Surrounded by sterling silver beads and findings and don’t know what to do? Gain a little inspiration from fellow crafters and jewelry resellers on Pinterest. Jewelry and jewelry making are among the most popular Pinterest categories. It is the perfect place to uncover new materials and designs you’ve never thought of before. What are the top boards to follow?
Harper’s Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is a trusted source for fashion trends, and its jewelry-inspired Pinterest board is exceptional.
Lauren Santo Domingo
Travel back in time or gain inspiration from present-day jewelry trends. Lauren Santo Domingo’s Pinterest board covers everything from modern Swarovski crystal heart pendants to antique Portuguese royal jewels. No matter your style, you’ll find no shortage of inspiration here.
Christie’s
Christie’s is another trusted source of fine jewelry, featuring exquisite, classic designs with lasting popularity.
Roomattic Jewelry
Every style of jewelry you can imagine presented in a single board. If your ideas are filling stale, don’t miss Roomattic.
How to Grow Your Jewelry Business on Pinterest
In addition to being an excellent resource for inspiring new designs for your jewelry business, Pinterest is also a great place to market your work. How can you get a traffic boost to your website from this popular online resource?
Spend time browsing and pinning
Create a board. Pin. Re-pin. Repeat. A huge part of marketing your business on Pinterest is knowing the ropes, so it will take you less time when you are trying to promote your own jewelry images.
Pin your own products
Fans are great – but don’t wait for others to pin your products. Put yourself out there!
Build up your boards
Pinning more than your own products prevents your board from becoming boring. (Besides, Pinterest frowns on this practice.) To give yourself a traffic boost on Pinterest and on your site, cast a wide net, pinning a wide variety of jewelry styles and products, like gold filled beads and findings and stunning Swarovski crystal beads online. Varied boards are a critical part of creating a more interesting account and increasing exposure.
Follow your favorites
Reach out to pinner comrades with similar taste, following their accounts – they’ll often follow you back. Do the same for friends and business owners you know, boosting your followers.
Pin from the source
Make sure you are pinning from the original website, giving the proper credit. Avoid pinning from the home page. Attaching the image link to the actual item page ensures browsers find exactly what they’re looking for.
Go vertical
Vertical photos take up more screen space, enjoying increased exposure and likelihood of repining.
Drop it when it’s hot
Pin during high-traffic times, such as after dinner when people are home to boost traffic.
If you love jewelry that sparkles and shines, chances are glitzy rhinestones and shimmery crystals like our dazzling Swarovski crystal heart pendants have caught your eye. What’s the difference between popular crystal beads, pendants, and rhinestones in the Swarovski line? Uncover the history of rhinestones and how the composition of the stones has changed over time.
The Story of Rhinestones
Once upon a time in the 13th century, rhinestones were made of small, sparkling pieces of quartz found in the Rhine River in Austria and cut to resemble precious gemstones like diamonds. As with all good, beautiful things coveted by the masses, supplies dwindled, leading to imitations made out of paste – glass powder, melted, molded, and formed into dense glass stones. Fast forward a few hundred years to today’s rhinestones, which are now offered in many options: Mass-produced gems created from a variety of qualities of materials, from acrylic and plastic to glass and crystal varieties, such as those by Swarovski.
The History of Swarovski Crystals
Swarovski crystals were first invented in 1895 by Austrian jeweler Daniel Swarovski. The crystals contain more than 30% lead, making for a harder, more reflective, higher quality stone. Swarovski crystals revolutionized the industry, using proprietary technology to cut faceted stones. The brilliance of the resulting stones was unrivaled. Swarovski crystals are now recognized as the highest quality machine cut and polished crystals in the world. These sparkling stones are used by more than 85% of US jewelers. Like rhinestones, they’re used to create necklaces, bracelets, and rings, adorn dresses and fashion accessories, and accent art and décor.
The Difference Between Swarovski Crystals and Rhinestones
The original Rhinestones are made of quartz stones found in the Rhine River Austria. But with the dwindling supply, rhinestones are now being mass produced using pastes and plastics.
As with their crystal beads, Swarovski is a leader in the rhinestone market that revolutionised the market with one of it’s kind man made high quality crystals. All Swarovski stones, including flatback stones/rhinestones, are easy to distinguish from competitors. Genuine Swarovski stones are cut with such precision, they’re flawless, featuring uniform sizing and a precise cut in which crystal facets meet at a single point. The surface is clear and uniform, with no bubbles, scratches, or swirl marks. There are no imperfections, as with lower quality options.
Some Rhinestones have a glue on the flat backside that melts when heat is applied while some are plain. The glue is called “Hot Fix” and the jewelry can be worn immediately. Swarovski hot fix glues are 8 times stronger than any hot fix glues. These are patented and copyrighted, thus making Swarovski a leader with indistinguishable quality. Their unrivaled sparkle and shine make them the stone of choice of jewelry designers, resellers, and jewelry enthusiasts.
Ensuring the Purchase of Genuine Swarovski Crystals and Rhinestones
Genuine Swarovski crystals are made to rigid manufacturing standards and hold their value quite well. When shopping for Swarovski pendants, crystal beads, rhinestones, and pearls, make sure you’re purchasing them from a reputable supplier or a website. Stones are sold and shipped loose, with the exception of Swarovski pearls, which are strung together.
Shop the largest collection of jewelry making supplies wholesale at Crystal Findings. We offer the largest selection of colors, shapes, and sizes of Swarovski crystal stones and flat back stones for bulk savings. Add the lasting brilliance of Swarovski crystals to your upcoming design today.
You love showing off your gold-filled jewelry. But if you want to keep the gold-filled beads and findings you use to make your masterpieces looking their best and lasting as long as possible, certain daily activities are best avoided. What everyday tasks are you doing that are taking a toll on your favorite pieces?
Everyday Activities that Ruin Gold-Filled Jewelry
Showering damages jewelry
Body wash, shampoo, and chemicals in your municipal water supply can tarnish and dull gold. Leaving jewelry off and putting it on after you bathe is best.
Health and beauty products can cause tarnishing
Lotion, makeup, perfume, hair and body spray, and other products you put on before you go out can stick to jewelry, making it look dull and dirty and hardening beneath stone settings. Some natural stone beads like turquoise and opal can become permanently stained or damaged. The same goes for products you use during your nightly routine. The same issues apply. Jewelry should be the last thing you put on before you leave and the first thing you take off at night.
Household chores are hard on gold jewelry
Cleaning chemicals are not good for jewelry, dulling the finish and eating away at metals. Even sterling silver beads and findings can become damaged by household cleaning solutions. Friction damage from scrubbing and knocking into things is also tough on gold jewelry.
Yardwork can severely damage gold and settings
If you’re headed out to the garden or work on your lawn, leave the jewelry in the house. Sliding your jewelry into your shirt or donning a pair of gloves isn’t enough to protect jewelry. The repetitive motion and force necessary to perform lawn and garden work can damage and distort gold jewelry.
Exercise doesn’t work out for jewelry
The gym is not the place for jewelry. Between knocking around your jewelry during cardio, pressure from weights and exercise machines, and coating your jewelry with tarnishing sweat, eventually, you’ll be lucky to leave with it in one piece.
Sleep wears gold jewelry down
Earrings and necklaces can become crushed or tangled in your hair and blankets as you sleep, causing breakage. Taking jewelry off before heading to bed ensures a more comfortable, incident-free night’s sleep.
Swimming chemicals increase tarnishing and dulling
Precious metals cannot withstand contact from swimming pool chemicals. Chlorine and other substances from pools and hot tubs can dull, discolor, and break down alloys over time, causing cracks and weakening joints.
Are you looking for ways to preserve the beauty and extend the lifespan of your jewelry creations? Shop the wide selection of high-quality wholesale beads and findings at Crystal Findings today.
Are you looking for a few new beading project ideas? If you’ve never ventured into the realm of Swarovski crystal beads, you’re missing out on some seriously swanky-looking yet surprisingly affordable designs. What new items might you add to your inventory or gift options this year?
Swarovski Pearl and Crystal Bracelets
These frosty tones of Swarovski pearls and shimmering clear crystals give these bracelets a cool, wintry appeal. To make this bracelet, you’ll need a strip of jewelry wire cut to a 10-inch length. Next, slide a crimp bead/smasher onto the end of the jewelry wire. Follow the crimp bead/smasher with a jump ring, attaching it to half of the clasp. Bring the wire back through the tube, then fix it into place with crimping wires, hiding it with a crimp cover. Use the following pattern for the design:
One cream or white Swarovski curved or round pearl
A Bali silver spacer and ring spacer
One 10mm Swarovski round beads in Crystal AB
A Bali silver spacer and ring spacer
One cream or white Swarovski curved or round pearl
For a more wintry feel, choose cool blue or grey tones. When complete, slide a crimp bead/smasher onto the end of the jewelry wire. Follow the crimp bead/smasher with a jump ring, attaching it to half of the clasp. Bring the wire back through the tube, then fix it into place with crimping wires, hiding it with a crimp cover.
Swarovski Dangle Earrings
These simply designed yet stunning earrings feature Swarovski rondelles and balls and are sure to be a conversation starter this season. Graduating sizing and sparkling Swarovski crystals capture the eye.
Begin with a coiled gold-filled earwire.
Add one 12mm Silver Shade Swarovski Briolette, making a wrap looped at the bead’s top to create a briolette link.
Finish with a 2mm gold-filled round bead, attaching it to the briolette link.
Repeat the steps for the second earring.
Change up bead colors or metals, using silver or rose gold for a fresh take on the design.
Looking for Savings? Buy Swarovski Beads in Bulk
Our beading supplies shop offers volume pricing discounts on most products, so stock up and save. Jewelry making is a great way to spend time at home by yourself, with friends, or with family over the cold-weather season.
There can be a lot of bumps in the road for those new to jewelry making. Fortunately, the internet is filled with information and ideas to ensure a smoother journey. YouTube holds a wealth of information, and you can’t beat its show-and-tell video format if you’re new to creating your own jewelry designs. To help you, we have scoured the platform and found three YouTube channels for you to watch if you are new to jewelry making.
Jewel School is the perfect place to get fresh ideas and learn how to turn wire and beads into your own signature jewelry designs with the latest available tools and techniques. This fun, jewelry-making community is always making something great, releasing a new DIY project each week that you can create along with online instructors. Jumpstart your creativity, learning how to work with beading staples like sterling silver beads and findings. Then add a touch of pizazz with pro tips and advanced beading techniques, creating one-of-a-kind custom designs you can’t wait to show off to your friends.
Jeweler’s Academy offers a 1-year online diploma in jewelry making for those interested in custom silver and gold jewelry making or expanding their creative capacity. This diploma program from the award-winning London Jewelry School is designed to take you from complete beginner to professional jewelry in 1-year, with a minimum 1-day per week minimum commitment. The program is highly supported, featuring one-on-one mentoring from trained professional jewelers, weekly group Q&A, and an active Facebook community. The program covers:
Fundamentals like sawing, soldering, filing, polishing, and finishing jewelry
How to make bangles, earrings, pendants, and rings with high-quality Shamballa beads, Swarovski crystal beads, stone beads, and other accents
Designing and drawing jewelry
Wax carving
Granulation
Making wedding rings
Arranging tightly set stones
Crafting hinges and rivets
Incorporating business skills such as jewelry photography and how to launch a successful jewelry business
Artist Basia of Stardust Mine Jewelry is a self-taught jewelry metalsmith. Her artisan, handcrafted jewelry designs are truly stunning. On her channel, Basia shares her experiences making jewelry to smooth the process for fellow crafters and entrepreneurs. On her channel, you can:
Take advantage of step-by-step tutorials
Find out about timesaving, stress-reducing jewelry making tips and hacks
Get need-to-know information on selling your custom jewelry designs
Find out about the latest tools and product reviews
Learn about cleaning, storing, and organizing your jewelry
Get tips on photographing and shipping your jewelry
Uncover how to get past a creative slump
And much more – this channel is packed with information!
Are you feeling inspired? Begin your beading adventure. Stock up and start creating, shopping the wide selection of jewelry beads and stones wholesaleavailable at Crystal Findings today.
Sterling silver beads for jewelry making are a popular choice among jewelry crafters and customers. Though durable and beautiful, however, shimmering sterling silver items will tarnish over time. The darkening that occurs is a form of corrosion from reactions to everyday substances like oxygen, water, and sulfur-containing foods. But unlike rust, it does not break down the metal beneath. Fortunately, tarnish can be removed and prevented with the right jewelry care techniques.
Wear Sterling Silver Jewelry Regularly
Wearing sterling silver can actually prevent discoloration. The oils from your skin can protect sterling silver beads, helping them maintain their shine.
Avoid Contact with Substances that Cause Tarnishing
Don’t wear sterling silver Bali beads or other sterling silver jewelry when bathing or swimming. Remove bracelets and rings that could come into contact with cleaning products or foods. Also avoid contact with sulfur-containing products such as wool, latex, eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, and onions, which can accelerate tarnishing. Wait until after applying makeup and perfume to put on sterling silver jewelry, making it your finishing touch.
Store Sterling Silver Jewelry Carefully
Limit exposure to air and humidity, which accelerate tarnishing, by storing sterling silver items in sealed bags, such as zippered plastic bags that close tightly. Insert humidity absorbing chalk, activated charcoal packets, or silica gel packs in the storage container for added protection. Be sure to store each item separately to prevent scratching and tangling.
Clean Sterling Silver Regularly
Regularly polish your sterling silver alphabet beads and jewelry at the first sign of darkening and after wearing it to remove skin substances that cause discoloration. Do not use abrasive towels or tissues – only soft nonabrasive flannel and microfiber materials. Polish back and forth. Do not use a circular motion as this can magnify scratches.
Ways to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry
Cleaning sterling silver beads isn’t hard. There many safe options for cleaning and removing tarnish, including:
Silver polishing cloth
Tarnish-removing polishing cream
Easy Silver Cleaning Bath – The “Electrolyte Cleaning Method”
This at-home method is easy and safe. Start by lining a glass bowl or container with foil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt and baking soda. Place your sterling silver jewelry in the bath and let it soak for 5 minutes. (You may notice a rotten egg smell – this is normal.) After the tarnish disappears, rinse thoroughly with cool water and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Note: For heavily tarnished jewelry, you may need to repeat the cleaning process a few times. But your persistence will pay off – cleaning can make even the oldest sterling silver jewelry shine like new again.
When to Enlist Professional Assistance
If your silver jewelry has significant discoloration or is fragile, old, or valuable, it may be best to have it professionally cleaned.
Sterling silver beads can provide many years of enjoyment. Create designs that remain bright and beautiful. Shop jewelry making supplies wholesale at Crystal Findings today.
Your choice of 
Begin with a coiled gold-filled earwire.
