Enhance your jewellery making and craft designs with these quality, carefully selected gemstone beads.
About Semi Precious Stones And Gemstone Beads
The terms gemstone and semi precious are often used interchangeably, however, the reference to semi precious does not mean that the stone or bead isn't valuable; semi precious simply indicates that the stone is not a diamond, ruby, emerald or sapphire. In addition many beads featured under the semi precious or gemstone banner are not actually stones but organic materials such as lava beads (derived from volcanoes) amber (from tree sap) and coral and pearl (from oceans).
Many believe that semi precious stones have healing properties as detailed in books such as The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall, which provides extensive details on each stone, its' origins and uses; should you wish to explore this area in more detail.
In craft and design, semi precious stones are valued for their colour, clarity and cut (similar to diamonds) and many jewellery makers value the natural inclusions that make each stone unique.