ADORA by Simona: Amethyst, The Crystal With A Mysterious Energy

ADORA by Simona: Amethyst, The Crystal With A Mysterious Energy: Oval Cut Amethyst Birthstones Series - February Amethyst  The official birthstone for the month of February is Amethyst, a gemstone th...

Artists Minerals

Artists Minerals: A gallery sneak preview of some of the hand carved stone bead pendants and set cabochons. Along with other various wonderful ...

The Bead : Welcome to The Bead Collection!

The Bead : Welcome to The Bead Collection!: Welcome to The Bead Collection! VISIT  us at our Main Web Site, and sign up for our FREE NEWSLETTER, at:  www.thebead.net SHOP  at our ...

Welcome to The Bead Collection!

Welcome to The Bead Collection!

VISIT us at our Main Web Site, and sign up for our FREE NEWSLETTER, at:  www.thebead.net

SHOP at our Etsy Store, BeadyEyedBird:  http://tinyurl.com/d2hm98w

And LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBeadCollection


ABOUT US...


Here are our stories – we hope you enjoy!

We are a mother-daughter team, Sheila and Shannon -- just starting a new venture in our lives out of a mutual love for beads. We live and collect primarily in New Mexico, but make sure wherever we go in our travels, we seek out exceptional beads to share with bead-lovers and jewelry designers everywhere.

Shannon's Story

Ever since I was old enough to hold a bead, I was fascinated with them. When I was only two, I pried one off of a necklace of my mother's and put it up my nose! I think I imagined it was magic and would give me supernatural powers! Little did I know then how many people believe that stone beads, at least, have special influence and healing properties. The bead I had chosen at the age of two, interestingly, was turquoise – said to be a stone of 'wholeness and truth'. I don't think I could get much closer to two of the values I hold most dearly. As I grew up, I discovered a universe of more interesting beads, and learned more about their history and evolution. Whether made from shells, animal teeth, animal claws or seeds, historians believe the earliest beadwork was for religious purposes and was thought to protect the wearer from evil – or to attract good fortune. And since those times, all around the world, people have developed new materials for beads, from clay, brass, and paper to glass, stone, metal and wood. But no matter what they are made of, what moves me most is that individually crafted bead that can be the star attraction of any type of adornment. There are many bead artists who create true works of art in the forms of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, anklets, and more – with beads of various sizes. What I most hope for as we share our bead collection with you is that you find those beads that speak to you and inspire you. My commitment to this project is to search far and wide for those special, unique pieces – those 'one of a kind' beads – that will help you create something beautiful for yourself or others.

Sheila's Story

I remember when Shannon put that bead up her nose! The incident was a bit more terrifying for me as a novice mom, as I fretted it would work its way into her brain and harm her somehow. Thankfully, her dad came home shortly after and tricked her into blowing it out, then handed it over to me to put someplace safer, i.e., out of her reach! But seriously, I had a true connection to that stone bead myself. The necklace had originally held a peridot bead. Peridots are known for providing an inner sense of warmth and well-being, and as an aid in attracting and creating our most important inner visions. That bead had been lost for some time, and Shannon's dad had glued the turquoise one in the necklace to replace it. I think somehow the entire incident, as well as the energy from the stones themselves, may have led us to the journey we are beginning with The Bead Collection. I too share a fascination (well, maybe an obsession) with beads, and over the years I have gone out of my way to find the most special bead wherever I am in the world. The collection seems to have developed a 'healing spirit' of its own, with each bead associated with my special memories or impressions of Malaysia, Africa, India, Australia, and more. We now want to share our treasure trove with you, so you can share the joy of 'signature beads' with us. I hope you find what you're looking for here, or fall in love with something you weren't looking for – a bead that 'finds you' – as so often seems to happen to us.

Our Home Base – Corrales, New Mexico

The Village of Corrales is a small, treasured oasis located within a large, fast-growing metropolitan area. The Village is bordered on the east by the Rio Grande and, across the river, by the Sandia Indian Reservation. To the south is the City of Albuquerque while to the west and north is the City of Rio Rancho. The greater metropolitan area numbers well over a half million people, but Corrales, about 7300 in population, aggressively strives to retain a rural lifestyle.

Running an online business is perfect for us, living in such a beautiful, historic, and non-urban area. This country-oriented community is distinguished by its broad green pastures and orchards, its rich historic and artistic character, and of course the sounds and scents of roosters, cows, horses and sheep. To cross the borders into Corrales is to step into another time and place where the stresses of twenty-first century life give way to the grace and pace of another era.

 


Pueblo-style architecture and rugged surroundings make this place unique, homey and immensely inviting. Some of the things we love most are the colors you will often find in our bead and jewelry collection: the clear blue of the sky, the soft earth tones of the plains, and the clear, silvery water of mountain streams. We hope you will visit us in person or at least in spirit -- there's nothing we enjoy more than sharing our stories about our home base and giving people our "insider's view" of this very special place.