Sunday, January 27, 2008

Gemstone nuggets under $25

I'm working on projects for BeadStyle's Under $25 special issue. And finding that it can be challenging to make pretty gemstone jewelry for under $25. (It can be challenging to make gemstone jewelry for under $75, for that matter!) So, I wanted to show you my latest score: a strand of faceted lepidolite jasper slabs from Lima Beads.

Even though I was a little apprehensive — 35mm faceted gemstones for $15.50 a strand? — I decided to order them anyway, because Lima Beads tends to have nice stones at reasonable prices. They didn't disappoint: the strand arrived a few days later, looking very much like the one pictured. Chunky, faceted slabs with purple, lavender, and beige hues. Maybe the beige isn't as visible in the photo, but it gives the stones added depth and dimension.

Lima Beads sends a coupon and a handwritten thank-you note with all of my orders. They also suggest other products I might be interested in, like new cuts of CZs. All of this makes me feel like they appreciate my business (and, it's good marketing on their part). That's no small thing, given how much atrocious customer service is out there. It's refreshing to find a company that cares about my loyalty.

Another great thing about Lima Beads: they sell half-strands. That's really handy when I'm making a bracelet or just need a few accent beads. Gotta keep those costs down, after all.

2 comments:

michelle said...

I thought these were particularly interesting, as well:

http://www.limabeads.com/Silver-Creek-Jasper-Gemstone-Beads-C839

What a great source of beads--and with great customer service, too, it makes it a simple decision to continue patronizing them.

So what are you making me?! ;)

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

oooooo! those are totally cool. count on you to locate some fabulous beads like that!