Bead Information
.925 Sterling Silver Beads, Clasps, Toggles and Findings
Sterling Silver, otherwise known as 925 silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver
and 7.5% copper, the other alloys included in Sterling Silver are used to
provide strength. Sterling Silver is recommended for people that may have
reactions with some types of jewelry, as there is no nickel in Sterling
Silver. Sterling Silver, like Gold Fill, will not 'wear off'. It will tarnish
over time, but to slow down the tarnish process a ziploc bag and an anti-tarnish
strip will be provided with all jewelry.
.925 Bali Silver Beads, Clasps, Toggles and Findings
Our Bali silver is imported directly from Indonesia. The finest silversmiths
and artisans create wonderful antique-like designs that are hundreds of
years old and have appeared throughout the Middle East and Asia. The term
Bali began as tourists frequently bought silver items while vacationing
on Bali beaches. Our Bali beads, clasps, Toggles and Findings are .925 Sterling
Silver.
Swarovski Crystal Beads
Beadazzling Couture only uses the finest crystal. Austrian Swarovski Crystal
is made at the factory in Wattens using basic formulae perfected by Daniel
Swarovski and his three sons in 1895. In 1908 they were able to refine the
crystal to a state of brilliance. It contains a minimum of 32% lead, making
the crystal optically pure. The process of creating Swarovski crystal is
by using heat, with a combination of natural minerals and quartz sand, and
then cooled slowly to avoid stress and inclusions. Austrian Swarovski crystals
are by far the most brilliant and faceted.
Austrian Swarovski Crystal Color Chart
Austrian Swarovski Pearl Color Chart
Birthstone Colors
Gemstone Durability
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was devised by the German mineralogist
Frederich Mohs (1773-1839) in 1812. The MOHS scale only determines the ability
of the gemstone to resist scratches. A substance's hardness value indicates
the materials resistance to scratching and grades minerals on a comparative
scale from 1 (very soft) to 10 (very hard). A diamond is 10 HM, which means
that it measures 10 on the MOHS scale. Diamonds are the only substance with
a rating of 10 on the MOHS Scale. They are the hardest gemstones known to
man and Diamond bits are used to cut glass, metal and other diamonds also.
Although Diamonds cannot be scratched easily, they are brittle. Below is
a chart of gemstones with their MOHS value:
| MOHS Rating | Gemstone | Durability |
|---|
| 1 | ________ | Easily scratched by a fingernail |
| 1.5 | ________ | Easily scratched by a fingernail |
| 2 | Alabaster | Scratched by a fingernail |
| 2.5 | Serpentine, Ivory, Pure Copper, Amber, Silver, Gold | Lightly scratched by the fingernail |
| 3 | Copper Coin, Pearls, Bronze, Calcite | Very easily scratched by a steel file |
| 3.5 | Coral, Pearls | Easily scratched by a steel file |
| 4 | Rhodochrosite, Malachite, Iron, Fluorite, Pearls | Scratched by a steel file |
| 4.5 | Platinum | Scratched by a steel file |
| 5 | Lapis Lazuli | Scratched with a steel file with difficulty |
| 5.5 | Turquoise, Sodalite, Glass, Apatite | Scratched with steel file with difficulty |
| 6 | Rhodonite, Opal, Labradorite, Azurite, Amazonite, Feldspar, Pyrite | Cannot be scratched with a Steel file, but scratches glass with difficulty |
| 6.5 | Peridot, Onyx, Moonstone, Jasper, Jadeite, Hematite, Chrysoprase, Chalcedony, Carnelian | Cannot be scratched with a steel file, but scratches glass with difficulty |
| 7 | Tourmaline, Tigereye, Quartz, Garnet, Aventurine, Amethyst, Agate | Scratches glass easily |
| 7.5 | Emerald, Beryl, Aquamarine | Scratches glass easily |
| 8 | Topaz | Scratches glass very easily |
| 8.5 | Alexandrite | Scratches glass very easily |
| 9 | Sapphire, Ruby | Cuts glass |
| 9.5 | ________ | Cuts glass |
| 10 | Diamond | Used as a glass cutter |
|
