Gemstone Coin Beads

Tourmaline is a complex crystalline silicate containing aluminum, boron and other elements. Its name derives from the Sinhalese (Sri Lankan) word tura mali, meaning "stone of mixed colors," and tourmaline is indeed found in blue (indicolite), yellow,...

Wood Opal (also known as wood opalite, agatized wood and fossilized wood) is petrified wood, where the organic material has been replaced with hydrated amorphous Silicon Dioxide (opal), but keeping the same layered structure as the original wood. Wood...

Citrine is a form of quartz, and many citrine gemstone beads on the market today are actually heat-treated amethyst - possibly including ours. Both citrine and topaz are popular gemstones for November birthstone jewelry. Citrine, with its warm sunny...

Iolite: This silicate mineral (cordierite) can occur as crystals or grains in igneous rocks, as a result of aluminous sediment in magma. Also known as water sapphires, dichroite, Spanish lazulite, and Vikings' compass, the transparent purple-blue variety...

Garnets are named after punica granatum (pomegranate), due to garnet's resemblance to pomegranate seeds. Garnets come in a variety of shades, but generally when you hear the word "Garnet" you think of this deep rich red. Garnet is actually a group of...

LabradoriteLabradorite beads and pendants offer striking rainbow-colored reflections when light hits them from a particular direction. The labradorescence, or schiller, in these semiprecious beads and pendants offers the same stunning visual effect...

Moonstone Beads from Rings & Things: With its ghostly glow, this feldspar stone almost seems magical. High-quality rainbow moonstone is usually chatoyant and sometimes displays a strong cat's eye. The floating-light phenomenon and sheen of moonstone are...

Peridot beads are known by many names, including bastard emerald, chrysolite, evening emerald, hawaiite, night emerald, and peridote. These pretty green semiprecious beads are cut from an olivine variety composed of magnesium iron silicate. Peridot...

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Tigereye Beads come in richly chatoyant browns and yellows with a golden luster. While legends exist of Roman soldiers wearing this "all seeing" stone for protection in battle, tigereye was not considered a semiprecious gemstone until the late 19th...

Amazonite is a rare blue-green variety of microcline (a feldspar mineral) used as a semiprecious stone. Amazonite (sometimes called Amazon Stone) is an opaque stone, often found with white, yellow or gray inclusions and a silky luster or silvery sheen...

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Aquamarine belongs to the beryl gemstone family. Bead-grade aquamarine tends to have many interesting inclusions and numerous opaque areas. The more intense the color of this stone, the higher its value. Aquamarine is a hard gemstone, which makes it an...

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The name apatite is quite appropriate, considering this mineral makes up the teeth in all vertebrate animals (and teeth are used to satisfy one's appetite!). In fact, it comprises more than 60% of the bones and teeth in humans, fish, birds, cows, and...

Spinel forms in a wide variety of colors: black, blue, red, violet, green, brown, pink, white and colorless, and is most famous for its brilliant red variety that closely resembles ruby. Spinel was named in 1779 by Jean Demeste from the latin "spinella",...

Hessonite garnet (sometimes called cinnamon garnet) is a red-orange variety of grossular garnet. It is slightly softer than some other variety of garnets, so treat with care.Please see the Related Products links below for similar items, and more...

The name Lapis Lazuli comes from the Latin word for "stone" (lapis) and the Arabian word for "blue" (azul). True to their name, these semiprecious beads offer naturally blue shades with inclusions that twinkle like stars in the tales of the Arabian...

Rubies are a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide). The pink to blood-red color of a ruby is due to the element chromium, and the word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red. All gem-quality corundum other than ruby reds, are sapphires. In some...

These semi precious sapphire beads work great for stringing necklaces and bracelets, or to add a drop of color to custom birthstone jewelry. Bead-quality sapphire beads are often opaque or semi-translucent, and vary in color from blue-green through true...

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Blue Lace Agate gemstone beads add a soothing baby blue hue to the gemstone palette, displaying subtle light blue bands in lacy and wavy patterns. Just keep in mind that gemstones are made by Mother Nature, and each gemstone bead will be unique. This...

Larvikite, more commonly known as black labradorite, is an igneous rock that occurs only in the Oslo rift near Larvik, Norway. Like labradorite, larvikite is a coarse-grained mixture of plagioclase and feldspar. Individual grains of anorthoclase within...

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Red creek jasper beads are also known as Chinese picasso beads, reed picasso beads, and red cherry creek jasper beads. While these stunning semiprecious beads offer wonderful patterns in shades of rusty red, ochre, taupe and gray, the name is descriptive...

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