BLACK IS ALWAYS CORRECT

This looks like a very ordinary necklace of two sizes of black beads. . . but it isn't. Look closer at the larger spheres and you'll find that they are very tactile, filled with little dents and striations, only because nature had a major hand in them, not some factory in Hong Kong. They are lava stone, the product of a volcano somewhere that spews hot magna that cooled eventually into a stunning material, nearly matte in surface and studded with character. The small black spacer beads are not black onyx as I had originally thought but black tourmaline, an exceedingly elegant stone. Price: $90.

ON THE ROCKS

From that cache of rock crystal I found, I made two necklaces, both with black onyx. This is the second one -- crystal paired with 8 mm faceted onyx balls. For a clasp, I used a hammered silver spiral hook and eye. The crystal, being natural and all that, is filled with occlusions and shards of faint color, in this case, some form of black residue (coal, perhaps or black tourmaline?) I love how funky the beads are next to the precision of the faceted onyx. A study in contrasts.

Price: $300.

AS GREEN AS GRASS

In that huge box of glass beads at my favorite bead store, I found these substantial pointy-end bullets of iridescent grass green glass that just cried out for a really spectacular pairing, a color that would stand up to the vivid verdency and yet compliment it. Right nearby was a wall of copper beads and these really fit the bill. They're solid copper spheres, 9 mm, corrugated for lightness, yet very substantial. The clasp I chose is a large, spring-loaded hook/toggle that is very architectural and beautiful in its own right. Price: $175.00

WESTWARD, HO HO HO

Western-style jewelry comes in and out of fashion, but really, it's a classic and is always right, like a strand of "good" pearls. I haven't seen nuggets like these in a long time and would suggest, because of the price, that they are made from reconstructed turquoise, ie. stabilized with some kind of resin or created from turquoise dust. Regardless, they're pretty and the price is right. I had some of these gorgeous corrugated carnelian beads left and together, with the knobby turquoise and the smooth, sophisticated carnelian, they make a pretty spectacular piece. Price: $200.

PILLOWS THAT AREN'T FOR SLEEPING

I saw these gorgeous iridescent turquoise glass "pillows" in a cut-out display at my bead store. What first attracted me was the color -- deep and rich, like the shimmery turquoise in a peacock's tail. I bought a bunch of the strands because they're gorgeous and they were relatively cheap. On the hunt for unusual glass beads, these filled the bill. I put them with a neutral gray-ish iridescent Czech glass roundel and a rhinestone magnetized ball clasp and made them almost 20" long, perfect for a deep V neckline or atop a wonderful fall dress.
Price: $115.

EVIL EYES ON SOMETHING FISHY

Yes, these are slightly kitchy, being red, white and blue and all that. But can't you just see this with a white shirt and jeans? It's a fairly close-to-the neck "torsade" or choker made with lampwork cylinders of blue with tiny little evil eyes and Murano glass fishies in shades of blue with gold and white. Finally, a theme necklace! The red Czech fire polish beads really set the entire thing off.
And, the price is right! Price; $100.

GOOD COP, SOME DONUTS

I love the way this natural carnelian "donut" pendant picks up the variations of color in the natural carnelian beads. Carnelian is a form of chalcedony, a lovely family of stones that vary from gorgeous blues to the hefty rusts of carnelian. These stones have not been dyed or treated in any way, so what you see is what you get. . . pale rust and cream. Like a butterscotch sundae for your neck. Price: $110.00

THE PINK LADY NECKLACE

Oh, how I love these beads! They are sizeable faceted nuggets but in the most delicate shade of pink! What a visual contradiction -- tough and tender. I paired them with black accents, some nice black onyx. . .and was immediately reminded of the Pink Ladies in "Grease." Pink and black was a fabu combination when I was growing up. . . only us "nice" girls never wore it. It was a biker chick combo -- a fuzzy pink angora sweater with your biker boyfriend's black leather jacket. So, my Pretty in Pink/ Pink Lady, a throw-back to the '50s, may be a little nostalgic, but it's totally appropriate for the modern woman who can be macho and female. Price: $115.

FINDING THE RIGHT CLASP

I don't know why I didn't go on eBay years ago to find wonderful old clasps. This particular one is vintage rhinestone from the 40s. Actually, I think it's paste. and I thought it would be the perfect anchor for the Confetti Necklace.

THE CONFETTI NECKLACE

There are always leftovers. Turkey, pound cake. . . and beads. I have a baggie full of extra beads, "widows" as it were, that didn't get used. I never knew what to do with them because, usually, they would be hard to match and there weren't enough of them to use in an entire piece. Or so I thought. I've strung three strands of "widows," or poor ophans into a colorful piece I call a "confetti" necklace for obvious reasons. There are all sorts of colors, sizes and textures of beads in this piece. It's just a buncha fun, that's all.

Price: $350.

SLEEPING BEAUTY TURQUOISE VISITS TIBET

I've had this Tibetan silver pendant for a long time. It's very delicate and girlish, quite intricate, and calls for something special to show it off. To my mind, there's nothing more special than American turquoise, Sleeping Beauty specifically. It is probably the most beautiful turquoise mined in the American Southwest -- a gorgeous shade of sky blue turquoise. It tends to be very expensive which is why I am particular about how I use it. These are faceted miniature briolettes or "tears" which bunch up together when strung with no separation element. I like the elegant porqupine-ness of it. A very tactile piece, perfect for my elegant Tibetan pendant. Price; $425. SOLD

LUCKY COPPER ELEPHANTS GRAZIN' IN THE GREEN, GREEN GRASS

Recently, I've fallen in love with copper beads again. I found these wonderful elephants at my favorite bead shop. Over on another table was a huge box full of "pillows" in different shades of iridescent glass. I loved the intensity of the green ones and loved how they complimented the bright coppery rust of the elephants. They were desitined to be together!
Price: $175.00

LADY BUG, LADY BUG

These adorable ladybugs will definitely not fly away from your neck. They're pressed glass and very, very red. I can see them on a crisp white shirt or a lavender or powder blue turtleneck, defintely with a work shirt and jeans. These little suckers go with just about everything. I had bought a fabulous garnet and vermeil clasp a few years ago but never found any natural garnet beads that were enhanced by it. . . so I went to faux garnet ladybugs for a perfect color match. Lightweight and comfortable, this piece will have everybody wonderful just what it's about.
Price: $175.00

ANTIQUE RUBY ROCKER CLASP

The clasp is really odd, but oddly beautiful because you can unclasp it from both sides. The red of the center stone matches the accompanying three-strand necklace perfectly. Thank you eBay!

ROCKIN' RUBY GLASS

A few months ago, I started mousing around on eBay looking for red beads. A virtual treasure trove! When I had enough that compliemented each other in intensity and hue, I created this rockin' red ruby glass triple necklace with an amazing ruby glass clasp from the 40s set in bright golden vermeil. I love how these glass beads capture and refract light. Playful and very very RED, our Ruby Rocker would be perfect with black velvet for Christmas dinner or fabulous with brown, cream, navy. . . you name it. It's a very happifying and versatile piece. Price: $175.00

FACETED NATURAL ROCK CRYSTAL, BLACK ONYX

What I love about this piece is the color variation within each bead. Natural rock crystal picks up color from the minerals found in the soil from which it is excavated. These particular beads seem to be rutile-free (no little black lines are in it) but the front bead and some of the others have a golden-brownish tint. I finished this piece with a sterling silver clasp done in a basketweave pattern.
Price; $400.00

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. . .

For a change of pace, I've started experimenting with glass beads. Not that they are less expensive than gemstones and pearls. Actually, they can be quite pricey. However, they are fascinating to me because of the myriad colors, shapes and intensity of what is available out there. There are glass beads that look very much like their gemstone counterparts. And then there are glass beads that are quirky and interesting,, cut into shapes and patterns not available to gemstone beads. I especially like the lampwork beads -- cats, flowers, iridescent pillows, candycanes -- with colors so intense, you can see them from miles away.