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The centerpiece bead is a wound bead, hollow formed on a mandrel. This makes it very light weight for its size--it is hollow as though it had been blown with a blowpipe. Glass
bead makers harness trapped air to blow beads right on the mandrel, the glass stretches as the trapped air expands in the heat of the torch. The glass remains thick enough to be very
sturdy. I loved the pale amber colors in the bead and assumed I could find amber beads to go with it. Well, no, I couldn't. I found something better though-- yellow opal.
This is common opal without fire, but yummy nonetheless. The Book of Stones says common opal vibrates at a lower frequency and more gentle intensity than
opals with fire, and this enhances its calming effects on the emotional body. Some jade puzzle balls add a little playful zing to the composition. There is a tiny carved jade bead
inside each puzzle bead
which is visible through the holes, and you can puzzle over how the carver managed to carve a bead within a bead in such hard material. The opal strand is strung
on cable for strength, the pearl strand is on silk.
LOVE BEADS: This piece includes "love beads," beads given to me after the fire by friends and strangers. The necklace carries the energy of their loving concern.
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