Lepidolite: The Unstrung Hero

Luscious lilac beads with a sugary sparkle. Deep mauve beads threaded with hints of black and green. Two very different descriptions that classify the very same stone--one of the unsung heroes of the beading world--lepidolite.

I've always been a fan of the stone, long before I ever knew that it could be fashioned into beads. As a member of the mica group, lepidolite is by its very nature fragile. It has a hardness of 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale--approximately the same hardness as your fingernail.

Lepidolite can occur both in plate crystals and in massive form (right to left, respectively). The beads that you see are fashioned out of the massive form, and are most commonly deep lilac to dingy mauve in color with inclusions ranging from black to green to whitish to pink (in the case of rubellite (tourmaline)). Fire Mountain Gems has a very respectable selection, mostly C to D grade (with a lot of inclusions). A-grade (bright lilac, rubellite inclusions) is typically hard to find, and from what I have seen mostly comes from California and Maine.

These beads (interspersed with Sterling silver) are the pride of my collection. The rough came from the Pala district of California (I suspect perhaps the Stewart Mine, though I'm not entirely sure) and has a number of rubellite inclusions, which greatly add to the character of the beads. I found these by a stroke of pure luck at a rock shop in Vernal, Utah.

Yet another reason to scout out rock shops when looking for that elusive semi-precious stone. :)

For those of you who either live in or plan on visiting southern California, definitely plan on taking a trip to Gems of Pala. The mine is known for its world-class tourmaline, but along with that tourmaline comes that near-perfect lepidolite. It's a fun excursion for any rockhound, and you could very well come out with a gem-quality tourmaline and a mass of lepidolite perfect for carving or stashing in your personal rock collection.

So is lepidolite worth introducing into your beading repertoire? If you enjoy a stone with diverse character and interesting color, then most certainly yes.

Project Idea: The Crazy Nautilus

(Bargain note: The Beadin' Path just lowered the prices on their Swarovski crystal!)


Those of you who regularly read any of the myriad of beading magazines might be familiar with the concept of beading around a wire framework. You wirework a basic shape out of thicker-gauge wire and embellish it using beads attached with thinner gauge wire. It’s a versatile technique that can be made as simple or as complex as the artist wishes.

This project takes that basic concept and twists it...literally. :)


You will need about 5 inches of 20-gauge wire (I used nickel plated here...but for a more fancy look feel free to use Sterling silver or gold-filled.), 20 inches (or so) of 28-gauge wire, seven 3-mm and six 5-mm rose quartz rounds. First, turn a basic loop in one end of the thicker wire to serve as a bail, then another loop at the opposite end. Starting at that end loop, use either pliers or your fingers to create a spiral shape, then hammer it (optional) to harden the wire and make it better retain its shape.


Now comes the fun part. Anchor one end of your thinner wire to the center loop by wrapping it three times. Add one of the smaller beads, then wrap the wire seven times around the adjacent part of the spiral to anchor the bead. Add the next bead, then anchor it back onto the original loop with more wraps (3 this time). Continue working around the spiral in this manner until you reach the end, then wrap the wire three times near the bail and cut cleanly.

Important note: The number of wraps you will need for each bead will vary depending on your position on the spiral. It can be as few as three, or as many as twelve or thirteen. Each bead should be touching, but not overcrowding.


This design has plenty of room for variations. You could do a uniform spiral using all same-sized beads. Two smaller nautiluses (nautili?) in any color would make fun earrings. Experiment with it, and have fun! :)

Bargain Hunting

Nearly any art-related hobby can be expensive depending upon the materials used. Beading is certainly no exception, and is in fact one of the more extreme cases. For example, one could easily find a package of crackle glass beads at a craft store for less than $3, while a strand of highly-prized rhodochrosite beads can run upwards of $150. This is not to say that jewelry made with the 3-dollar beads looks any less spectacular. A true artisan can make just about any bead or finding into something beautiful.

But sometimes, even the most frugal beader wants to splurge. Perhaps for a birthday gift, a wedding, any number of special occasions where perhaps that precious stone or Swarovski crystal would be more than appropriate. The price tag for such glamour doesn't have to destroy your budget, either.

Within the past few years, the larger chain craft stores (i.e. Michaels or Hobby Lobby) have been carrying a wider array of beads--including Swarovski crystals, Delicas, and some semi-precious stones. Their prices are generally reasonable, but best of all, they frequently go on sale. Check your local newspaper on a regular basis to catch them!

Online bead stores are another great place to look. There are several spectacular sites out there. Fire Mountain Gems is one of the largest, with fantastic prices. Orders of 15 items or more automatically net a discount. They also have frequent sales, but to find out about them you have to join their mailing list. A small price to pay to have access to $2 strands of freshwater pearls and other such lovelies. Another site to check out is Eebeads.com. They specialize in small quantities, so you don't have to purchase more than you need, which can often cost much less. (I for one hate buying a 16-inch strand of beads just to make a pair of earrings and a bracelet.)

If you're looking for that semi-precious stone of choice, you might have some luck at your local rock shop. They almost always have wrappable quartz points for mere cents (my local shop has them 3 for a quarter), and sometimes they even have bead strands. Probably my greatest find ever was in an unassuming rock shop in Vernal, Utah--a strand of A-grade lilac lepidolite beads with pink tourmaline inclusions for $16! You might just get lucky!

Other beaders I've known have mentioned thrift stores, which are a great place to find bits of broken jewelry--jewelry just begging to be given new life.

I know I've merely scratched the surface here. If you have any other great suggestions, feel free to leave a comment! There are so many places to look, so many treasures to find, and best of all--it doesn't need to break the bank in the process. :)

A Quick Hello and Introduction

Hi there, and welcome to my little corner of the Internet!

This place is going to be all about beads, beading, and related jewelry crafts--so if that's your cup of tea, I do hope that you stay tuned! ;)

But before I get into the nitty-gritty of what exactly this 'blog will entail, I figured I'd give a bit of background on myself first. I'm a twenty-something gal from southeast Denver, Colorado who quite literally lives up to the title 'Wandering Beader'. Due to the nature of my profession (I'm a geologist) I'm away from home for more than half of the year, wandering the American west and staring at rocks. The job does allow me a lot of free time, which I devote to a number of different activities, not the least of which is jewelry making.

I've been beading for just about as long as I can remember, though it's only been within the past four years or so that I've been truly serious about it. In that time I have taken up wireworking, weaving, chainmaille, and most recently lampworking (which, for the record, I'm terrible at :P). In the not-too-distant future I plan to try my hand at lapidary work as well.

When I'm not chin-deep in beads and findings, I'm either spending time with my boyfriend, playing with my two adorable gerbils, rockhounding, doodling, or browsing the web.

So what exactly can you expect to see here?

I plan to post my project ideas and patterns, intermixed with shop reviews, bead sales that I happen to come across, as well as profiles on various semi-precious stones that are used in beading. There will probably other odds and ends as well. :)

Anyway, thank you so much for visiting, and I hope that you will return later!