How To's
Cubic Zirconias and Silver Tubing
Cubic Zirconias and Silver Tubing
The question I'm most often asked is, "How do you put CZs in beads?"
Here's the answer.
I've also posted everything I know about silver-tubing beads.
Here's the answer.
I've also posted everything I know about silver-tubing beads.
I don't teach, but try the ISGB Forum to look for classes near you.
The first bead shown here is the "Times Square Bead" I made for New Year's 2005.
It's in a private collection, and with 80 CZ's, I'm not planning to make another one soon...
The first bead shown here is the "Times Square Bead" I made for New Year's 2005.
It's in a private collection, and with 80 CZ's, I'm not planning to make another one soon...
Setting
CZs is pretty simple. All I do is poke a hole in the bead with a
tungsten pick,
pick up a CZ with my tweezers, and set it in. If I encase it, I'm sure to make it a
fairly heavy encasing. If I leave it on the surface, I heat it, push it a little deeper into the bead,
and then heat it once more until the glass cups around the CZ.
pick up a CZ with my tweezers, and set it in. If I encase it, I'm sure to make it a
fairly heavy encasing. If I leave it on the surface, I heat it, push it a little deeper into the bead,
and then heat it once more until the glass cups around the CZ.
I
use mostly 2mm, grade A white CZs from Pehnec.com. You can go smaller,
but larger than 3mm will usually crack the glass. The colors work as well as the white ones.
Remember that CZs are Cubic Zirconias, NOT crystals or rhinestones.
but larger than 3mm will usually crack the glass. The colors work as well as the white ones.
Remember that CZs are Cubic Zirconias, NOT crystals or rhinestones.
I have no idea how they work with boro. I use mostly Moretti/Effetre glass.
"I was going to conquer the world, but I got distracted by something sparkly" ~Unknown~
"I was going to conquer the world, but I got distracted by something sparkly" ~Unknown~
Since
I've started making silver-lined beads that fit Troll
Bracelets, a lot of people have asked me for details on what stuff to
get and where to get it. I spent a lot of time looking around, and
trying things that didn't work. There doesn't seem to be a lot of
specific information out there... very frustrating. I eventually bought
a bracelet from the Troll folks in Denmark, as well as one of their
beads and another bead from the Pandora bracelet line. Now I think I
have it figured out. And to save time in answering everyone
individually, I'm here to tell you everything I found out. For
specifics on actually making these beads, you'll have to go a-googling.
I'm not enough of a silversmith to explain the details. The photo above
shows a Troll bracelet with, from the left, a TrollBead, a Pandora
bead, a silver bead, and one of MY beads.
TrollBeads is where I got my starter bracelet. I've read that Pandora beads will fit Troll bracelets, but not the other way around. I like the Troll bracelets better anyway. I ordered a 7.5 inch bracelet and made my own clasp. Theirs are really pretty though. Here's a bead/bracelet compatibility chart to help you out. Uniquely Charming - on ebay.
There are bunches of "authorized" Pandora stores, but here's a pretty good one that somewhere has a nice page to help you figure out what size bracelet to get. Pandora-Beads.com.
I actually went to ebay to buy my Pandora bead to fit on my Troll bracelet.
The seller is Pandoras Box Of Beads. I had a lovely shopping experience.
The mandrels and sterling silver tubing I use for my beads are 3/16 inch or 4.5mm. The tubing has an inside measurement of 3.75mm, and the walls of the tubing are 26 gauge. I get the tubing from Santa Fe Jeweler's Supply, and the mandrels are at all the big glass bead suppliers like Arrow Springs, Glasscraft, and Frantz.
Metalliferous in NY, NY is a good place to get silver tubing and silver washers that become end caps.
I use a bead press from Jim Moore Glass Tools to flare the tubing, forming it into rivets.
You have to do the finish work by hand. I get my hammers and polishers at Rio Grande.
So here's a list of
What-to-get and Where-to-get-it...
What-to-get and Where-to-get-it...
TrollBeads is where I got my starter bracelet. I've read that Pandora beads will fit Troll bracelets, but not the other way around. I like the Troll bracelets better anyway. I ordered a 7.5 inch bracelet and made my own clasp. Theirs are really pretty though. Here's a bead/bracelet compatibility chart to help you out. Uniquely Charming - on ebay.
There are bunches of "authorized" Pandora stores, but here's a pretty good one that somewhere has a nice page to help you figure out what size bracelet to get. Pandora-Beads.com.
I actually went to ebay to buy my Pandora bead to fit on my Troll bracelet.
The seller is Pandoras Box Of Beads. I had a lovely shopping experience.
The mandrels and sterling silver tubing I use for my beads are 3/16 inch or 4.5mm. The tubing has an inside measurement of 3.75mm, and the walls of the tubing are 26 gauge. I get the tubing from Santa Fe Jeweler's Supply, and the mandrels are at all the big glass bead suppliers like Arrow Springs, Glasscraft, and Frantz.
Metalliferous in NY, NY is a good place to get silver tubing and silver washers that become end caps.
I use a bead press from Jim Moore Glass Tools to flare the tubing, forming it into rivets.
You have to do the finish work by hand. I get my hammers and polishers at Rio Grande.
Any questions? You'll have to ask someone else, because this is all I know!
Have fun with these!
Have fun with these!
Beaders' Ethics
Mindy Brooks
Editor, Bead&Button
editor@beadandbutton.com
When, if ever, is it acceptable to sell or teach another person’s designs?
That’s
a question we hear frequently at Bead&Button, and it tells us that
many of our readers care about the ethical and legal issues involved
when it comes to the money-making aspects of beading. Unfortunately, we
also have firsthand experience with beading’s darker side – the
dishonest few who cause heartache and financial harm by cashing in on
another person’s original work. And when unethical people profit from
ideas that don’t belong to them, it hurts us all.
Maybe
it was inevitable that as beading became more popular, people would
look for shortcuts to exploit the growing number of lucrative
opportunities, and maybe
there
is nothing one editor or one editorial can do to change that. So, it’s
gratifying to know that my concerns about the ethics of beading are
shared by the editors of other beading magazines, including Cathy
Jakicic of BeadStyle, Marlene Blessing of Beadwork, Pamela Hawkins of
BeadUnique, and Leslie Rogalski of Step by Step Beads. They will also
be covering this topic in upcoming issues of their publications.
To address the question presented at the start of this editorial,
Bead&Button’s position on copying designs is as follows:
1. It is unethical to copy an artist’s work to sell without the artist’s permission.
2.
It is unethical to copy any work that has appeared in a magazine, book,
or website and represent it in any venue as an original design.
3. It is unethical to teach a beading project that has appeared in a magazine, book, or website
without the artist’s permission.
4. It is unethical to teach a beading project learned in another teacher’s class without the teacher’s permission.
If
you agree, please help disseminate this message by including a copy of
these statements with your class materials, your kits, and the pieces
you sell. You can download
a copyright-free version at beadandbutton.com.
Mindy Brooks
Editor, Bead&Button
editor@beadandbutton.com