MrBead Bead Shop

MrBead Bead Newsletter
26th April 2015  

Selling to Florists, Using Leftover & Moonstone Beads    


Visit us for a free gift: 2015 UK Bead Fairs. Today 26th April at Beads Up North! Haydock Racecourse

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Content:
15% Discount Off Anything from MrBead
Magical Moonstone: May’s gemstone
How to sell your Jewelry in Florist Shops
How To Use Leftover Beads
MrBead UK Spring Bead Fairs
Newsletter Archive
Nigel's Blog
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For our bead shop click MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com

15% Off Anything From MrBead!
For 15% off anything from our bead store enter MOONSTONEBEADS in the box at checkout and click "Redeem Coupon" Use NOW - as expires Friday May 1st 2015.  No minimum order, but can only for used at MrBead.com  or MrBead.co.uk and cannot be used with any other discount or eBay.

Magical Moonstone: May’s gemstone

    Shimmering Opalite Moonstone Pillow BeadsShimmering Opalite Moonstone Diamond Beads
Moonstone is nature’s treasure with a sensuous and seductive charm. The characteristic feature is its magical play of light. Moonstone is translucent, and softens the light shining through it to give a pearly moon-like glow which appears different whenever the stone changes position. Years ago, it was thought to be brought upon by the moon’s phases. This shimmering affect is caused by light being refracted inside the stone.

Colours
Mystical Moonstone Teardrop Bead StrandMoonstone comes in colourless, white, grey, and subtle yellow, but always has a blue or white sheen. Rainbow moonstone is colourless with a blue sheen and a rainbow-like array of colours.

 

Moonstone folklore
Much mystery surrounds this stone. In India it’s considered sacred to lovers, and is also known as a “dream stone” bringing beautiful dreams. In Arab countries women often were moonstone sewn into their garment as a symbol of fertility. It was also believed to be especially protective to seafarers, who have been using it since ancient times. During full-moon, moonstone is very powerful for reconciling love - and as the moon decreases, is said to allow one to foretell the future.

18 Large Faceted Moonstone Teardop Beads - 18mm x 12mmA feminine stone for female issues and the inner-child, but also used by men who want to reach their feminine side. Moonstone brings confidence, calms the emotions, and aids spirituality, intuition, and clairvoyance.  Also thought to protect against fever, fluid-retention and urinary problems. Its soft shine supports the emotional and dreamy side of a person. Wearing moonstone will also increase your sensitivity for others.
  
Natural moonstone
Classical moonstone from Sri Lanka shimmers pale blue and is expensive. Moonstone from India has a cloud-like plays of light on beige, brown, green, or orange backgrounds – and some have a cat’s eye or a multi-rayed star.

Uncut moonstone is dull and lacks the play of light. This is brought out by the cutter’s skills, who must locate the stone’s axis. Classical moonstones are always cut as cabochons.
Value
Sparking Fac Opalite Moonstone Teardrop Bead StrandThe more intense the colour, the larger and more transparent the stone, the more valuable is the gem. Really top quality fine blue moonstone shows an incredible “three-dimensional” depth of colour, which you will see clearly only when tilting. Such specimens are rare and expensive. Brighter coloured Indian moonstones are usually less expensive, so are opalite moonstone.     
                                                                                                          
Opalite moonstone

Moonstone BraceletOpalite moonstone is most common today.  This is a synthetic stone looking similar to genuine moonstone, that's only been around recently.  Against a light background, it appears milky white, shimmering golden faint lilac-blue and other colours.  Against a darker background, it changes to a bright icy blue with the highlights altering to intense oranges and reds.  The stone practically glows on its own, and demands attention by outshining all around.

Moonstone BeadsOpalite moonstone adds a romantic feminine allure to your jewellery, always looking refreshingly cool - ideal for summer. Its pastel glow is soft and captivating, complimenting other light-coloured stones like lilac amethyst, blue chalcedony, and rose quartz.  It also loves to compete with wild bright colours like reds and turquoise. This flamboyance makes opalite ideal to wear during a night out on the town. 

 Looking after moonstone
Magical Moonstone Square Beads - 10mmAll moonstone is fragile and should be handled carefully. However, a jeweller can polish a dulled moonstone back to its original glory.

 

We have over 48 different opalite moonstones - to see all click
MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk   

How to sell your Jewelry in Florist Shops  

Selling Jewellery to FloristsJewellery and flowers go well together - they both attract similar buyers and make irresistible harmonizing ladies gifts.

Write a personal business-like letter and mail to your local florists, with a sample of your craft and suggestions of cross promotions.  Mention you’ll call in person to discuss the idea or collect the sample if they’re not interested.  Follow up by telephone to arrange an appointment a week later.  Some ideas for cross promotion are:

  • Offer their customers a 15% discount voucher off custom jewellery for flower orders over a certain amount.

  • Offer your customers a 10% discount off flowers on orders over a certain amount.

  • Leave your jewellery at the florist with a leaflet or voucher selling the item at 25% off if they spend a certain amount on flowers.

  • Valentine’s Day promotions can be very effective.  Like the chance to buy a matching pearl necklace and earrings at a discount, if they spend over a certain amount on flowers

Make sure you give the florist a clear list of whatever jewellery you leave with them, with a collection date of unsold items.

How to use Leftover Beads - Don’t throw anything away! 

Every beader is eventually left with out-of-fashion beads that they can’t use. You could try selling them at a fair in a bargain box, but in all probability, they’ll be hard to shift. Strangely, people can sense if the stock is stale. In these financially-tough times, you need to consume everything.  Fortunately it is possible to use these odd beads to make jewellery that will sell. 

Don’t be afraid to disassemble old jewellery. Unstring the beads and mix them with new beads in a different design 

What to do with the Leftovers

1)    Separate all your leftover beads into three different sizes and place each size in its own cup. 

2)    Take any bead at random from one of the cups and lay it out for a necklace on your beading board. 

3)    Then add a bead from a different size cup, and so on.  If the beads are small, add a few, before a large bead – to build uniformity to the design. 

4)    After you’ve laid out half the necklace length, look at the design and see where you can add spacers or caps to improve the style.

In a short time, you’ll end up with an original freeform necklace!

Bead tablecloth weights
Table cloth weights make great presents, especially for summer BBQs.  Take a silver bulldog clip and thread wire through the hole.  Loop it back on itself, and slide a crimp over both pieces, pulling it tight to the clip. Squash the crimp flat to hold the wire in place. Thread beads onto both strands of wire and finish with a crimp to hold the beads in place. The weights are then clipped onto the corner of a tablecloth to prevent the wind from blowing it off.   

    

MrBead Spring UK Bead Fairs

Beading PresentVisit us in the UK this spring, say you're a MrBead Newsletter reader and receive a free gift and a gold & black MrBead bag!

Date Name Venue Address Time Details
Sunday 26th April Beads Up North! Haydock Race Course Newton-le-Willows WA12 0HQ 10am to 4.30pm Click
Saturday 9th May Luton MrBead Bead Show Stockwood Hotel 41-43 Stockwood Crescent, Luton, LU1 3SS 11am to 4pm Click
Sat & Sun 30th & 31st May Wincanton Gem 'n' Bead Fair Wincanton Racecourse Wincanton,  Somerset BA9 8BJ 10am to 5pm Sat
10am to 4pm Sun
Click
Sunday 7th June Cheshire Bead Fair Nantwich Civic Hall Street, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG 10am to 4pm Click
Saturday 27th June Kentish Town MrBead Bead Show Kentish Town Community Centre Main Hall
 17 Busby Place, London NW5 2SP 11m to 4pm Click

Full list of: our 2015 UK Bead Fairs
See a video of some of our past bead fairs

15% Off Anything From MrBead!
For 15% off anything from our bead store enter MOONSTONEBEADS in the box at checkout and click "Redeem Coupon" Use NOW - as expires Friday May 1st 2015.  No minimum order, but can only for used at MrBead.com  or MrBead.co.uk and cannot be used with any other discount or eBay.


 

MrBead Bead Shop

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