 |
| Denim Lapis Lazuli beads |
A few years back I bought myself a few strands of small, round gemstone beads. You might have some yourself, stretches of thread or nylon strung with gems of wonderful colours. I bought some and used some and put the rest away for later. 'Later' having arrived at last, I delved into my work-box of beads and gems and found I fell back in love, and fast, with denim lapis lazuli.
 |
| Like tiny planets of sea & sky... |
The beads are just stunning, aren't they. Each one is so unique, and so perfect. Denim seems such a casual word for such a beautiful stone. It's interesting to discover that this particular type of lapis lazuli is essentially a marketing success story. The white (which is calcite, a relation to humble chalk) component in the stone was originally considered to make it inferior to the deep blue shades, with touches of gold-coloured pyrite, that were preferred and sought after. Turning the supposed 'flaw' into an attribute was a clever idea.
 |
| Silver and denim lapis earrings, made by myself |
Whilst wondering why I haven't used my bead stash more, and secretly being glad I haven't so I could discover it all over again, I've been adding beads to silver like a cook who has recently discovered Muscovado after only ever using white caster sugar before...
They are a pretty colour and look great with silver.
ReplyDeleteI too have a (much too big) bead stash from when I made more bead and wire jewellery and use them now and again. It's going to take a long time to use them all up though....
You sound like me... and it's hard to justify buying new beads, even when they're adorable... *sigh*
DeleteThanks for the comment :)