Tanzanite by Peter Bancroft

Tanzanite by Peter Bancroft

Merelani Mine, Arusha, Tanzania

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to reprint this selection from Peter Bancroft’s classic book, Gem and Crystal Treasures (1984) Western Enterprises/Mineralogical Record, Fallbrook, CA, 488 pp.

Zoisite was the mineral name for a series of opaque to translucent varieties, of which only two are used as gemstones: massive pink colored thulite and a brilliant apple-green zoisite (which also occurs in grayish-white, gray, yellowish-brown, and greenish-gray). Named for Czechoslovakian Baron Zois von Edelstein, zoisite never really achieved prominence as a gem material.

Then in March 1966, an Arusha tailor named Sousa discovered a deep blue gemstone at a place later known as the Merelani mine. Using sophisticated equipment experts found that the gem was not “sapphire” as suspected, but an astounding variety of zoisite. Tiffany and Company, in a vigorous sales promotion, named the stone “tanzanite” after the country of origin, and the name has since been generally adopted.

The Merelani deposit was difficult to reach in the Usumburu Mountains that border the Umba Valley of northern Tanzania. This region, a vast arid plain broken by hills and small mountain peaks, is inhabited by the pastoral Masai people. The Merelani lies between two landmarks just south of the Kenya border – Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Olduvai Gorge made famous by paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey. The nearest town of any consequence is Arusha, about 50 kilometers to the northwest.

Small landing field near Mt. Kilimanjaro. Photo: Peter Bancroft

In 1975 the author met A.H. (Brick) Stange who provided a pilot and a single-engine airplane for the flight from Nairobi to Arusha. We planned two trips – first a visit by plane to the ruby mine near Longido and the second in jeeps to the tanzanite mine in Merelani.

One of the original claim holders who lost his property when the Tanzanian government nationalized the mine. Photo: Edward Swoboda (1967)

The trip to the ruby mine was uneventful except for a painful bite from a tsetse fly. Even though my seat belt was fastened, I jumped hard enough to bang my head on the cockpit ceiling and the pilot lectured me on how dangerous it was to make such a violent movement while flying at a low altitude. Just as he concluded his rebuke, a fly bit him on the neck. There was an immediate plethora of epithets, somewhat superior to mine, but no more lectures! Upon reaching the mine we noticed a great wall of schist marked by green streaks of zoisite. Closer inspection revealed bright red, nearly opaque 2 to 4-centimeter ruby crystals imbedded in the zoisite. Large chunks of the red and green material were blasted loose for shipment by truck to Arusha.

A few days later our party left in two jeeps for Merelani. Our route passed through a brushy countryside dotted with trees, and from time to time, we passed Masai villages and herds of Brahman cattle tended by one or two small boys. Upon reaching the mine, we were admitted by armed guards. The tsetse flies were replaced by numerous non-biting flies that landed upon any part of the body which exuded moisture – the corner of the eye or mouth and exposed parts when relieving oneself. They were a constant irritant and a real nuisance.

Tanzanite Size: 220 carat faceted, cushion cut stone. Locality: Merelani; Collection: Edward Swoboda; Photo: Harold and Erica Van Pelt

Guards armed with rifles and shotguns were conspicuously posted at vantage points about the workings. Digging was by the open-pit method, with a few veins being explored by short tunnels. A small padlocked iron box sat nearby. When a miner discovered a crystal or segment, he was to drop it into the box. However, the chances are that many were swallowed or thrown into a bush for recovery later. Miners were paid next to nothing, and this provided the incentive to high-grade stones.

Masai family near Merelani mine. Photo: Peter Bancroft

Tanzanite crystals occur sparsely in a heavily metamorphosed zone of tough rock. They are prismatic, heavily striated and often possess good terminations. The mineral is fairly soft (6 to 6.5 on Mohs’ hardness scale) and fractures rather easily. It is common to expose a fine crystal deeply imbedded in rock, then watch it break into small pieces during removal. The search for crystals is accomplished with picks, iron bars, shovels, and compressed-air jackhammers, a system that takes a high toll of fine gems. Clean stones which will facet 2-carat or larger gems are quite rare, and days pass between discoveries.

Miner examining tanzanite crystal. Photo: Edward Gübelin

Tanzanite occurs in colors of gray, brown, violet, blue, reddish-purple, and tints of green. The gem is of interest because of its exceptional pleochroism. Rotated in different directions a single stone will exhibit three outstanding changes of color, from reddish purple to blue to deep purple. When placed in ovens and heated to 620°C, the reddish purple crystals alter to a rich violet-blue; some turn to a deep blue resembling sapphire. But heating reduces pleochroism.

Miner breaking tanzanite from mother rock. Photo: Edward Gübelin

Tanzanite in large flawless sections appeared with some regularity during the early days of mining. Lovely gems of 20 to 50 carats were not unusual. One of the largest stones, a splendid faceted flawless gem weighing 122.7 carats, is part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection.

Following tanzanite vein into hill. Photo: Peter Bancroft

When first mined, fine stones could be purchased in Tanzania, Kenya, and the United States for as little as $20 a carat. By 1984 clean gems wholesaled at better than $1000 a carat, an indication of increasing interest in a gem already in short supply. In 1978 a massive cholera epidemic struck northern Tanzania and interrupted production of rubies, garnets, sapphires, chrome tourmaline, chrysoprase, and tanzanite. In addition, most of the known gem deposits were playing out. As a result, decreasing production has caused a scarcity of quality gemstones and a rapid rise in their value.

Magnificent untreated tanzanite crystal. Crystal: Bill Larson collection; Photo: Jeff Scovil

Miners working a Merelani vein under watchful eye of armed guard. Photo: Peter Bancroft

Screening day’s output of tanzanite. Photo: Peter Bancroft

Rhodium plated jewelry - Yes or No??

Many buyers ask why .925 sterling silver is rhodium plated.  

The improved appearance of rhodium plating was initially noticed because of its extra beauty to the naked eye, but as the points below will show, it not only enhances the beauty of silver, it helps ensure the longest-lasting, most durable finish for your jewelry. The result:  stunning jewelry that stays stunning much longer than un-plated  jewelry.

Rhodium is considered best in class of all the platinum metals family for resistance to corrosion and tarnish, and is the most tarnish resistant member of the platinum metals group.  Rhodium will also remain bright and shiny under most environmental conditions. Not surprisingly, of all the metals in this group, rhodium is by far the most expensive to utilize.  Rhodium is nearly 4x as expensive as platinum, and 9x as expensive as gold.

As a protective coating, rhodium finishes virtually eliminate any chance of surface discoloring even when exposed to extreme environmental conditions under normal temperatures. The surface hardness of plated rhodium is also the highest of the precious metals, and is thus highly resistant to incidental scratching and abrasion. Rhodium plated finishes are best in class for wearability among the precious metals.  In reality, silver is shinier than rhodium, but silver is also a softer and more malleable metal, and can be scratched and dented more easily. So jewelers may choose to rhodium plate some jewelry items to make them more durable.

Additionally, rhodium is hypoallergenic. White gold and even sterling silver normally employ nickel to provide the whiteness of white gold, however, approximately 20% of women will have some form of allergy to nickel. Thus, by rhodium plating, a possible allergen is removed from contacting your skin.  The one exception to that is on stud earrings. Because the nut of the earring drags along the post, the post will not remain plated for long. In those instances where nickel may be a problem, we recommend using plain sterling or platinum earrings.

Rhodium plating can dramatically increase the long term durability, brightness and luster of the finish. Because it is a plating, it will wear off over time.   How soon depends on how much wear and tear the jewelry item takes.  When the rhodium plating begins to disappear from a silver or platinum jewelry item, it will be much less noticeable because the underlying metal will look gray, not yellowish.  However, virtually any jeweler can quickly re-plate your jewelry, usually for around $45, to bring back the original shine and luster that rhodium can provide.

Rhodium plating should not be done without training, appropriate safety equipment, good ventilation, and concern about the workers’ health and safety.  Some manufacturers have become concerned about how this process can harm the environment if improperly used or disposed of, and have begun to use alternatives such as Argen.  Others use  processes which keep using  the same bath for 5 to 10 years and more, with simple continuous filtration systems and good cleaning procedures.  It is not very expensive, and certainly cheaper than starting a new bath every time the bath gets contaminated.  We applaud those who manufacture or use rhodium plating systems safely, and will support those who chose to use alternatives which keep all our systems clean and safe.

Keep in mind that a rhodium plate will not eliminate dents and scratches, it will only make the jewelry more shiny and bright (some would even say more expensive looking!). Remember to ask your jeweler if he or she is planning to clean and polish your jewelry before its re-plated, if not then ask for it. The smoother the jewelry item is when starting, the more shiny it will look after the rhodium plating process.

Synthetic Opal - Hot or Not??

Opal

Within the small family of jewels that “play with light”, opals surely claim top honors for variety as well as sheer beauty. The opal’s fascination deepens when one realizes just how many kinds there are and how they differ. From natural to synthetic to frank imitations, the range is nothing short of amazing.

All naturally occurring opals fall into one of two classes. Precious opals are the ones that produce flashes of iridescent color(s) when light strikes its surface at various angles. Any opal that does not exhibit colorplay is classified as common opal. Although both precious and common opals are made of the same material, it is the actual arrangement of all those microscopic crystals of silica that determines whether or not the stone will diffract light into various colors of the spectrum. Common opal does not have the optimum arrangement of crystals to produce this effect, but precious opal does. As the terms imply, precious opal occurs far more rarely in nature than does the other!

The internal structure of precious opal makes it diffract light; depending on the conditions in which it formed it can take on many colors. Precious opal ranges from clear through white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black. Of these hues, the reds against black are the most rare, whereas white and greens are the most common. It varies in optical density from opaque to semi-transparent. For gemstone use, its natural color is often enhanced by placing thin layers of opal on a darker underlying stone, like basalt. Common opal, called "potch" by miners, does not show the display of color exhibited in precious opal.

Synthetic/lab created Opal

 There is a difference between “synthetic” opal and “imitation” or “faux” opal. Synthetic opals are made in a laboratory from the same chemical (silicon dioxide) that occurs in natural opals. The process was developed in the 1930s and thus synthetic opals have been around for about eighty years! Some of them look very much like natural precious opal but there are several ways to tell them apart: (1) The colors in synthetic opal are usually brighter and occur in larger patches, often with a sort of ‘snakeskin’ pattern (2) Under magnification the color patterns will appear more regularly geometric than those in a natural opal and (3) The overall pattern appears more ‘neat and orderly’ than those in the naturally formed stones.

Imitation/faux Opal

 This includes every “opal-appearing” stone that is not made of (or from) silicon dioxide, hydrophane (Welo opal) or hyalite (water opal - which leaves us with the faux opals made of either glass, acrylic plastic, or resin.

Why should I buy synthetic opal jewelry?

Synthetic opal jewelry is an excellent alternative to natural opal jewelry for a number of reasons.

The first to spring to mind is the beautiful array of colors and patterns that are displayed in very rare natural opal are readily available in created opal.

The synthetic opal is much more durable and harder than its natural counterpart so breakages and longevity are also a plus.

Finally, the price. You can obtain a beautiful piece of opal jewelry for a fraction of the cost.

N.B. We list synthetic opal as OPALINE on our website. When we advertise genuine opal jewelry, it will be clearly stated in the description. 

Dingle Dangle!

Hi Guys!

This is our latest newsletter post. Enjoy!

Gerdus will be returning from his trip within the next few days.

He bought a LOT of Stainless Steel chains and findings! (YAY!!!!). Also, a wide variety of Gemstone strings. I will write a more detailed list of products in my next newsletter as soon as he has returned. This shipment will only be here within the next 6-9 weeks (by the end of August).

On the other hand, we are expecting our shipment from the previous trip to arrive this week! Will keep you updated on all the Social Media Networks ;-)

Before I begin with my actual newsletter - there is only one subject that I would like to discuss.

If you place an order with us and you select EFT as your payment method, we will send you the banking details together with your invoice. We kindly ask that you then send the proof of payment to our fax number or email it to us directly.

As you know, sometimes EFT payments take 48 - 72 hours to reflect in your Bank Account. With that being said, we do check our banking everyday to double check for payments, BUT, we might not see it in time because of this delay. The result will then be that your parcel gets posted a day or two later.

Another thing, I have noticed that sometimes I don't actually receive the fax or email which are sent automatically when you make the payment.

I ask that you please fax AND email your proof of payment. If you don't receive any shipping confirmation from us during the day you sent the proof of payment, it is then because we did not receive it.

Client service is our (my) number one priority and I don't like technology getting in the way of it. If you do have the time, just click on the chat button on our website and say that you made the payment. I will then go and search for it. If I do have a problem, I will contact you directly.

Okay. Back to my newsletter =)

If you are just a beginner, or you want something quick and easy to make as a present, you WANT to read on.

Below is instructions on how to make your own charm bracelet.

It is easy, lots of fun and not time consuming.

Step 1 - Get all your goodies together. You will need pliers, chain, jumprings, a clasp and charms.

 

Step 2 - Determine the length of your chain. Now open the jumpring, slide your charm over, and while you are at it add the link of the chain.

        

Step 3 - Space your charms accordingly and make sure that all the jumprings are properly closed. You don't want to lose your charms!



Step 4 - Add your clasp. The normal lobster clasp is the easiest as you don't need any extra clips. You just hook it over the other end of the chain.

    

Step 5 - Brag about your creation! Remember that the principle of a charm bracelet always stays the same! You can add more charms and beads!



The charms I used in the photos will be available on our website during this week!

We still offer FREE POSTAGE** anywhere in South Africa for parcels over the value of R1000*!
*before VAT, postage and discount, up to 5kg
**South African Post Office postage, 3-5 days, insured

Log into your account to see the discounted price that you will pay!! 
Sign up here!
Let us know if you are a re-seller of our products! You will then receive more benefits! 

Receive 5% back on every order you place!
The discount will be converted into points. 2500 points = R100

Wire Wrapping

Gerdus just left the country to buy new stock again!

We expect our stock to be here by next week! (Holding thumbs) We will then start to unpack and list! Very Very VERY excited!!! I will let you know when the stock comes by sending a newsletter, writing a blog and posting it to Facebook.

Speaking of which, we have a Facebook page where we upload all the images of the items that will be listed within that week. So, while browsing through facebook, go and like our page or add us as a friend!

Wire wrapping has become very popular! It is creative and can be lots of fun if you want a new hobby! Below is a tutorial for simple wrapping. There are loads more designs and techniques on the internet! Make a Pendant Bail with Jewelry Wire

Faceted jade bead pendant

Faceted jade bead pendant
This is an example of how to make a pendant using craft wire. For this project we also use some star-shaped decorative bead caps.

Thread the caps and the bead
Put the wire through the caps and the bead in the proper sequence and make a decorative curl at the end of the wire.

Create a loop for the pendant
Bend the wire at right angles approximately 4mm from the top of the pendant, and form a loop with some round-nose pliers.

Wind the wire around the stem
Hold the loop with flat needle-nose pliers and start wrapping the wire around the stem between the loop and the top of the pendant. Make sure that the winding is even.

The finished pendant
The finished jade pendant is an accessory that will stand out on light colored blouses or sweaters. It will also provide good contrast on dark clothing that does not have a busy design.

We still offer FREE POSTAGE** anywhere in South Africa for parcels over the value of R1000*!
*before VAT, postage and discount, up to 5kg
**South African Post Office postage, 3-5 days, insured

Log into your account to see the discounted price that you will pay!! 
Sign up here!
Let us know if you are a re-seller of our products! You will then receive more benefits! 

Receive 5% back on every order you place!
The discount will be converted into points. 2500 points = R100

More Rough Stuff!!

More rough stuff!!

Here is some good news for you!!

As you will know, we are waiting for our new stock to come. We expect it to be here within the next 3 - 4 weeks. We will keep you updated in any case!

I bet you are wondering what the good news is.......

Gerdus already bought his ticket to buy new stock AGAIN!! He will be going on the 3rd of July. If you want something, please please PLEASE send us your wishlist!! We would really like to source it for you! If it is small items, Gerdus will bring it back with him, otherwise it will come with the rest of the shipment which will take about 6 weeks.

I got so many positive feedback from last weeks newsletter that I decided to write more about stones. In this newsletter I will give you some more information on Unakite, Amazonite, Kyanite and Purpurite.

You are probably asking yourself, "Why these specific stones?". No reason actually. Gerdus cleared the yard last week and we found a lot of rough stones laying around, so we thought that we would clean it up and sell it in the shop. There are more rough stones, I just randomly selected these few.

Please note that the images I am going to use is the actual images that we took of the items.

These stones are not available on our website yet!!

They will only be listed in a week or so. They are, however, available in our store. So, if you really can't wait, pop your kiddies in the car and make it a fun day! Come visit us here in Hartbeespoort!

We are open 7 days a week from 10h00 to 16h30.

Enjoy!!

Unakite

First discovered in the United States in the Unakas mountains of North Carolina, unakite is an altered granite composed of pink orthoclase feldspar, green epidote, and generally colorless quartz.

It exists in various shades of green and pink and is usually mottled in appearance. In good quality unakite is considered a semiprecious stone, will take a good polish and is often used in jewelry and other lapidary work such as eggs, spheres and other carvings like animals.

It is also referred to as epidotized granite. In some of the Blue Ridge occurrences an epidotized augen gneiss is present exhibiting foliation structures.
 

Unakite can be found as pebbles and cobbles from glacial drift in the beach rock on the shores of Lake Superior. It occurs in Virginia where it is found in the river valleys after having been washed down from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Unakite is not limited to the United States, but has also been reported from South Africa, Sierra Leone, Brazil, and China. Some material labeled unakite lacks the feldspar and is more properly epidosite.

Amazonite

Amazonite is a green variety of microcline feldspar.
 

The name is taken from that of the Amazon River, from which certain green stones were formerly obtained, but it is doubtful whether green feldspar occurs in the Amazon area.

Amazonite is a mineral of limited occurrence. Formerly it was obtained almost exclusively from the area of Miass in the Ilmen mountains, 50 miles southwest of Chelyabinsk, Russia, where it occurs in granitic rocks. More recently, high-quality crystals have been obtained from Pike's Peak, Colorado, where it is found associated with smoky quartz, orthoclase, and albite in a coarse granite or pegmatite. Crystals of amazonite can also be found in Crystal Park, El Paso County, Colorado. Other localities in the United States which yield amazonite include the Morefield Mine in Amelia, Virginia. It is also found in pegmatite in Madagascar and in Brazil.
 

Because of its bright green color when polished, amazonite is sometimes cut and used as a gemstone, although it is easily fractured.
 

For many years, the source of amazonite's color was a mystery. Naturally, many people assumed the color was due to copper because copper compounds often have blue and green colors. More recent studies suggest that the blue-green color results from small quantities of lead and water in the feldspar.

 

Kyanite

Kyanite, whose name derives from the Greek word kuanos sometimes referred to as "kyanos", meaning deep blue, is a typically blue silicate mineral, commonly found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and/or sedimentary rock. Kyanite in metamorphic rocks generally indicates pressures higher than four kilobars.

Although potentially stable at lower pressure and low temperature, the activity of water is usually high enough under such conditions that it is replaced by hydrous aluminosilicates such as muscovite, pyrophyllite, or kaolinite. Kyanite is also known as disthene, rhaeticite and cyanite.Kyanite is used primarily in refractory and ceramic products, including porcelain plumbing fixtures and dishware. It is also used in electronics, electrical insulators and abrasives.
 

Kyanite has been used as a semiprecious gemstone, which may display cat's eye chatoyancy, though this use is limited by its anisotropism and perfect cleavage. Color varieties include recently discovered orange kyanite from Tanzania.The orange color is due to inclusion of small amounts of manganese in the structure.
 

Kyanite is one of the index minerals that are used to estimate the temperature, depth, and pressure at which a rock undergoes metamorphism.

 

Purpurite

Purpurite is a mineral, basically manganese phosphate, MnPO4 although with varying amounts of iron depending upon the source of the mineral. It is a striking pink purple color as might be expected of a manganese-containing mineral.

Did you know??

Did you know????

Read along for some interesting facts about Quartz.

Quartz Crystal is one of the most common Minerals on Earth.  With deposits around the world quartz is one of the most loved gems throughout history in the many forms we all love.  Quartz has always been available in a large variety of color, cuts and at a in-expensive price.

What is Quartz?

The chemical formula for quartz is SiO2, also known as silicon dioxide. The earth contains a large amount of silicon dioxide, since it is more common in the earth's crust than other more complex chemical formulas, including silica and oxygen. Quartz is present in many other types of rock, including granite, sandstone, shale, schist, gneiss, quartzite and various other rocks in all three major categories - igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary.

There are two main kinds of crystal quartz,  Macro-crystalline and Cryptocrystalline Quartz.

There are two main varieties of crystal quartz of the same chemical composition, silicon dioxide, and similar physical properties. Macro-crystalline quartz, includes stones like: Amethyst, Aventurine, rock crystal, blue quartz,  Citrine,  hawk's eye, Prasiolite, quartz cat's eye, smokey quartz,  rose quartz and tiger's eye.

Macrocrystalline, or simply Crystalline, has crystals with distinct shapes recognizable to the naked eye, that run the gamut from tiny druzies all the way up to crystals larger than a man.

Worlds largest quartz cluster on display

How is it formed Naturally? 

Quartz can be formed naturally from the silica which collects in the earth. When silicon (Si) and oxygen (O2) combine, it will create silicon dioxide (SiO2), which is quartz. For this reason, quartz will form underground quite easily whenever a combination of oxygen and silica-rich solutions are present. The formation of quartz is generally at an angle, as the dripping of the solution causes quartz to form atop itself, which explains the quartz "spears" sometimes seen in nature. Quartz contains a crystal lattice, and does not require any specific temperature or pressure to form, occurring naturally from the presence of its component parts.

Unnatural formation?

In spite of the vast amount of naturally occurring quartz, most quartz used for industrial purposes is man-made. A heat treatment can be used to synthesize various types of quartz, especially by the use of high pressure and temperature in water. Most commonly, silicic acids (those that contain silicon) will be broken down in water where the SiO2 from the acid will be separated from the H2O, thus creating water and quartz. As heat in a solution drops, the saturation point will be lowered, causing additional crystals to form.

Phantom Quartz

These crystals are created when another substance other than quartz washes over the crystal leaving a layer on the termination during the crystals natural growth cycle. The crystal continues to grow leaving an image of itself where it was at the time the substance washed over it.

Phantoms can be made up of such minerals as Chlorite, Hematite or even Clay. On occasion heat can play a part causing a phantom to be visible through a different color shade. Most often either Smoky or Amethyst can display these heat induced types of Phantom. The most powerful phantom configurations are termed as being 3D. This is where the substance has totally covered the entire termination, leaving a 3D image rather than if the substance had only covered one side or face of the termination.


Smoky Quartz phantom crystal. (Item not for sale)

Opalite - Sea Opal Glass

Sea Opal Glass

What is opalite, also known as “sea opal glass”? Is it a gemstone, or is it man made?

“Opalite” usually refers to a man made glass used mainly in jewelry making. 

Opalite Tumbles 

Opalite is a man-made opalized glass resin that is fused with metal to create an opalescent effect. Although this material is usually anywhere from clear to milky colored, it takes on an unearthly, luminous blue glow – especially when placed against a dark backdrop.

That’s why it’s sometimes mistaken for moonstone. 

Moonstone

However, against a white backdrop or held up to the light, opalite / sea opal glass often takes on an amber color. 

But it’s the lovely, glowing blue that really attracts people. Wear opalite jewelry against any dark colored clothing, and start counting the number of people who come up to you and ask, “What is that stone?”

Although most of the jewelry components bearing this name are the glass variety, there is also a true gemstone called “opalite”. 

This stone is composed of dolomite plus quartz and fluorite, and is usually a purple, lavender, or mauve color. It sort of looks like a cross between lepidolite and charoite.

You may see this gemstone also called “opal fluorite” or “tiffany stone”.

Opal fluorite/Tiffany stone

The items shown above is NOT available on our website. It is only illustrations.

We have a selection of Opalite items available in our store, you can follow this link

http://bronnrocks.co.za/catalogsearch/result/?q=opalite 

or click here. 

Jewelry Findings

Findings is a group name for all the metal bits and pieces that you need to make your own jewelry

A typical self strung piece of jewelry needs the following items

1. Beading wire
2. Beads
3. Crimps
4. Jumpring
5. Clasp

Additional items may include
Crimp covers and horse-shoe (wire protector) wire ends.

Let us look at these one by one.

1. Beading wire

Beading wire is the wire that you use to string your beads on.

Here you can use

• String
• Leather
• Chain
• Ribbon
• Nylon cord (fishing line)
• Beading cable

This is personal preference.
If you want it to last longer you can use cable instead of nylon line. The downside to using cable is that cable can bend and hold a memory where it was bend. Nylon on the other hand may be cut with beads such as glass and gemstones. The heavier the beads the stronger the wire should be.

2.Beads

Be creative and use whatever is at hand. Go to the hardware store and pick nuts and washers or drill holes in seeds or go to www.bronnrocks.co.za and buy affordable beads in our vast gemstone section. Mix and match. Use pearls with gemstones or gemstones with glass beads. There are no rules. If they look great together, string them up. You can make your necklace in many strings or a single string. Sometimes adding an extra 3 strings can just take something out of the ordinary to the extraordinary level.

3.Crimps

Your line goes through the end of a clasp or a jump ring and is then passed through a crimp and the crimp is then flattened (crimped) to hold the beads together. A quick tip here is to allow a bit of slack in the line to avoid the string breaking when you bend the necklace around your neck. There are a lot of great videos on You tube on the use of crimps.

4.Jumpring

You should use a jump ring on the end of your line on both ends. A jump ring is opened and closed with 2 pairs of flat-nose pliers. Balance the right thickness of jump rings with your creation. If it is too flimsy it will not look right. Sometimes they use a pair of jump rings to make the bond stronger or you can use a split ring but these do not look as professional as a single jump ring. If you have the tools and equipment you can solder your jump ring close to make it more permanent.

5.Clasp

Finally you will end your creation with a clasp. A clasp must be easy to open and close. The easiest item clasp here is the magnetic type. Elderly people love magnetic clasp necklaces. They open easily and just pops together when you bring the two ends together. A box clasp may be more secure. There are so many types. Use the one that will look the best with your creation.

Have fun and send us some feedback at support@bronnrocks.co.za