Weddingbee Blog

I confess that I love sparkly things, and I especially love pretty, sparkly things from nature.

In high school I was a chemistry and geology nerd. I loved how the molecular components of each crystal dictated the structure for the whole thing. The hexagonal shape of apatite, the little squares of salt crystals, it all makes sense and it’s something that can be held in your hand!

Plus, it’s amazing to look at gems and minerals. They come from the ground! They might have been cut and polished by humans, but the sparkle, the color and the tone mostly come from nature. I still love pacing around the mineral exhibits in the Pittsburgh Carnegie Museums. It’s almost like shopping. “Yes! I shall have you, Tourmalinated quartz!”

Some of my stash of pearl strands, double drilled garnets, amber strands, and loose opal, white topaz and garnet stones:

Also, it’s surprising to learn how affordable most precious and semi-precious stones are when you shop around. Gemstone beads can be used to make great offbeat gifts for bridesmaids, or they can be incorporated into bridal accessories. I’ve been buying this stuff for years, so I’ve learned a lot through trial and error. Here are my favorites:

To find affordable precious stones, opting for less than gem quality materials can save tons of money, but give you beautifully colored stones with some personality.

• Ruby droplets: these are cloudy unlike their gem counterparts, but they would make stunning pendants.
• Gradated Sapphire beads: I haven’t purchased these yet, but I want them sooo badly.
• Emerald Chips: These inexpensive chips are a great way to get the fantastic green glow of emeralds. The description says that the chips are oiled, but they don’t stain or feel oily to the touch.

Semi-precious stones are incredibly affordable even at gem quality levels, plus they can be used as substitutes for their more expensive counterparts. Also, going semi-precious doesn’t mean looking cheap. Even Tacori uses white topaz in their hair pieces in place of diamonds.

• Faceted peridot beads: Peridots are a good replacement for emeralds, though the green is more yellow. I think this stone is particularly appealing when mixed with pearls.
• Blue Topaz Faceted Drops: Most commercially available blue topaz is created by irradiating less desirable colors, though natural blue topazes exist. They are an affordable substitute for sapphires, especially gems of the London blue variety.
• Double drilled garnets: This gem was a popular symbol of love in Europe during the middle ages and renaissance period. There are many varieties (even green ones), but they are amazingly affordable even at AA level quality and better.

Pearls, especially the freshwater cultured variety are totally affordable. I have stands of white lotus variety, and even chunky, giant c-grade pearls (the striped ones in the upper right corner of the picture above) that are used in regular rotation in my wardrobe.

Even humble quartz comes in a variety of colors (smoky or green, for example) and shapes like leaves or flowers.

Other favorites:
amber, moss agate, light blue Apatite, dark blue apatite, lapis lazuli, labradorite, spinel, tanzanite, tourmaline

From left to right: emerald chips, moss quartz, turquoise, lapis lazuli