San Diego's Bead Store. Exotic Gemstone Beads. Designer Beads. Ancient Beads
Beads and Supplies Just In . . .
SUNDAY JULY 19, 2009
Introducing our new blog! Starting today we will be posting all of our new arrivals on our brand new blog. Not only is this an easier way to display our new items, but this also gives all of you the option to subscribe to our posts so you'll be the very first to see our new goodies. This page (New Arrivals) will stay up for the next two weeks, but after that (August 2) this page will no longer exsist and the link will instead take you to our blog where you can still find new product updates. Thanks for joining us on our ever changing journey!
New faceted gemstone in a variety of colors!
FRIDAY JULY 10, 2009
New gemstone in this morning . . . .
Starting from the top with the beautifully reflective labradorite (gray and blue flashes), a watery blue (iolite, a darker blue in person), and the last three rows are a multicolored mix of tourmaline. All strands are faceted and great for spacers.
THURSDAY JULY 9, 2009
The latest shipment of our custom made Cubic Zirconias has arrived . . .
CZs are laboratory grown crystals. These were developed in the 1940s-50s to imitate diamonds and they do exceed diamond's refractive index - which means....MAJOR SPARKLE! We have up to 17 different colors and they are dazzling. They have an exceptional cut with a deep wedge (like set gem stones) to maximize the play of light. Drops are all drilled front to back.
Big Beautiful Droplets -The biggest drop is 12mm x 17mm long -Prices range from $2.35 ea to $12.85 -Glorious glittering earrings or use all 3 sizes to create a graduated statement necklace.
Small and Medium Drops
-Smallest are 6mm wide X 9mm long -Prices range from 65¢ ea to $3.95 -Think instant earrings! -Medium drops are 9mm wide X 13mm long -Prices range from $1.65 ea to $9.95 -More impressive earrings and modest necklace
FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009
Lot's of new beads and supplies in this weekend, here's a couple of items to get your weekly dose of bead lust started : ). Be sure and tune in soon for the rest! Our quarterly gold vermeil order came back recently with some of our new large hole Euro Style beads included in the mix. The thick gold coat really brings out the details and the matte finish gives them an all over glow. Supply is limited so hurry in if you'd like one (or two, or three . . .)! We also received some faceted Cubic Zirconias with extra large holes, large enough to fit on a variety of our chains and thick cords. These beads have large facets giving them just enough "look at me!" sparkle without over whelming your jewelry pieces. Great for a variety of projects!
MONDAY JUNE 22, 2009
New chain is always exciting, no matter what the size of the package : ). Even though this box was small, the contents are extra neat. We now have the elusive and very hard to obtain sterling silver faceted ball chain! Yes, faceted! We've always liked the look of normal sterling silver ball chain for it's clean, simple look, but the sparkle from the faceted ball chain is just insane! This chain is a nice, smaller size so the sparkle isn't obnoxious, think more whimsical : ). We also recieved another new sterling silver chain, a strong, light weight round link. Like the ball chain this chain also has some great sparkle to it, the links are hammered paper thin and reflect the light from every angle. Lastly, we recieved a two spool refill of our very popular double round link copper chain.
These gold vermeil frames make great bases for weaving, wrapping and embellishing!
SATURDAY JUNE 20, 2009
Our earring frames have been so popular in silver that we decided to throw a couple handfuls into our gold vermeil order. They came back this weekend and they're absolutely beautiful! If you're not already familiar with our new earring frame collection let me give you a quick run down. Every link is soldered shut, hammered thin, brushed for texture and ready for instant embellishment. Some of these links are so elaborate that all you need is one special bead to really set it off! Since there isn't a wide variety of gold filled findings and beads that are easily available, we periodically send out our own sterling silver and Thai Hill tribe silver to a plating company. By sending out our own silver to be plated we can easily control the quality and consistency of our gold vermeil items. Commonly mistaken as "gold plate" these pieces are actually called "gold vermeil" and the differences are vast. Gold plate is most commonly a thin coat of gold over any metal, while gold vermeil is a thicker coat of gold and always done over silver. We always choose the thickest plate available and always 24kt for a richer, high end look at a much more affordable price. The prices vary for these earring frames. They are sold by the piece (also great for pendants!) and range from $1.80 to $16.00 each.
Examples of finished earrings made out of our new frames by our talented employees.
Our new earring findings all decorated up with pearls, rubies, citrines and garnets!
SUNDAY JUNE 13, 2009
We've gotten so many new items over the last two weeks it's been hard to keep up! With all the excitement over the recent shipments of our new exclusive Euro style beads, some of the normal new stock hasn't gotten the proper announcements that they should. We'll play a little catch up today and show you what's been missed . . . Let's start with our new earring findings! These guys are so pretty, they're made of gold vermeil (gold over sterling) and sterling silver . . . each decorated with tiny cubic zirconias that sparkle and shine. We receive two styles that come in both colors of metals, a hinged lever back and a teardrop post. The picture to the left shows that all you need for these findings is a couple of beads and you have instant high end looking earrings! We also receive something we've wanted for a while now . . . goldfilled ball ended headpins (please see middle left picture)! We've always had the gold vermeil in the 3 inch length, so these 2 inch headpins will be a great edition to our collection. Last week we got in a great selection of African brass, copper and silver-tone beads. While the smaller copper and silver-tone beads make great spacers, the African brass beads are much larger and really command attention! Use one for a unique focal or space a whole strand with stone for a spectacular, one of a kind piece! Please see bottom left picture for examples.
Beautiful goldfilled headpins with a ball on the end. Great for any gold and bead project!
Lastly, a large shipment of white pearls arrived this past week packed with an assortment of sizes in rounds and potato shaped. We now have brilliant rounds in 3, 4 and 5mm, and potato shapes in 5x4, 6x4 and 8x5mm. Ranging from $5-9 per strand, the best part of these new pearls is the price.
African Brass beads in great LARGE shapes! The solid copper and silvertone base metal make great spacers!
Round and potato shaped white pearls in a fun variety of sizes.
New CZ beads available in an assortment of sizes!
SUNDAY JUNE 7 2009
Ready for another Lost Cities exclusive? We've carried Cubic Zirconia (CZ) beads for many years now, but like everyone else in this economy we've been on the look out for better deals to offer to our customers. And like our new Euro Style beads (have you checked those out yet?), we've decided that having CZ beads made just for our store may be the way to go. Well, we just received our CZ shipment this weekend, and boy were we right! We now have rounds and rondelles in 3,4,6,8mm in colors like champagne (2 shades), purple (4 shades), yellow (2 shades), black, red and orange. We also received some stunning pear shaped CZ's in multiple colors that don't have holes. These hole-less beads are great for your metal clay projects or a challenging wire project. The best part is since these beads are directly imported by Lost Cities we've been able to price these much lower than our past CZ shipments. Not every new bead we recieved was a CZ. We also had Lab Corundum (or lab rubies) and Lab Spinel beads made in the same assortment of sizes and shapes as the new CZ's. You may ask yourself, what is the difference between a Lab grown gemstone and a Cubic Zirconia? While both are grown in a labs, Lab created rubies and Lab created Spinel are unique in the way that have a similar chemical composition and physical properties of natural rubies and spinel. Please see pictures below for examples of our new lab created stones. Lab grown rubies are made of Lab Corundum, the same material that lab grown sapphires are made of. The name "Corundum" refers to the group of minerals that include all colors of sapphires and their red counterparts, rubies. These lab grown rubies have a stunningly rich fuschia-magenta color and a hardness of 9. The Lab grown spinels have a beautifully unique blue color, one of the rarest colors found in naturally forming spinel and a hardness of 8. So many new things to play with, stop by when you can to join in on the fun! :)
So many colors to choose from!
Lab created spinel beads.
Lab created ruby beads.
A close up of our new beads show how detailed they are for their small size!
SUNDAY MAY 31, 2009
They've finally arrived! Two weeks ago we announced the highly anticipated arrival of our exclusive large hole, Euro style cubic zirconia beads (please see the post below for May 15th). We now have the sterling silver beads and custom bracelets to accompany them!
There are 45 different shapes of sterling beads and only 8 are regular decorative beads. The rest are charm-like beads in whimsical shapes like dolphins, flowers, owls, sea-horses, mermaids, penguins and many more! Each bead has a 4.7mm hole, allowing the designer to be super creative when it comes to stringing material. With a hole size this large these beads would look fabulous on thick sterling chain, a substantial silk, satin or nylon fiber, 3mm leather or rubber . . . the possibilities are endless! At only $10.95 per bead you can afford to stack without guilt. : ) The bracelets are made so you can string your large hole Euro style beads right on with ease without having to remove the clasp. They are available in two styles, a smooth snake chain and a lightly textured woven chain and both are available in different lengths. Currently all beads are in a bright sterling silver, but we plan on sending a handful to our gold plater and oxidizing another handful in the very near future. Remember, all of these beads and bracelets were made exclusively for our store so you won't find them anywhere else!
There are so many to choose from, something for everyone!
Each ammonite pendant is unique in color and structure. Some even have little geode formations!
SATURDAY MAY 30, 2009
Check out these fun ammonite pendants that came in this weekend! They are encased in a delicate ring of shiny silver-tone metal (not sterling) and have great large bails. The metal encasing the ammonites doesn't cover the back, which is good because most of the backs are so pretty that you could wear either side as the focal. Look at the picture on the bottem left, some of the backs have a natural rainbow iridescence! The ammonite pendants are $14.00 each.
Ammonites are a group of marine animals that became extinct around the same time as the dinosaurs. All that's left are fossils that formed during a process called mineralization or replacement. During this process, the calcium phosphate (a mineral found in bones and some shells) is completely replaced by other minerals as it decays. The replacement minerals are not specific and can include (but are not limited to) quartz, agate, opal and pyrite. In medieval Europe ammonites were thought to be fossilized snakes and were called "serpent stones", while Hindu mythology claims that they were the concrete manifestations of Vishnu.
The rainbow hues on ammonites are a direct effect of the fossilization process.
New pearls to add to our extensive freshwater pearl collection!
SATURDAY May 23,2009
It's a small shipment of pearls . . . but this is a perfect example of quality over quantity! Both the gold and white pearl strands have incredible nacre and luster, and the white pearls are absolutely superb for freshwater pearls. The larger gold pearls are 8mm ($21 per strand), while the smaller are 5mm ($19 per strand). The smaller white round pearls are 5mm-6mm ($13 per strand) and the white barrel shape (with some delightfully irregular strands) 9mm hole to hole and 7mm wide ($9 per strand).
Mix and match our new Cubic Zirconia beads with sterling beads to make a one of a kind piece!
FRIDAY May 15, 2009
As serious bead addicts, we at Lost Cities know how frustrating it can be to find beads with large holes. Sure you can locate the occasional sterling bead, and maybe a handmade pricy glass piece, but even though they have a larger hole size, many of them have difficultly fitting over chain and limit the design possibilities. We decided that just wouldn't do. Introducing a Lost Cities exclusive; solid, smooth, Euro style cubic zirconia (also known as CZ) beads with a hole size of 4.6mm! These beads are comparable to Pandora and Troll style beads, but you won't find them anywhere else, they were made just for our store. Cubic zirconia is a lab grown stone that has zero optical flaws and is often used as a substitute for diamonds.With a hardness of around 8.5, these beads are not only beautiful, but also durable enough for everyday bracelet wear. Since CZ's are lab grown, the cost per bead can depend greatly on the color because certain colors (like blue and green) can be harder to produce. These beads really give the wearer a lot of choices when it comes to stringing material . . . you can use nearly any size leather, pleather, suede, satin, ribbon, snake chain and even some linked chain! You can mix and match for a fun collected look, or wear alone for a simple statement.
The following colors are $4.95 each: garnet red, amethyst purple, champagne, pink, and clear. The peridot green and lab created blue spinel are $10.95 each.
Even linked chain has no problem going through these beads!
All the available colors, simply strung on chain and modeled by an employee.
Shown in the picture above are the sizes avilable in the new matte glass pearls. Starting from left, 3mm, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm. Picture is enlarged to show detail.
SUNDAY May 10, 2009
Some new additions to our glass pearl collection have arrived . . . a great selection of colors and sizes in a matte finish! The matte finish really makes the glass pearl colors (normally glossy) give off a soft shimmering, glow. These aren't your everyday ordinary glass pearls, these are high quality Czech glass pearls that have much of the same color range and pretty luster that expensive Swarovski pearls have. The best part is the price! At a fraction of the cost of Swarovski pearls you don't have to limit yourself, you can go crazy without the guilt! The pictures below show the different colors that came in, and the picture to the left shows the different sizes we currently have.
Two sizes of sterling silver ball chain shown accented with simple charms of Thai silver, chrysoprase and amethyst. Instant necklace for everyday wear!
April 24, 2009
We've gotten a couple of new beads and supplies in since the last post. Even though they're all fun, we at the store are most excited by the two sizes of new sterling silver ball chain and their components! This chain seems to be so difficult to find in sterling and we've been trying to add it to our collection for some time now . . . and here it is! The larger chain (with the pendants hanging on it) is $7.95 per foot, and the smaller chain on the inside is $5.50 per foot. Each chain has it's own corresponding end, $0.45 for the large and $0.20 for the small.
We also received a nice collection of glass cubes in many different colors, some with swirls, some with unique opaque designs. The smaller cubes have edges that are not quite faceted, not quite smooth, and give off a nice little sparkle. The little sparkly cubes run about $5.70 per strand, while the smooth cubes are about $4.15 per strand.
Last, but certainly not least, we received a beautiful new shape in Cubic Zirconia. These guys are 6mm rondelles with rounded edges, but what really sets them apart is the ridiculous amount of sparkle! These CZ's are micro faceted, meaning the facets are much, much smaller than usual, which means more facets on the individual beads, equalling an impressive power packed sparkle! Since the ruby (not shown, think magenta) and sky blue topaz colors are more difficult produce in the lab, they run about $89.00 per strand while all the other colors are only $35.00 per strand. trust me, this sparkle is worth it!
New cubes in fun colors and effects!
New micro facted Cubic Zirconia (lab created stone) in a beautiful selection of colors!
March 20, 2009
Hi Friends -
I'd like to share some new acquisitions with you. There is chain and components, Turquoise Donuts - mmm-yum, fabulous, very ancient Amazonite and Carnelian, old Telsum amulets, sparkly Citrine and creamy White Coral. Details below........
Sterling Components & Chain
I love cutting up chain to use the pieces but hate wasting that cut link - here's a solution. A variety of shapes in lightweight silver with a soft brushed finish. Perfect for links or a nearly instant earring!
Top left - 3 round rings - $1.80 p/set
Next right - Example of that "instant Earring" with a simple wire wrapped stone enhancement.
2nd left - 2 irregular links - $4.40 p/set
Center - 3 irregular links held on one small round link - hammered texture - $7.40 p/set
Lower left - Single rings - quarter size - $1.80 each
Lower center - Set of 3 Marquis links (longest is 2.25") on small round - $6.80 p/set
Big, loopy chain but not heavy in weight. Perfect for extra long contemporary styles. On left is 'cloud' shaped links (apx 1.25") for $18.00 p/foot. On right, irregular shapes linked with 5/8" ovals - $21.40 p/foot.
Mmmm.....Turquoise Donuts
An amazing range of size and colors - blues from bright turquoise to muted teals - greens in olive and sage and swamp - all set off in black or brown matrix. Sizes from the big 2" discs to little wafers under 3/4". All have a nice slim, lightweight profile.
Use them as pendants and centerpieces for the big ones - link the mediums together for a bracelet - fabulous earrings out of the little ones.
60¢ per gram means about $10 for the largest to about 60¢ for the littles.
Ancient Amazonite & Carnelian
Here are unbelievable treasures from the past - you can actually wear history.
The pale green Amazonite has been beads for easily 2000 years, some are much older. They are from North Africa but traded all across the area. Christina says it is very unusual to see small ovals like these. Only three strands left, 16+ inches - $327 to $402.
The Carnelian is delicate little tubes of irregular lengths. Mined in Persia, they have been beads since 450 AD. The years of wear have left a soft smooth texture that is irresistible. All the lovely shades of brick to peach, wine to mahogany in strands about 14" long with beads from 1/4" to about 3/4".
$39 each strand
Telsum Amulets
These 19th century Ethiopian protective amulets are thought to turn away the evil eye or the dangers of the crescent moon. We have carried the style in the outer ring before but Christina says she has never seen the triangular 'granulated' ones before (inner ring) and that it is probably a regional variation. Both styles are of coin silver.
$5 each for old style (silver braid trimmed) and $6 for triangular (granulated) style.
White Coral & Chunky Citrine
Little, irregular rounds of smoothly tumbled polished white coral just feel good in your hands. Their soft white to ivory color would be great alone or combined with a vibrant, sparkly stone. By weight - $42 to $62 p/strand.
Gorgeous Citrine in big random faceted chunks in colors from pale honey to warm whiskey. Available in singles for spectacular pendants at $1.20 p/gram. Examples shown are $30.25 - $10.45 - $22.35 - $17.65.
16" strands - $52 to $140
March 14, 2009
After years of waiting Gold Soft Flex is finally back in stock, and available in all three sizes (Fine, Medium, and Heavy). Just like the market price of gold, Gold Soft Flex prices have increased, but the glow and bright color just can't be beat, especially when using it with clear or gold tone gem and glass beads. For those of you who aren't ready to commit to a full spool, we also offer every size and color of our collection of Soft Flex for purchase by the foot.
March 13, 2009
A couple of new items this week . . .
Jump ring mandrels! These handy little tools are stepped allowing you to make loops, jump rings and coils consistent every time . . . and the set of two are just $3.70! What a deal! The mandrels are sold as a set of two, with the smaller tool sizes at 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 5mm, and the larger tool sizes at 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10mm.
***Please click on image for a closer look***
We also received four new sterling silver chains to add to our collection! The top chain is the ever useful oval link, great for extensions. Below the oval link chain is two "bar and loop" chains in two sizes, great for easy earrings when you just wire wrap beads to the small connecting loops. Lastly, a popular but hard to get medium snake chain.
***Please click on image for a closer look***
A dime is shown for size comparison
February 13, 2009
Here is a rarity that we only had once before and only one spool at that. This time we have 6 spools of handmade, Thai Silver Chain. Every link hand formed, soldered and stamped with the typical tiny Thai patterns. Very beautiful by itself or incorporated into your designs.
From the top - heavy to light:
Substantial "swing" chain - $90 p/ft
Double rings - weighty - $119.55 p/ft
Large links - $59.40 p/ft
Medium links - $49.30 p/ft
Small links - $41.70
Light weight - same design as above but lesser gauge - $34.65 p/ft
SPARKLIES! - Delicious, little glittering gems
Breathtaking tiny, tangerine flavor Sapphires. Micro-faceted, maximum sparkle. Top strand is 2 mm droplets - $263 Second strand is graduated 2-3mm - $432. SECOND STRAND SOLD
Sapphires again in a steely, pewter color - graduated 2-3mm droplets - $397 Single drops are available at $31 p/gram. SOLD
Aquamarine - 3mm - $43
Blue Topaz - like tropical waters - 3mm - only $38
Tourmaline in it’s ‘rare’ teal blue shade (Indicolite)- tiny 2mm - $109
Garnet - little 3mm raspberries - $22
Sapphires in crystal smoke - gorgeous! 3.5mm - $193
Black Spinel - teeny 2mm - glitter like black diamonds but only $35
Pendants for all your moods-
Afghani coins complete with bails for hanging. Inscribed with Farsi or Pashtun and from the 1920s-1970s - the time of the last reigning King.
Coptic Leather Amulets - a page from the Coptic (the original Christians) Bible, folded up and blessed by a priest/monk and stitched inside a leather embossed package. Very unique - $38
Indian Hindu Amulets - large silver emblems - same style of figures as our small 1" amulets - $30 to $110.
Old Glass amulets - Czech glass made for the African trade in imitation of the Islamic rock crystal design (See Collectible Beads by Liu, p35) $10 each
Shark’s Teeth - for the savage surfer in you - $1 each
Old Silver Bracelets
Heavy solid silver bangles - many designs - show their age in a beautiful patina and signs of wear . Very distinctive treasures.
Top left ($162) and bottom left ($713) originate in Yemen.
The remaining 3 are from Rajasthan, a northern province of India. Top right is a beautiful openwork lotus pattern ($495), center is a spectacular flared cuff, hinged for ease of wear ($885) and bottom left a hollow but still thick silver bangle incised with patterns ($419).
Think of it as an investment in silver futures.
Well, that's about it for this update. This time of year we get so many new things in that it's hard to keep up with the posting! If you subscribe to the emails, you can expect to receive a couple more emails talking about this recent large shipment (if you don't already subscribe, and you'd like to just contact us at lostcitiesbeads@aol.om and we'll add you right on!). Until then, here are a few pictures of our new stock for you to enjoy . . . stay tuned!
Image:
January 10, 2009
Since this is the first post since the holidays . . . Happy New Year!
We just recived 3 new styles of sterling chain to add to our ever growing collection! All three are light weight (which allows them to have light prices) and hammered to add sparkle and shine! Come check them out before they're gone :).
December 21, 2008
We just received a wonderful new supply of sterling silver charms in some very fun and clever designs. If you are like me, I needed a last minute infusion of inspiration for a present for my “....fill in the blank...”, and here they are! These would be terrific charm bracelet additions or necklace pendants or anklet doodads or earrings or............? There are dogs and cats and all manner of critters - sports from football to surfing to dance - beach icons like starfish, palm trees and flipflops - Christmas themed trees, wreaths, snowflakes and Santa - phonebooths, handcuffs, winebottle and goblet and even a tiny suitcase that opens to reveal the bare essentials, a bra and panties.
Remember, we are open EVERY day except Christmas to fulfill your last minute burst of creativity - 10 to 6 Monday through Saturday and 10 to 5 on Sunday. You must come and see the huge variety - over 600! Yes, I just counted.
From the beach- Starfish and shells, anchors and palm trees, footprints and flipflops, turtles and crabs, surfers and sharks.
Critters- all sizes of dog from Chihuahuas to wolves, seagulls, parrots, flamingos, a kissable frog prince, dinosaurs, a terrific moose....lions and tigers and bears...oh my.
Edibles - peas, carrots, broccoli and garlic. Teacups and wine glasses, martini glasses and beer steins.
Handcuffs - not sure how they fit in here but they're cute.
September 26, 2008
AUTUMN LEAVES
Absolutely gorgeous carved Carnelian / Banded Agate in two sizes. Each leaf is unique and beautiful. Small ones are 37mm long and 34mm wide. We have them in singles for $3.45 or in strands of 15 for $41. Large ones are 58mm long and 48mm wide. Sold in singles for $6.15 or strands of 12 for $50. They would be so pretty as a pendant or simply hung in the window to watch the light pass through them. These strands of Carnelian match the leaf coloration beautifully. 8mm x 10mm flat faceted ovals - $22 12mm x 18mm - a bit larger - $26 15mm x 10mm x 10mm Cornerless blocks - $16 Same size and shape as above but with the corners softly tumbled off instead of faceted - $14
TURQUOISE -Flattened droplets in two ways.
Top strands are drilled front to back and lay nestled against each other, graded from large (about 25x35mm) to small. There is a wide range of color in blues and greens and in matrix from black to golden brown. $66 to $178
Bottom 3 strands are a good representation of the range of colors, from a good bright turquoise blue to soft greens, and sizes. These are drilled across the top. They could lay like this, linked beside each other or twisted with a second strand of.....pearls? citrine? onyx? and allowed to stand up. Or separate the drops with a bit of silver and let them lay side by side - that would leave a few for earrings! $55 to $125
BLUE LACE AGATE - another member of the chalcedony family. In fact, when there are no ‘lacy’ inclusions and the stone is pure and translucent it is called Blue Chalcedony. These are all a soft, luscious gray blue - very translucent. I hope this color shows accurately on your monitor. 1. Amazing geode slices with beautiful striations and crystal linings. In singles for 35¢p/gram or strands $22 and up. 2. 6mm rounds - $27 3. 8mm rounds - $56 4. 12mm dimes - $15 5. 12x17mm ovals - $18 6. 15x20mm flat tablets - smooth and inviting to touch, these show off the stone’s natural patterning. $22
LITTLE DIME PEARLS
I’ll finish with another nod to autumn - with a delicious mix of little dime pearls in terrific fall colors. 1. Little 8mm in a chocolatey bronze - only $12 2 Tiny amount larger - 8.5mm in a bright copper - $13 3. Rich, dark copper - about 10-11mm - $16 4. Gorgeous wine color - maybe Merlot - 10mm - $16 5. Dark cranberry - 12mm - $16
Think how amazing these would be with 3 colors twisted together!
Assorted Apatite gems
September 11, 2008
APATITE - No, that doesn’t mean you are hungry for this although that may be true. The name is derived from the Greek meaning to ‘deceive’ referring to the stone’s ability to look like more expensive minerals such as aquamarine, topaz and peridot. We think it is beautiful just for itself! It is usually blue or green but can be yellow, brown or even purple. From the top: The greenest of the lot, these are a mix of sizes of flat, faceted briolettes - $11.62 p/gr - $68 to $144 Little, even, faceted rondelles - 3mm - 14.5” - $47 Flat, liquid droplets, gorgeously clear - $8.55 p/gr - $86 to $93 Stunning aquamarine color, micro-faceted round droplets - slightly graduated - 2mm to 4mm - $17 p/gr - $138 to $201 Faceted rondelles - very clear aqua - high quality - 5mm to 6mm - 15.5” strands - $9.92 p/gr - $194 to $284 Beautiful, more chunky, random faceted bricks - about 6 to 9mm - 8.5” strands - $43 to $71 More faceted rondelles, slightly less quality than 2 above, still very clear and sparkly - about 5mm to 8mm - 14” strands - only $3.16 p/gr - $64 to $112
DIAMONDS AND SAPPHIRES
Top is faceted, flat droplets of Sapphires in a warm sunny apricot. Graded from 3mm to 5mm - 14” - $304. 1 strand only. SOLD
Center 4 are more unique diamonds in little cubes, not really faceted but probably ‘helped’ into little squares.. Beautiful almost lavender gray - 2mm to 3mm - 16” - $571
Bottom 2 strands are amazing Sapphires - ultra sparkly - tiny round raindrops on a cold steel morning - perhaps a hint of green. Plumply faceted from 1.5mm to 3mm - 14” - $394 - $397. The scan does not do them justice!
DIAMONDS
Our last diamonds were raw, industrial, little sugar-dusted granules. These are definitely a step or two up. Amazing sparkle and a truly unique bead.
Left is the whitest, most evenly colored strand, faceted in thin rondelles. Graded 2mm to 3mm - 17” (!) strand - $1,886
Center strand is the largest beads, in shades of pale grays, faceted for maximum sparkle. Graded 2mm to 4mm - 16.25” strand - $2,011
Right strand is also faceted and in beautiful subtle bands of color - light chocolate, sleet gray and pale creamy vanilla. Graded 2mm to 4mm, 15.5” strand - $1,687
You need to see these amazing beauties in person to truly appreciate them!
AQUAMARINE
Wonderful assortment of aqua colors - from pale winter sky to stormy Atlantic blue . All are graduated rondelles from centers about 22mm to ends around 8mm. Half of them are faceted, giving them an icy, glittery look and half of them are smoothly polished and simply glow.
Strand 1, 3 and 5 are faceted - sold by the gram weight - 18” - $142 to $225
Strand 2 and 4 are smooth - 18” - only $81
We only scanned a handful in this picture, we recived multiple strands of both the faceted and smooth aquamarine.
**Please keep in mind that sometimes we are only able get a limited (sometimes very limited) number of certain strands and pendant pieces, and that once they're gone, they're gone. At this time we don't offer online ordering, so if something catches your eye and you simply can't live without them, don't hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email and we'd be more than happy to accommodate you with mail order**
Diamonds
January 2008
DIAMONDS!! Here's something we have never carried before - little, sugar crusted, white crumbles - industrial diamonds. Although they are not what your mind first leaps to when you visualize diamonds - clear and faceted and very expensive. They ARE just beautiful, twinkling, sparkling stones that would enhance any design or be an unusual shimmery strand on their own. These are especially nice in wire wrapped designs. Strands are 16" long and are $176 for the smaller size and $188 for the larger.
Sapphires - Exceptional quality of beautiful true blue sapphires in a smooth cut. The graduated smooth ovals are in unusually long strands - 24", 22", 20", and 18". Even the rondelle strands are a generous 19". They are the very definition of sapphire color.
Rhodochrosite and Rose Quartz
Rhodochrosite and Quartz - An amazing true pink stone in 3 shapes. The rounds and ovals show off the natural pink and white markings and the little rectangular pillows are all soft pink. The clear Quartz is dazzlingly transparent with a great cut and polish. The Rose Quartz is the same but glowing with a translucent pink.
Lapiz spheres
Prices mentioned in Lost Cities' emails, blogs, handouts, websites, etc. are effective the date of publication. They are subject to market conditions and availability and may be modified as necessary at Lost Cities' discretion. Lost Cities Beads 2802 Juan St. #14 San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 692-1114 Monday-Saturday 10am - 6pm Sunday 10am - 5pm Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day Questions, comments? Contact us either by phone during business hours, or email us at lostcitiesbeads@att.net. Copyright Lost Cities 2009
