My Jewelry Box: The Finds

So, as I shared earlier in the week or technically last week, I attended the Intergalatic Bead Show yesterday. It's always an interesting experience and there are always really great finds. I went with one of my best friends as she has a great eye and amazing style. We had a great time and I was able to get a few things I needed and a couple of wants. So now I'm going to share my finds with you.

The first items are moonstone cabochons in various sizes that I found toward the end of my visit. There was a great selection and I picked out a few to use in some upcoming jewelry pieces.

Next, I got lots of pearls! I love making pearl pieces so I knew I needed lots of pearls. These are shell pearls that are in tricolor strands. They're nice and light for the upcoming spring season.

From another seller I got some more lovely pearls. These are all freshwater pearls which are my absolute love of all pearls! The white and cream pearls are AAA grade and the colored are A grade. I have great plans for all of these beautiful pearls including some bridal pieces.

From that same seller I found some amazing semi precious beads. Some were pretty pricey so I couldn't get everything that caught my eye, but it could be a new source for supplies. I did get a few strands of small aquamarine beads which as I've stated before I really love and they're springy. I also got a strand of gorgeous moonstone cubes that are corner drilled. The photo doesn't do them justice! They're faceted and sparkly and lovely!

Last, which was actually my first stop at the show, I visted the Kazuri booth. I adore these beads! They are handmade by women in Nairobi, Kenya. The beads are made from African clay from Mount Kenya and each one is painted by hand. Buying these beads help support these women. The organization is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and pays the women fair wages. If you'd like more information on the Kazuri story visit this site.

It's always hard for me to pick a few beads from Kazuri because they are all so beautiful! But here are a few I chose this time. Hopefully I'll be getting some more sooner than later! I'll actually be using some of these beads on my challenge for this week. So look for the new piece at the end of the week!