILIGREE
New article: 62027

The antique/vintage look allows a traditional product to appear in an entirely new fashion while combining perfectly with other beads, crystal pearls, pendants, cupchains & findings.

CUPCHAINS & FINDINGS/ROUNDELLES
New article: 77503

The smallest roundelle is now available in a 3 mm size. It fits perfectly with other 3 mm beads and crystal pearls such as 5000, 5015, 5328 and 5810. The antique/vintage look allows a traditional product to appear in an entirely new fashion.

Keep checking back for more information on these exciting new additions to the CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements line, and to see when Artbeads.com will have these items available for you to add to your jewelry designs.

[Read more →]

Artbeads.com is proud to introduce gold Metallite™ by ZambaPro™, the latest addition to the popular line of Metallite™ beads, links and charms made from metalized plastic. These lightweight components are an inexpensive alternative to pricier gold items and are perfect for a wide variety of jewelry design and craft projects. If you loved our silver Metallite™ products, you’re sure to enjoy these gold items as well.

These beads, links and charms are made of metalized plastic, resulting in components that are lightweight, inexpensive and perfect for a wide variety of jewelry designs and craft projects. Kids can have fun creating unique jewelry designs, and beginning jewelry designers won’t have to worry about making a costly mistake. The stunning gold coloring of these beads makes them ideal for almost any color palette. Shop now! With more than 200 different shapes and sizes, Metallite™ by ZambaPro™ has something for everyone.

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Come see our brand new fire-polished Czech glass beads. These stunning round glass beads come in a variety of finishes including opal, metallic and Picasso, making them versatile enough for any design. Shop today! Also, continue to check our Czech glass new addition section, as we will plan to add to our collection of Czech glass beads in the upcoming weeks.

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Are you looking to create a beautiful necklace or bracelet, but don’t have a lot of time and aren’t sure where to begin? Try using our new caprice items. These beautiful finished necklaces and bracelets are now available in 2mm sizes as well as 4mm for a more refined look. Simply uncap the ends, string on a smart bead and a few of your favorite large whole beads and place the ends back on. You’ll have a fun, elegant piece in no time. Artbeads.com has a wonderful variety of beads that work well with these caprice-style jewelry supplies including gemstone beads, shell beads, silver beads and message beads. No matter how you choose to style them, you’ll enjoy these easy-to-use and versatile pieces.

For a design idea with these items, see our beautiful Winter Pride bracelet, below, or come up with your own unique designs.

[Read more →]

The CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements Spring 2011 Innovations will be here soon. Here is a sneak peak of the exciting new additions from this world renowned crystal maker.

The latest edition of Swarovski Innovations sparkle with optimism and give designers a palette from which to create creations filled with joy.

NEW PRODUCTS & COLORS:

FUSION CONCEPTS
Ceramics

Following last season’s Crystal Mosaics come “Ceramics”, a unique selection of loose ceramics as flat backs, sew-on stones, fancy stones, beads and pendants that draw on the natural beauty of fired earth. Available in colors including marbled black, marbled blue, marbled ivory and marbled yellow, these latest innovations are the first to offer fully cut ceramics as a creative material. Completely opaque, their highly polished finish produces subtle reflections, while the textural crackle effect creates individual, discreetly elegant pieces. Tough and scratch-resistant, they open up new functional design possibilities, such as key-ring accessories and extra-narrow bead fixings.

FERN GREEN
New Color: 291

In line with the desire to lead a more organic way of life, Fern Green reflects nature’s soothing embrace. A forest floor of soft ferns, a meadow shimmering in morning dew – this new shade of green embodies luscious tranquility in a variety of cuts, shapes and sizes.

PROVENCE LAVENDER
New Color: 284

Redolent of sunny, fragrant hillsides in Southern France, Provence Lavender hints at the unconventional and extraordinary. This pale violet hue with a touch of blue, perfectly complements other CRYSTALLIZED™ lilac colors.

WHITE OPAL
Extension on big sizes (234)

Underlining the trend for pale shades and opal colors, CRYSTALLIZED™
– Swarovski Elements has extended its range of existing White Opal Crystal Stones to include large sizes in fancy stones, beads and pendants.

CRYSTAL LAVENDER PEARL
New article: 001 524

The ultimate in luxury, Crystal Lavender Pearl combines glamorous refinement with elegant understatement. Its smooth, shimmering tone offers a look that is both timeless and contemporary.

CHESSBOARD CIRCLE FLAT BACK NO HOTFIX & HOTFIX
Size extension: 2035

The Chessboard Circle Flat Back is characterized by its highly brilliant cut and sophisticated look. It features size extensions of the existing Chessboard Circle Flat Back assortment with three smaller sizes and adds the crystal red magma effect.

WING FLAT BACK NO HOTFIX AND HOTFIX
New article: 2770

The Wing Flat Back is part of a product-spanning theme, featuring CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements distinct design language and represented in Fancy Stones, Beads and Pendants. It enlarges the No Hotfix assortment with a trapezium shape. The Wing Flat Back is characterized by its geometric form and features a highly brilliant cut that draws inspiration from a wing.

COSMIC SQUARE RING
New article: 4437

The Cosmic Square Ring is a new member of the successful Cosmic Ring family. It offers an equal effect and size assortment as per other Cosmic Rings, allowing for the perfect combination. A definite all-rounder, it is a must-have for versatile application. A playful organic shape with irregular cuts, it adds brilliance and sparkling accents to contemporary designs. The artistic, abstract design makes it perfect for contemporary creations.

CALYPSO FANCY STONE
New article: 4760

New design direction: organic shapes inspired by nature. Reminiscent of a mysterious insect carapace with a sculptural and very tactile body and shape, it is created for progressive and futuristic designs.

WING FANCY STONE
New Article: 4790

The Wing Fancy Stone belongs to the Wing family (flat back, bead and pendant). With its asymmetrical shape, refined faceting and a romantic, fairy-like appearance it perfectly represents the Modern Art Nouveau look.

SQUARE BEAD DOUBLE HOLE
New article: 5180

The innovative Square Bead Double Hole belongs to the “modular shapes” family. Featuring two parallel holes and an outer shape which invites innovative designs, it offers a vast array of combination possibilities.

ARTEMIS BEAD
New article: 5540

The Artemis Bead is a modern interpretation of a spacer bead. Its conical shape with a beveled hole makes it ideal for combination with round elements.

WING BEAD
New article: 5590

The Wing Bead belongs to the Wing family (flat back, fancy stone and pendant). With its romantic, organic shape and refined faceting it fits perfectly into themModern art nouveau look.

CUBIST BEAD
Line extension: 5650

This is the large-size line extension of one of our best selling beads, emulating an ice sculpture in crystal. The extraordinary large-sized geometric shape with strong lines and straight facets reflects the cubism period.

CRYSTAL BAROQUE PEARL
New article: 5840

A unique asymmetrical shape that perfectly complements the trend towards organic shapes, the Crystal Baroque Pearl showcases wonderful effects and smooth light reflections. A new shape that implies a strong and futuristic mood.

XILION HEART PENDANT
XILION upgrade: 6228

The sophisticated XILION cut results in unrivaled brilliance. Complex faceting imitates the look and luminosity of a multi-layered cut, which clearly differentiates the XILION cut from all competitor products on the market. The XILION cut by Swarovski is patent-protected.

WING PENDANT
New article: 6690

The Wing Pendant belongs to the Wing family (fancy stone, bead and flat back). With its romantic, organic shape and refined faceting, it fits perfectly into the modern art nouveau look.

CRYSTAL ROCKS
New article: 72 000 – 72 010

Crystal Rocks is an eye-catching, luxurious and innovative new design element and stands for an entirely new and modern look that is fortified by the use of double-pointed Chatons. This brand new product is offered with a special motif service. Available in various colors and effects.

CRYSTALTEX CHATON BANDINGS
New article: 62 030

Small XILION Chatons transform this new product into an exciting, luxurious and unique fashion statement. XILION Chatons offer the highest brilliance and are a copyright-protected cut.

FILIGREE
New article: 62026

The antique-inspired look allows a traditional product to appear in an entirely new fashion whilst combining perfectly with other beads, crystal pearls, pendants, cupchains & findings.

FILIGREE
New article: 62027

The antique/vintage look allows a traditional product to appear in an entirely new fashion while combining perfectly with other beads, crystal pearls, pendants, cupchains & findings.

CUPCHAINS & FINDINGS/ROUNDELLES
New article: 77503

The smallest roundelle is now available in a 3 mm size. It fits perfectly with other 3 mm beads and crystal pearls such as 5000, 5015, 5328 and 5810. The antique/vintage look allows a traditional product to appear in an entirely new fashion.

Keep checking back for more information on these exciting new additions to the CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements line, and to see when Artbeads.com will have these items available for you to add to your jewelry designs.

[Read more →]

Artbeads.com is proud to introduce Viva Mexicana, a new line of pewter products highlighting the artistry of Mexico. Viva Mexicana is the latest high quality product line from TierraCast®. This product line celebrates the art of Mexico by bringing together elements from Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Mexican milagros (miracles), Talavera pottery and religious iconography. Influenced by the folk artistry of Mexico, these beautiful beads, links and charms are made of plated pewter. Each high quality product is 100% lead free and comes from TierraCast® and is of the highest craftsmanship.

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Do you love using silver beads and components in your jewelry designs? If so, why not try using high-quality, hand-crafted Bali beads and components. Bali beads are comprised of .925 sterling silver and are all hand-crafted by silversmiths in in Bali, Indonesia who have honed their craft over generations. Each bead is handmade individually out of sterling silver. Every little granule and wire is applied by hand to the beads. The beads are then antiqued, giving them more depth. The results are beautiful, unique beads unlike any others in the world.

Artbeads.com carries only the best quality and authentic sterling silver Bali products. Our beads, clasps, spacers, cones, and other components are individually crafted from sterling silver by numerous silversmiths, and as such there may be slight variation in bead size, form, hole size, and oxidation.

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While the holidays are a time for family and celebrating, they can also be incredibly stressful. This year, instead of trying to narrow down the perfect gift idea and then fighting the crowds to purchase it, head over to Artbeads.com and pick up a high quality gift bundle. These fun gift bundles are great as last minute gift ideas, stocking stuffers, teacher’s gifts or even party favors at your annual holiday party.

Each bundle combines essential jewelry making supplies along with a $25 gift card and a beautiful calendar full of jewelry design ideas, all for under $50! Gift bundles make the perfect gift for all the beaders in your life, and they show that you support their creative outlet. Whether you’re buying a gift for someone who designs jewelry for a living or for someone who merely dabbles, you can be sure they’ll love getting high quality products from Artbeads.com.

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Sometimes finding great jewelry products for a low price seems nearly impossible. That’s not the case now that Artbeads.com carries Metallite™ products. Metallite™ by ZambaPro™ is a brand new line of high-quality jewelry components that are extremely lightweight and inexpensive. This means you can use them for projects you may not have normally considered, such as children’s jewelry designs and craft projects. Beginning jewelry designers can use these fun beads without worrying about making a costly mistake. These products come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. From alphabet beads and animal-shaped charms to intricately designed beads and links, these products are of the highest quality and look much more expensive than they actually are.

Metallite™ is a unique new line of products made of metalized plastic. Each component is created by pouring plastic into a mold and then electroplating it with a metallic finish. Each Metallite™ component goes through an extra plating process for added durability. The result is a high-quality bead that looks exactly like more expensive metal beads for a fraction of the cost.

Getting hooked on these new components is easy! What’s not to love about these light-as-a-feather beads? Use just one or two in your new jewelry designs, and you’ll be a lifelong fan.

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