JEWELRY METALWORKING

Metal working means shaping metals into useful objects (artistic as well as functional). The earliest metalworking was probably from around 5000 BCE and the first metals were probably copper and gold. Copper is more abundant than gold, but copper usually needs to be refined from ore that is not pure copper, and gold occasionally can be found as pure nuggets. Later copper was alloyed with tin and other metals to make bronze which is stronger and more malleable. Even later copper was alloyed with zinc to make brass which is smoother than copper or bronze.

The copper cuff bracelet pictured above can be found at CAPTIVATING COPPER CUFF BRACELET (beadshaper.com)

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CUFF BRACELETS

Cuff bracelets date back to ancient times when it was often worn by nobility as a sign of social status. Pharoahs were depicted wearing cuffs in ancient pictures. Romans wore cuffs. In the Western hemisphere, Mayan Kings wore metal cuffs.
The copper cuff bracelet with a lampwork glass heart shaped bead pictured above was handcrafted by the Beadshaper and can be found at HEART BEAD ON COPPER CUFF (beadshaper.com)

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BRASS

Brass is a metal which is an alloy of copper and zinc with a bright yellowish color and a smooth low friction texture. Brass was probably first made around 500 BCE. It is used in making various items including musical instruments, plumbing, and jewelry.

You can find a brass bracelet at BRASS AND SILVER CUFF BRACELET (beadshaper.com)

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AMAZON WOMEN

The Amazon women in Greek mythology were supposed to be a community of women warriors who only kept men around for breeding. They were said to live at the southern coast of the Black Sea. Interestingly, archeological excavations of ancient ruins in that area has indicated that there were some women warriors among the people living in that area in ancient times.

You can find the cuff bracelet pictured above at AMAZON WOMAN COPPER CUFF BRACELET (beadshaper.com)

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BLACK LIVES MATTER

The Black Lives Matter movement protests racially motivated killing of Black Americans. Such killings in many cases have been facilitated by the gun anarchy that exists in our country. The movement began in 2013 after the murder of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman and the subsequent acquittal of Zimmerman.

The glass pendant pictured above is named Black Lives Matter. The light blue flowers and green stems represent life, and the black background represents Black Americans. The pendant can be found at BLACK LIVES MATTER GLASS PENDANT WITH BAIL (beadshaper.com)

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TURQUOISE

 

The color turquoise is the color between blue and green. A stone with that color has been known since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians mined it in the Sinai desert. The ancient Persians and Chinese also used it. It has been used by the Indians of Mexico and the US Southwest since Pre-Columbian times. The present day name of turquoise came into use 4 centuries ago and comes from the French word for Turkish. The pendant bead pictured above has the color turquoise but is made of handcrafted lampwork glass. It can be found at TURQUOISE GARDEN GLASS PENDANT WITH BAIL (beadshaper.com)

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OCEAN AND LAKE STONES

Millions of years ago of years ago, the earth began as gases spun off from the sun which cooled to form a core. As the earth cooled further, it formed an outer crust on which we now live. From time to time, gases would punch up from the core to or near the surface (like in volcanoes) and cool into rock. This could occur on land or under the water. Rocks could then move for various reasons (like water motion or earth movement) and break up into stones. In various locations this might result in underwater stones in oceans, lakes, and rivers or pile up on coastal land because of waves or regression of water.

The stones in the necklace pictured above are reminiscent of stones that one might see under the water or piled up on coastal land. That necklace can be found on the Beadshaper website at OCEAN STONES NECKLACE - Necklaces (beadshaper.com)

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NINE

The number 9 is more than 8 and less than 10. Nine is the square of 3. That means if you multiply 3 times 3 you get nine. Nine is the highest single digit number. In some forms of mysticism 9 has been called the number of magic, of completion, of wisdom, or of heaven. Nine represents Brahma in Hinduism. The ancient Romans wrote IX for nine. Roman numerals like IX are still used today to number chapters in books.

You can find the mysterious handcrafted glass pendant pictured above at NINE - Pendants and Focal Glass Beads (beadshaper.com)

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BARBARA

The name Barbara is of Geek origin and means “stranger.” It was popular for newborns in America in the first half of the 20^th Century but has declined recently. It is still popular for newborns in Eastern Europe. Some famous Barbara celebrities are Barbara Walters (born 1929), Barbra Streisand (born 1942), Barbara Eden (born 1931), Barbara Hershey (born 1948), and Barbara Bach (born 1947). A recent Barbara is a Hungarian model named Barbara Palvin (born 1993).

You can see Barbara Bluefish on the Beadshaper website at BARBARA BLUEFISH - Fashion Fish Lampwork - Handcrafted Lampwork Glass Beads, Pendants. (beadshaper.com)

You can see her sister, Brianna Bluefish, at BRIANNA BLUEFISH - Fashion Fish Lampwork - Handcrafted Lampwork Glass Beads, Pendants. (beadshaper.com)

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CLEOPATRA

Cleopatra VII was part of the Ptolemy royal family of Egypt during Roman times. The Ptolemies were descendants of Macedonians who ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. Cleopatra ruled Egypt together with her father, later her brothers, and finally her son. She was known for her cleverness and beauty. She cemented her rule over Egypt by having an affair with Julius Caesar resulting in a son who became officially her co-ruler. After Caesar was assasinated, she had an affair with Marc Antony resulting in more sons. Marc Antony and Cleopatra fought a war with Augustus Caesar over the control of the Roman Empire. Marc Antony and Cleopatra lost the war and both independently committed suicide. The son of Caesar and Cleopatra was later killed by the Romans which ended the Ptolemaic dynasty. Egypt then was incorporated as a province in the Roman Empire.

You can visit Cleopatra Carp on the Beadshaper website at CLEOPATRA CARP - Fashion Fish Lampwork - Handcrafted Lampwork Glass Beads, Pendants (beadshaper.com)

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GRETA

The name Greta is the diminutive of Margareta and is of German and Scandinavian origin. It means pearl. Famous women with the name Greta include Greta Garbo who was a famous Swedish American movie star in the 1930s and 1940s. A more recent personality with the name Greta is Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist born in 2003;

You can find a Beadshaper Fashion Fish handcrafted lampwork glass bead named Greta at GRETA GREYFISH - Fashion Fish Lampwork - Handcrafted Lampwork Glass Beads, Pendants (beadshaper.com)

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