Simply Gemstones: Designs for Creating Beaded Gemstone Jewelry by Nancy Alden
If you’re a jewelry maker, chances are you have lusted after a gemstone or ten. Be it majestic turquoise, fiery opals or sparkly diamonds, todays fashion runways are glittering with gemstones more than ever and so can you.
There use to be a time when the only place you could buy an semi precious or precious bead like an emerald was at a jewelry store but now they can easily be found online and in local bead shops. ”Simply Gemstones” author Nancy Alden is your gemstone fairy godmother. She brings back her popular Beadworks series with this book focusing on greating great gemstone jewelry. As with her other books, she makes the process easy and shows even a novice how to create stunning gemstone jewelry.
This book begins with a primer on gemstone basics and introduces the read to common as well as uncommmon gemstones such as Cornflake Pearls, Pink Sapphire, and Black Spinel, among others. There is over 5o projects in this book and they lean toward simple strung necklaces and bracelets. The use of an amazing colored or shaped stone can make even the a simply strung necklaceinto a masterpiece. The book as lots of eye candy and is a great resource for someone who isn’t familiar with gemstones.