Bead Museum

In mid-July members of the Bead Society of Northern California got the treat of traveling to Carmel, CA to visit the Picard Bead Museum. (www.picardbeads.com)
The Picards have a great collection of glass trade beads. They've got them organized by style and some by region where they're more traditionally found.


The displays are beautifully done, really allowing visitors to get a good, up-close look at these beads. Many have labels describing their materials, and where and when they were commonly traded.

It was a treat to be able to spend the afternoon in a museum FULL of beads, instead of being limited to the usual few pieces in most museums.



In addition to the museum, the Picards also have a bead store so that you may be able to purchase some of the same styles of beads that are on display. I was able to find some vinyl beads that I regretted not getting more of on my visit to Ghana. I also bought some wonderful coconut shell beads. I highly recommend a visit here if your heart melts a little when beads are mentioned.

Tucson Gem Show

In early February I went to Tucson, AZ for the world-famous gem show. It's a HUGE show. It's so big that I don't think there's any way that one person could possibly visit all of the vendors and see everything up for sale. Lots of the trade magazines recommend that anyone going to Tucson for the show buy things when you see them, because if you wait to compare prices too much you'll never find the one you want again.

I stayed with my friend, Chantel, who graciously offered me sleeping space in her studio apartment. I wanted to be sure to give her something special, so I made her a multi-strand amber and amethyst necklace.

Time went by in a warp while I looked through all the beautiful beads and loose stones. Everywhere was an explosion of color and brilliance. I found some great materials that I've been having a lot of fun working with. One of my favorite materials right now is kyanite. It's a beautiful deep blue with shocks of silver and white running through it. It's becoming more available through common material houses, but being in Tucson and being able to look at the strands in person means that I brought back some gorgeous stuff.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go up the California coast to stay in a little town called Gualala (pronounced Wa-la-la). I didn't make or research any jewelry up there, but I did get to stay in some beautiful surroundings. Always good for creativity, and lovely to share.