Whole Bead Show - NYC review

Hold on to your beads, everyone! I was disappointed in Whole Bead this year.

My shopping list included the following: 5 strands of different blue gemstones for a class I'm teaching, some of the Pema Arts silver and gemstone beads for accent beads, some beads to make a necklace to honor the pink Leah Fairbanks bead I posted on rcb, sterling clasps, gold filled clasps, lead free pewter rondelles which look like Bali silver, and maybe some lampwork beads.

I could not believe the lack of selection of blue gemstones. Now, meanwhile, I went on Friday which is opening day of the three day show. First of all, almost all the strands were huge beads, lots of them some kind of plastic stuff which is pieced together - yuck. I needed smaller 8mm or so size for this bracelet class. I ended up buying one strand of African Crysocolla. The drills for anything small were terrible, I wouldn't buy them. I also wonder what has happened to teardrop beads which you used to be able to find in 6x16 and 9x22mm sizes in almost all gemstones. I guess they have been replaced by briolettes? I miss drops for earrings.

I was more successful with Pema arts - got several blue quartz and silver beads, a coral and silver centerpiece size bead. They were well priced, great quality.

I did buy some very interesting Herkimer diamonds and some Russian Moldivite, which is Russian sunstone - a mauve color - to make a necklace for Leah's bead. Of course I fell in love with another of Leah's beads, but I was good. I'm saving myself for B & B, lol.

Bought 4 strands of leadfree pewter rondelles and small beads, 2 strands in gold and 2 in silver.

The sterling and gold filled clasps were outrageously priced.Sterling crimps were the same.

I bought some small cloissone starfish for a beach theme necklace and two Siamese cats for earrings @2.00 each.

There also were a number of lampworkers who were originally supposed to be there, but were not on the final list of exhbitors. I can imagine how expensive WBS is to do. The lesser famous lampworkers did not look busy or happy.

That's all I bought. I'm beginning to think that smaller bead shows like Innovative are a better bet in these rough economic times.

Anyone else go? Any other opinions?

Patti

Reply to
Patti
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Hey Patti,

I am sorry your bead day was a disappointment. It really sucks cause you get yourself all worked up and expect to find something truly fantastic and what a let down when nothing stands out.

I am going to the Mid-Atlantic Beadin Bazaar tomorrow and I hope I have better luck than you. *grins* Though I am not going with an agenda or list, I do hope to find some delicate pink stones of some kind for a project I have going on. I guess we'll see. My favorite gemstone bead supplier will be a vendor and she always has something cool or original, and she has some of the best gemstone strands I've seen at these shows. Plus she always gives me a nice discount cause I am a good customer. *wink* My husband cringes when she is going to be around cause I always end up buying lots from her.

Oh yeah, and I am making my husband the official chauffeur for my beading event... thank god they have seating in there so he wont have to stand the whole time. hehehehehehehehe

Wish me luck!!

Sterling

Reply to
Sterling

Well, I'm only on the other side of the island, but I hope to get to the LBSs here before I go back home. I know what I'm looking for (small round gemstone beads), and I actually hope to do some trading with those people as I didn't see mgambo seeds in their displays. Of course this means I should go and get some sleep some time soon ... (We went in one car, and bead stores bore he heck out of DH, so I shouldn't leave him alone without car all day)

Maren (no bead shows around here that beat mail order ...)

Reply to
Maren at google

Hi Patti,

Sorry to hear it was a disappointment. My disappointment is usually that I don't have enough money for all the beads I'd like to buy!

I've only been to the Intergalactic shows here, and over the years, they seem to get smaller, but I still enjoy going.

Reply to
Beadbimbo

Jerri, That's usually my disappointment as well!! It's a bit easier this way I guess. Leah's bead was certainly extremely beautiful, but I do have 2 of her beads already. I would like to buy a Lisa St.Martin bead at B & B since I don't have any of hers. She does these awesome purple dichro large focals, and then there are her famous artists' series beads. Ah, so many from which to choose!

Patti

Reply to
Patti

Bead shows are an absolute rarity for me. I liked BABE, and Oakland is my home town. I only get to go to shows when I'm traveling -- like thousands of miles from home. I'm hoping to do some shopping for stones in AZ in the future.

I'm very confused about your Moldavite. Moldavite is a naturally occurring green glass (like obsidian is a natural glass) that originates in Outer Space and is found by the Moldau River in Czech. It's not a stone and I've never heard of it being any color other than green. I've heard of "lab created" moldavite, but what's the point in getting "lab created" glass? If it's Terrestrial, it just ain't Moldavite!

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

Tina, I think I did not hear the gem dealer correctly. My ears are still a little stuffed up from the cold. All I remember is that the name started with "M" and he described it as "Russian sunstone" and it had an "ite" on the end of the word. As I said, it is a mauve color. I'll go on the gem dealer's website to see if I can figure out what it is.

Patti> >

Reply to
Patti

I'd love to see what the stone is.

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

It's Heliolite. As I've said before, I can't post pics on here because I can only access the n/g through Usenet.

Patti

Reply to
Patti

Patti,

A few years ago at a local bead show, I ran across this very unusual stone that I thought was absolutely gorgeous. I had not see it anywhere else and the strands were not marked with the name so I searched on Google images till I found it - or something that looks very similar to the stones I bought. It's called muscovite. The color is a brownish mauve, with specks of something that glitters (mica perhaps) embedded in the stone. In the sunlight, it is stunning. Here is the best image of Muscovite that I could find on the net:

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Is this anything like what your stone looks like?? Sterling

Reply to
Sterling

Sterling, That's it!!! Mine is a bit lighter in color, but it must be the same stone. Thank you,

Patti

Reply to
Patti

From what I am able to find on the net, Heliolite is the same thing as sunstone. I cant profess to have ever seen sunstone at a bead show, and the images I am able to find online have it looking kinda like a clear reddish carnelian. *shrug*

The muscovite is a much prettier stone if you ask me but not many places offer it. Wonder why??

It must have been something you said about it being mauvish looking because after reading your post, an image of that stone popped into my head and I just knew we were thinking the same stone. What cut did you get? Round? Square? Rectangle? other? Are yours faceted? mine are a simple 10 x 15 puff rectangle.

Sterling

Thank you,

Patti

Reply to
Sterling

Mine are graduated slices, sort of trapezoid shaped. Not faceted. Now that I've seen your picture of the faceted ones, I want some of that as well! Patti

Reply to
Patti

Mine are graduated slices, sort of trapezoid shaped. Not faceted. Now that I've seen your picture of the faceted ones, I want some of that as well! Patti

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The word "muscovite" stuck in my head and I just received notification of a sale of *limited edition beads, etc* from Artbeads.

I stumbled over one called "red muscovite" and they are round and facetted and 8 MM, but not mauve. I didn't know if either of you would be interested, but here is the link for a look-see.

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Cheers......Heather

Reply to
Heather

Thanks Heather. Those beads are indeed the same stone we have been talking about. I guess its just like any other stone out there.... they come in different gradients of color. Mine are very mauvy, while Patti's are lighter she said. The ones at Artbeads look much darker with a bit more red in them. Too bad I just spent $300.00 at a recent bead show or I'd place an order.

Sterling

: The word "muscovite" stuck in my head and I just received notification : of a sale of *limited edition beads, etc* from Artbeads. : : I stumbled over one called "red muscovite" and they are round and : facetted and 8 MM, but not mauve. I didn't know if either of you would : be interested, but here is the link for a look-see. : :

formatting link
: : Cheers......Heather : :

Reply to
Sterling

Moldavite I know well (per my other posts). I have some great raw pieces, a wonderful carved tree, and a coupled faceted pieces. Love the stuff. Literally out of this world.

It was the other stuff I was curious about. Thank you for those images.

Sunstone is a plagioclase feldspar, like Labradorite, so it has the same kind of gleam. Chatoyance -- a cat's eye like effect.

I also have some Obsidian with similar chatoyance. It sometimes has feldspar fibers too. My rainbow obsidian has it, as does my newest piece -- Star Obsidian (like a "star" sapphire).

Stones are great!

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

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