Sunday, February 08, 2009

Unique Beaded Jewelry Shows Off Your Personal Style

By Ned Dagostino

Of the many types of jewelry that are in existence beaded jewelry has been around the longest. Beaded jewelry is a form of handmade costume jewelry, and the terms are mostly used in a mutually exchangeable fashion. History shows that even Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, used this jewelry whenever it pleased her to. So don't look down on the items of beaded jewelry you see in stores and marketplaces.

Archaeological evidence points to the fact that beaded jewelry is as ancient as human civilization itself! Maybe the beads and materials were different, but the aesthetic and artistic elements were as potent then as they are now. Beaded jewelry is genuinely fit to be called traditional jewelry.

In its most basic form costume jewelry consists of brightly colored stones, which may be opaque, translucent or transparent. This jewelry has an intrinsic power of attraction which cuts across race and time. History tells us that most explorers offered trinkets to the natives of the places they visited as signs of friendship, because they knew that the natives would certainly appreciate and accept the trinkets.

The craft of making beaded jewelry is easily picked up in a matter of hours. It is an excellent way of bringing out your latent creativity. You'll get the hang of the basic methodology in a couple of hours, and then it's just you and your ideas, and of course, the beads! This craft is truly freeform, and you can give free run to your imagination to create signature pieces that spell 'YOU'!

You can get all the basic material you need, which is very simply just thread and a variety of beads, at any of the crafts stores in your area. Browse around for books on the subject. You'll get plenty of great ideas for your next beaded jewelry project from these books. There are many online stores that cater to this craft; you can order your supplies from there.

The Internet is crammed full of resources. There are umpteen user groups, bulletin boards, and chat rooms used by craftspeople. This social networking is very helpful for newbies.

Encouraging children to express their artistic qualities is an educational paradigm and what better way to do that than by introducing them to the art of bead craft. Get your children a bead craft kit and see them enjoy themselves in a creative way.

Making your own costume jewelry is doubly rewarding. You'll enjoy making it, you'll enjoy wearing it. This is where you can let your aesthetic talent come to the fore! Design your jewelry in such a way that it represents your nature, your personal style. Are you a 'blue' person? Then use blue as your theme color, and dress up your outfit with a subtle 'wave' of small, pale blue beads! You are sure to stand out in any gathering, for sure!

New fashioned beads are giving a new impetus to the craft of beaded jewelry making. The new beads are full of surprising variety and specialties. Many of the beads are exquisite in appearance.

Clothing is embellished with beadwork to personalize the clothes. So that is another application of beaded jewelry. Some fashion analysts have noticed a reverse trend too - as beadwork jewelry is increasing in popularity so also is the popularity of casual, trendy clothes to match the beaded jewelry.

The market segment that caters to the craftspeople involved in making handmade costume jewelry and beaded jewelry is large and flourishing. From your friendly neighborhood craft store to the webstore on the Internet, there are literally hundreds of sources from where you can get your supplies. All that remains is for you to make up your mind, and to take up this fantastic creative activity.

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