The Beauty of Natural Stones

I'm a sucker for natural things, from the simplicity of mineral makeup, the beautiful variations of shells found on a beach to the ribbons of natural grains found in wood. But my favorite thing in nature has to be the gemstone. In their most natural form, they don't look like much other than just dirty clumps of hardened earth, but after undergoing a process of tumbling, polishing and cutting, they come alive, conformed into the most colorful, most breathtaking natural element known to man. They can be quite extravagant and expensive, to just simple and elegant, but they all seem to have a purpose, to beautify. Out of all of the possible pieces of jewelry a crafter can make, my favorite is the necklace and bracelet. I love using a variation of natural beads such as jasper, amethyst, jade, topaz, onyx, along with a long list of others, and stringing them with crystal, pearl, shell, mother of pearl and various metal beads of different shapes and sizes. It is so rewarding to start with a handful of colorful natural beads, wire, a clasp, a metal ring along with a couple of jewelry making tools and end up with a beautiful piece of jewelry that can be worn for many years to come.